In this comprehensive guide, you will learn everything you need to know about MCAT scores including:
Let's dive right in.
We realize that taking the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is one of the most anxiety provoking parts of the medical school admissions process for many applicants. After years of study, focus, and commitment, time spent on extracurricular and scholarly pursuits, it is stressful to think that your success may hinge on your MCAT score. You may be wondering:
Because many medical schools consider the MCAT score the most important objective criteria of your med school application, you should use every strategy to take the MCAT as few times as possible to earn the highest score (ideally on your first or second attempt).
While your GPA is also extremely important, the MCAT is the only measure medical schools can use to compare you objectively to other applicants. Earning the highest MCAT score possible or one near the average MCAT scores for accepted students at your target medical schools should be your goal. Learn the medical school admissions statistics including average MCAT scores and average GPA for all United States medical schools.
There are four sections on the MCAT and you will receive an individual score for each section.
The four MCAT sections are:
Your MCAT score is based on the number of correct answers you achieve on the MCAT. Wrong and unanswered questions are scored the same way so there is no penalty for guessing.
The number or correct scores on each section is then converted to a scale of 118 – 132. The MCAT is not graded on a curve.
You will also receive a percentile rank for each MCAT section and your total score to see how you compare to other test takers.
Understanding the components of your MCAT score report is not only important for you personally, but also because this is the same information that admissions committees will be using to evaluate your readiness for success in the medical school curricula.
You will receive four MCAT section scores:
You will receive one MCAT total score:
The total MCAT score range is 472-528 with 500 as this midpoint of this range.
The total MCAT score is the sum of the four section scores
The MCAT is not scored on a curve and admissions committees only use the scaled section and overall scores during the admissions process. Medical schools will not consider your overall percentile in the admissions process; they will only use your scaled scores.
The highest score you can earn on the MCAT is a 528 with a 132 on each of the four MCAT sections.
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The average MCAT score for matriculants in 2023/2024 was 511.7 versus in 2022/2023 when it was 511.9.
We will be watching the average MCAT scores closely to see if this slight fluctuation is a trend.
Your MCAT total score will be in the range of 472-528 with an average score of 500. Each of the four MCAT sections is scored between 118-132 with an average score of 125.
Understanding these average MCAT scores will allow you to gauge your competitiveness for medical school admission and will help you decide if you want to retake the MCAT.
Applicants accepted to allopathic (MD-granting) medical schools for the 2023-2024 year had an average MCAT score of 511.4. This is an increase from 2022-2023 when the average was 511.9.
This year alone, MedEdits students have been accepted to allopathic medical schools with MCAT scores as low as 508. In 2022, we even had one student accepted who had never taken the MCAT.
There are many variables that can impact a candidate's strengths and attributes.
A good MCAT score is a 512 or above with no section score below 127.
However, a "good" MCAT score will vary from applicant to applicant which is especially important because medical school applicants are evaluated holistically.
To be the safest, we suggest students aim to be in the 75th percentile for the school you want to apply to most.
For example, a student who wants to attend The Perelman School of Medicine should aim for a score that is close to the 75th percentile for accepted applicants: 524.
A student aiming to get in to Rosalind Franklin, should aim for a score close to 516 to be "safe" which is the 75th percentile for accepted applicants.
An MCAT of 512 or above makes you a competitive applicant for both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools assuming other aspects of your candidacy are also strong.
An MCAT of 515, which will place you in the 90th percentile of all test takers, or above will make you a much more competitive applicant.
A score over 517, the 94th percentile, should nearly guarantee admission. Although, consider that 17% of applicants with scores over 517 and with a GPA of 3.79 or higher were not accepted to medical school in 2022-2023. This is evidence that great metrics alone will not get you accepted to medical school!
When we are consider what a "good MCAT score" is for any given student there are many factors we consider including:
The average MCAT score for certain state schools where the majority of matriculants are from in state are lower than the average MCAT score of 511.7.
Depending on your ethnic group, the average MCAT score could be higher or lower than the overall average MCAT of 511.7. Some ethnicities have much higher average MCAT scores than others.
Not every student aims to attend a the most selective medical schools so we offer guidance based on a student's future aspirations. However, your ideal MCAT score should be aligned with the average MCAT scores for accepted applicants at your target medical schools.
For example, the average MCAT for students at Columbia Medical School is 520, however, the average MCAT for UT Southwestern Medical School is 515.
Therefore you need to be realistic of the medical schools for which you are competitive based on your MCAT score. Admissions committees also consider your MCAT score within the context of your entire application and profile. For example, if you are an applicant that has overcome tremendous adversity, a lower MCAT score might be easier to overcome.
Or, if you have exceptional achievements (as documented in your personal statement and AMCAS work and activities entries) as well as stellar letters of recommendation and a high GPA, your MCAT may not need to be stellar. This year alone, MedEdits students have been accepted to allopathic medical schools with MCAT scores as low as 508. We even had one student accepted who had never taken the MCAT. There are many variables that can impact a candidate's strength and attributes.
