Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School, MD and DO (2027-2028)

What GPA and MCAT score do you need to get into medical school?

The two biggest objective medical school admissions statistics that determine an applicant's success are the MCAT score and GPA. In the medical school admissions process, your MCAT and GPA serve as the foundational building blocks of your candidacy. Sometimes applicants have a difficult time hearing this fact: no matter how exceptional an applicant's background, it is often impossible to overcome low statistics.

What does this mean exactly? Your MCAT and GPA are the two criteria that earn you a foot in the door. Every medical school screens applicants on metrics, whether or not it publishes a cutoff. Assuming your numbers meet a school's screen, your application will be reviewed by a human being. If not, your application can be rejected without that review. And once your metrics meet the screen, what moves the needle is everything else: how you reflect on your experiences and the insight you show in your medical school personal statement, AMCAS Work and Activities, secondary essays, and interviews, along with your letters of recommendation.

At the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where I was on faculty,  had average GPA and MCAT medians. When applicants fell too far beneath these metrics, their applications weren't reviewed.

Below you will find the median GPA and median MCAT score for every U.S. MD-granting medical school from the AAMC's Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database, the mean GPA and MCAT for every U.S. osteopathic medical school from AACOM's Choose DO Explorer, and current medical school acceptance rates. Understanding these numbers will help you set goals as a premedical student, gauge your overall competitiveness, and build a realistic school list.

A note on medians and means: The MSAR reports median (middle) statistics for MD schools, while the Choose DO Explorer reports mean (average) statistics for DO schools. Half of the students in a school's data fall above the median and half fall below it, while the mean adds every score together and divides by the number of students. The two measures are close but not identical, so compare MD schools with MD schools and DO schools with DO schools.

Average GPA and MCAT Score for Medical School (MD and DO)

According to AAMC FACTS data, students who matriculated at U.S. MD-granting medical schools in 2025 to 2026 had an average MCAT score of 512.1 and an average GPA of 3.81. My analysis of the 2027 MSAR data shows that the typical MD school median is a 513 MCAT and a 3.89 GPA. For osteopathic medical schools, AACOM reports that students entering in 2025 had a mean MCAT of 502.95 and a mean GPA of 3.62.

As GPAs continue to rise, the minimum GPA I advise students to aim for is a 3.6 across all subjects, and I consider a GPA of 3.5 or higher to be within the competitive range. However, we work with many students who have GPAs lower than this who are accepted. Grade trends matter too, and an upward trend makes you a more competitive applicant. The rigor of your coursework and the reputation of your undergraduate institution can also affect how your grades are interpreted.

For the MCAT, a score of 512 or higher is typically competitive for allopathic medical schools, and a score of 518 or higher is considered exceptional. Earning the highest score possible in the fewest attempts is ideal. Medical schools see all of your scores, so an applicant who scored 503, 504, and 512 across three attempts may be viewed as less competitive than one who earned a 512 on the first attempt. For a full breakdown, see my guide to MCAT scores.

Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every MD Medical School (2027 MSAR Medians)

The table below lists every U.S. MD-granting medical school in the MSAR, in alphabetical order. A few new medical schools have not yet reported statistics.

About this data: I pulled these figures from the AAMC's Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database on November 4, 2026, for the 2027 application cycle. The table includes every U.S. MD-granting medical school in the MSAR, including schools in Puerto Rico; Canadian medical schools are excluded. All figures are medians as each school reported them to the AAMC. Schools update their MSAR data periodically, so always confirm current figures in the MSAR before finalizing your school list.

Related: Where to Apply to Medical School and the Easiest Medical Schools to Get Into

MD Schools With the Highest Median MCAT Scores

MD Schools With the Lowest Median MCAT Scores

Keep in mind that a lower median MCAT does not mean a school is easy to get into. Several of these schools have specific missions, such as training physicians from Puerto Rico or serving underrepresented communities, and they receive many applications for a limited number of seats.

MD Schools With the Highest Median GPAs

MD Schools With the Lowest Median GPAs

Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Osteopathic (DO) Medical School

The table below lists every U.S. osteopathic medical school in AACOM's Choose DO Explorer, in alphabetical order, with the mean MCAT and mean cumulative undergraduate GPA each school reports. Several newer schools have not yet reported statistics. For my ranking of the most selective DO programs, see my guide to the best osteopathic medical schools, and to understand how osteopathic and allopathic training compare, see my DO vs MD guide.

About this data: I pulled these figures from AACOM's Choose DO Explorer on November 4, 2026. Figures are means as each college self-reports them; AACOM notes that it does not verify the data. Where a school lists several campuses with identical figures, I show the school once. The two Texas osteopathic schools apply through TMDSAS and do not report figures in the Explorer. Schools update their information periodically, so always confirm current figures with each school before finalizing your school list.

DO Schools With the Highest Mean MCAT Scores

DO Schools With the Lowest Mean MCAT Scores

Medical School Acceptance Rates

When deciding where to apply to medical school, research each school's acceptance rate. By understanding medical school acceptance rates, you can gauge for which medical schools you are most competitive. However, many medical schools do not disclose how many applicants they actually accept. Some publish only how many applications they receive, how many applicants they interview, and how many students matriculate, so it is not always possible to know what percentage of applicants are ultimately accepted.

