According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a data region and a servo region adjacent to the data region and including a magnetic recording layer, the magnetic recording layer including first and second patterned regions adjacent to each other, the first patterned region including a first nonmagnetic matrix and first magnetic particles dispersed in the first nonmagnetic matrix and having magnetization oriented in a first direction, the second patterned region includes a second nonmagnetic matrix and second magnetic particles dispersed in the second nonmagnetic matrix and having magnetization oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction, sizes of the first magnetic particles being smaller than sizes of the second magnetic particles.