Rowan University and The Cooper Health System partnered in June 2009 to establish CMSRU to help address the physician shortage locally and nationally and to improve healthcare throughout the region.

New Jersey governor and Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie spoke at the school's opening.

[3] Rowan University is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

In November 2019 Cooper Medical School of Rowan University was awarded the Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Engagement from the American Association of Medical Colleges .

[5][6] In April 2019, CMSRU was named in U.S. News’ list of “10 Med Schools With the Lowest Acceptance Rates” [7]