Typically, the more competitive the medical school, the lower the acceptance rate. However, some medical schools that do not appear especially competitive based on the GPA and MCAT of their students receive a very large number of applications and interview only a small percentage of applicants, which makes them quite competitive. Sometimes, it is more useful to review cumulative data, such as acceptance rates by application system.

Medical School Acceptance Rates by Application System

Sources: AAMC FACTS Table A-7.2, AACOM Applicants, Matriculants, Enrollment and Graduates, and the TMDSAS Medical Application Data Report. AACOM does not publish the number of applicants accepted, so the osteopathic figure reflects the share of applicants who matriculated.

Admission to medical school remains highly competitive, and the applicant pool is growing. MD applicants rose from 51,946 in 2024 to 2025 to 54,699 in 2025 to 2026, and osteopathic applicants rose 4.6 percent over the same period. In the 2026 application cycle, AACOM reported a 12.83 percent increase in applications to osteopathic medical schools.

What are the Most Popular Medical Schools?

Some medical schools receive far more applications than others, and a high application volume can make a school more competitive than its GPA and MCAT medians suggest. In 2025 to 2026, the following MD-granting medical schools each received more than 13,000 applications.

Source: AAMC FACTS Table A-1, 2025 to 2026.

Across all U.S. MD-granting medical schools, the 54,699 applicants in 2025 to 2026 submitted a total of 1,066,896 applications, which means the typical applicant applied to about 19 or 20 schools. Acceptance rates between medical schools vary significantly, and the most selective schools accept only a small percentage of their applicants. This is one reason I advise every applicant to build a balanced school list rather than choosing schools by statistics alone, and why many of my clients apply to both MD and DO programs.

For acceptance rates by school, along with acceptance rates by MCAT and GPA, see my complete guide to medical school acceptance rates.

Most Important Medical School Admissions Criteria

In summary, your MCAT score and GPA are the cornerstones of your candidacy. Assuming you meet a school's MCAT and GPA thresholds, the other aspects of your application then become the most important, and reflection and insight in how you write about your experiences are what set you apart from applicants with similar numbers.

If you are early in your premedical journey, make academic excellence a primary goal. If you are getting ready to apply to medical school, honestly assess your chances by comparing your statistics with the figures above for each school on your list. For an expert assessment of your competitiveness and help building a balanced school list, schedule a free 15 minute consultation with a MedEdits physician advisor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average GPA for medical school?

According to the AAMC, students who matriculated at U.S. MD-granting medical schools in 2025 to 2026 had an average GPA of 3.81. In the 2027 MSAR data, the typical MD school median GPA is 3.89. For osteopathic medical schools, students entering in 2025 had a mean GPA of 3.62, according to AACOM.

What is the average MCAT score for medical school?

According to the AAMC, students who matriculated at U.S. MD-granting medical schools in 2025 to 2026 had an average MCAT score of 512.1. In the 2027 MSAR data, the typical MD school median MCAT is 513.

What is the average MCAT for DO schools?

According to AACOM, students entering osteopathic medical schools in 2025 had a mean MCAT of 502.95. Among individual DO schools, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University reports the highest mean MCAT at 508.8.

What is the medical school acceptance rate?

According to the AAMC, 24,300 of the 54,699 people who applied to U.S. MD-granting medical schools in 2025 to 2026 were accepted, an acceptance rate of 44.4 percent. For Texas medical schools, 2,592 of 6,890 TMDSAS applicants were accepted for the 2025 entry year, a rate of 37.6 percent.

Which medical schools receive the most applications?

In 2025 to 2026, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences received the most applications of any MD-granting medical school at 17,194, followed by Drexel University College of Medicine at 16,547 and Tufts University School of Medicine at 15,455, according to the AAMC.

Which medical school has the highest median MCAT?

NYU Grossman School of Medicine has the highest median MCAT in the 2027 MSAR at 523, along with the highest median GPA at 3.99. Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Penn, Vanderbilt, and Yale follow with a median MCAT of 522.

Which MD schools have the lowest median MCAT?

In the 2027 MSAR, the lowest median MCAT scores are at medical schools in Puerto Rico, led by San Juan Bautista School of Medicine at 499. On the mainland, Mercer University School of Medicine and the University of Mississippi School of Medicine have the lowest median MCAT at 504.

What is the difference between a median and an average GPA or MCAT?

The median is the middle value, so half of a school's students fall above it and half fall below it. The average, or mean, adds every score together and divides by the number of students. The MSAR reports medians for MD schools, while the Choose DO Explorer reports means for DO schools, so the two figures are close but not directly comparable.

Do medical schools have GPA and MCAT cutoffs?

Every medical school screens applicants on metrics, whether or not it publishes a cutoff. Once your GPA and MCAT meet a school's screen, reflection and insight in your personal statement, activities, and secondary essays are what move the needle.