Keep in mind that a great MCAT score will not guarantee your admission to medical school. To illustrate, let's consider the aggregated acceptance rates for applicants by MCAT score as reported by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
| MCAT score | Percent Accepted |
|---|---|
| Less than 486 | 0.7 |
| 486-489 | 1.3 |
| 490 - 493 | 3.6 |
| 494 - 497 | 20.9 |
| 498 - 501 | 31.9 |
| 502 - 505 | 41.7 |
| 506 - 509 | 41.7 |
| 510 - 513 | 57.1 |
| 514 - 517 | 69 |
| Above 517 | 78.1 |
As you can see, the higher the MCAT score, the better your chances of acceptance. Generally speaking, if you have a lower score, you should ideally have a higher GPA to balance your academic profile. That said, there are many factors that impact an applicant's success as medical school admissions committees review applications holistically. This is why your experiences, personal statement, work and activities entries, secondary essays, and interview performance are so important.
Admissions committees also consider your MCAT score within the context of your entire application and profile.
Now you are likely asking,
These are very general guidelines about where to apply based on your MCAT score and assuming your GPA is a 3.5 or above. These suggestions might change depending on your state residence, ethnicity, disadvantaged status, and other factors.
Your MCAT represents only one factor in your medical school candidacy, but, it is a very important one! Medical schools will often screen applications based on GPA and scores, however, many do view applications holistically with the MCAT score being only one piece of that overall picture when applying to MD programs. It is important to only take the MCAT when you are ready, devoting a minimum of three months of study. Good luck!
When students ask me how to prepare, I first ask them, "How did you prepare for the SAT or ACT and what worked?" At this point, most students know their weaknesses and have an idea of how they learn best. The material that is tested is typically covered in undergraduate courses. How best to prepare will vary from applicant to applicant and there is no one right way.
Here are some MCAT prep possibilities:
Most test takers study for the MCAT for at least three months, but, this will in part depend on how you are performing on practice tests. How you study is also an individual choice and will depend on your exam history and how you have successfully prepared for past standardized test.
As we tell our applicants, underperforming on the CARS section of the MCAT can be forgiven, especially if you earned high scores in the three science sections. This is a common pattern with our students when they apply to medical school which makes sense since many medical school applicants are more gifted in the sciences and math. Underperforming on a science section, however, can hurt you. Your cumulative score matters most.
Below are the rules on how many times you can take the MCAT:
Many students ask if they should retake the MCAT. The answer to this question in part depends on your goals. If, for example, you earned a 506 on the MCAT and you want to attend an osteopathic medical school, there is little need for a retake. However, if your goal is to attend an allopathic medical school, MedEdits would likely suggest retaking the exam after determining what you need to do to improve.
The other reason a student should retake the MCAT is if he or she underperformed for a reason that is easy to identify. Were you sick on test day? Were there stressful exam center circumstances that negatively impacted your test performance? Did you have extreme test anxiety that wasn't treated or addressed? Were there things going on in your personal life that distracted you?
Sometimes a student may reflexively retake the MCAT when he earns a score below his target goal. However, without identifying what went wrong on test day, or what needs to be done to improve the score, a fast retake rarely results in a significantly increased score. We usually suggest a minimum of a three month interval between exams unless there are extenuating exam day circumstances as described above.
What are some of the highest average MCAT scores for American medical colleges?
| School | MCAT Score |
|---|---|
| Vanderbilt | 521 |
| Washington University | 521 |
| Yale | 522 |
| NYU | 523 |
| Johns Hopkins | 521 |
| Northwestern | 521 |
| Perelman/University of Pennsylvania | 522 |
| Pritzker/University of Chicago | 521 |
| Harvard | 521 |
Understanding a medical school's average scores will help you determine your competitiveness for that school.
What are some of the lowest average MCAT scores for American medical colleges?
| School | MCAT Score |
|---|---|
| University of Mississippi | 503 |
| Louisiana State | 504 |
| Northeast Ohio | 506 |
| Central Michigan | 506 |
| Florida State University | 506 |
| Southern Illinois | 506 |
| Michigan State | 507 |
| Brody | 508 |
| Cooper | 508 |
| Loma Linda | 508 |
Medical schools are accustomed to seeing multiple MCAT scores on an application. While some medical schools claim to average multiple MCAT scores or only look at the highest combined score, we find this is rarely the case. Medical schools will see all of your MCAT attempts and results. Three common exam patterns are described below:
One exam pattern we often see is the "outlier." This student takes the exam two times or more earning lower scores. She then takes the MCAT one last time and bumps her score. The more "low scores" you have on your exam profile, the more likely your one higher score might be interpreted as an outlier. This is a typical "outlier" exam profile: 503, 504, 512.
The other profile we sometimes see is the "creeper." This student takes the exam multiple times and slowly creeps up. In this profile, the exam scores are likely to be averaged. This is a typical "creeper" exam profile: 505, 507, 509, 512.
The profile we like to see the most is the "learner" profile. In this profile, the student takes the MCAT twice. She doesn't do as well as she wants on the first exam, waits a few months to figure out what she has to do to improve, and then bumps that score by at least 3 points. A typical "learner" MCAT exam profile is: 508, 514. This is an ideal exam profile.