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Introduction
Knowing medical school acceptance rates will allow you to accurately gauge your competitiveness for medical school admission. One trend regarding medical school acceptance rates is that they have been steadily decreasing over the past several years because medical school admissions is becoming increasingly more competitive. That said, there is a huge range of medical school acceptance rates.
Many factors impact medical school acceptance rates including the number of applicants to any given medical school, the number of seats in the medical school first year class, the desirability of a medical school, and whether or not the school is privately or state-funded. Other factors such as race, ethnicity, undergraduate major, and your state residency also impact acceptance rates. As medical schools focus more and more each year on increasing diversity and creating an interesting student body, these factors become more important. By reading this article, you will learn how to interpret medical school acceptance rates, the lowest and highest medical school acceptance rates, and other admissions data. You will also know how to use this information to your advantage and increase your chances of acceptance to medical school.
Allopathic Medical School Acceptance Rates
The overall allopathic medical school aggregated medical school acceptance rate for the 2022-2023 through 2024-2025 years were 44.7%.
The number of allopathic medical school applicants has varied slightly over the years with a peak of applicants during the pandemic.
Now, looking at the overall data also yields some interesting information.
Some interesting observations from this data:
- 2022 had the highest number of applicants (62,443) but the lowest acceptance rate (36.30%)
- Despite having the lowest number of applicants in the 6-year period, 2024 had both the highest acceptance rate (44.58%) and the most matriculants (23,156)
- The number of matriculants has steadily increased every year from 2019 to 2024, even as application numbers fluctuated
The average medical school acceptance rate for individual allopathic medical schools in the United States is 5.5%. The primary factors that impact this rate for individual medical schools are the overall popularity of the medical school and the number of applications received by each medical school.
For example, a medical school that receives 14,000 applications for 150 first year medical student positions will be more competitive, and have a lower acceptance rate than a medical school of the same caliber that receives only 5,000 medical school applications for 150 first year positions.
Geography and prestige also influence medical school acceptance rates. Medical schools in desirable locations, typically urban areas, receive more applications than medical schools in more remote locations. Obviously, a medical school's prestige or reputation will also influence the acceptance and matriculation rates. The more prestigious medical schools may have an 80% or higher matriculation rate (or "yield") meaning 80% of accepted students actually matriculate whereas as a less competitive medical school may have only a 40% yield meaning only 40% of accepted students matriculate. Therefore, the medical school with the 40% yield will have a higher acceptance rate than the medical school with the 80% yield because they must accept more applicants to fill their first year class.
Acceptance rates between medical schools vary significantly. The most selective medical schools have very low medical school acceptance rates. For example, Mayo and Stanford have acceptance rates around 2%! However, some state medical schools have the highest medical school acceptance rates. For example, the University of North Dakota has an in-state acceptance rate of nearly 18%. The University of Nebraska accepts more than 40% of in-state medical school applicants!
| Medical School | Median GPA | Median MCAT | Medical School Acceptance Rate | Total Applicants | Total Interviewed | Total Accepted | Total Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany Medical College | 3.7 | 511 | N/A | 10247 | 793 | N/A | 139 |
| Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University | 3.7 | 510 | 12% | 3074 | 558 | 372 | 233 |
| Baylor College of Medicine | 3.93 | 518 | 4.9% | 6689 | 840 | 329 | 186 |
| Boston University | 3.75 | 517 | 6.5% | 7771 | 1019 | 503 | 174 |
| Brown University (Alpert) | 3.77 | 514 | 3% | 9995 | 380 | 276 | 144 |
| California Northstate University | 3.69 | 512 | N/A | 4184 | 357 | N/A | 96 |
| Case Western Reserve University | 3.81 | 518 | 7% | 7556 | 1083 | 530 | 214 |
| Central Michigan University | 3.74 | 506 | N/A | 5393 | 423 | N/A | 103 |
| Columbia University | 3.9 | 521 | 3.5% | 8258 | 1073 | 278 | 140 |
| Cornell University (Weill) | 3.88 | 515 | 5.1% | 6385 | 798 | 323 | 106 |
Osteopathic Medical School Acceptance Rates
Based on the data available, the average osteopathic medical school acceptance rate was 10.25%. However, not all osteopathic medical schools publish their acceptance rates.
Reviewing the osteopathic application data is interesting.
Some key observations from this data:
- DO applications peaked in 2022 (27,277 applicants) likely due to the pandemic.
- Despite fluctuations in applicant numbers, the number of matriculants has steadily increased each year
- 2024 saw a significant jump in matriculants (9,644), the largest year-over-year increase in the period shown
- From 2019 to 2024, DO matriculant numbers increased by nearly 2,000 students (24% growth) due to the increased number of osteopathic medical schools
Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine and Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine have two of the highest medical school acceptance rates at 25 and 16 percent, respectively. In contrast, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine and Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific had two of the lowest medical school acceptance rates at 6.5 and 6.9 percent respectively.
Osteopathic medical school acceptance rates are also declining as more osteopathic medical schools are established. Why? More applicants are applying to both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools at the same time.
More than 22,000 applicants applied to osteopathic medical school in 2024 (the most recent data available) and roughly 9,600 students matriculated. Keep in mind that some applicants may have attended allopathic medical schools so it is to possible to determine overall acceptance rates.
| School Name | Average MCAT | Average GPA | Average BCPM GPA | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine | 501 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 10% |
| Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University | 508 | 3.54 | 3.48 | NA |
| Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine | 498 | 3.46 | NA | 25% |
| A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine | 503 | 3.61 | 3.53 | NA |
| A.T. Still University of Health Sciences School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona | 504 | 3.48 | 3.37 | NA |
| Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine | NEW SCHOOL | NEW SCHOOL | NEW SCHOOL | NEW SCHOOL |
| Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine | 503 | 3.5 | 3.58 | NA |
| Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University | 503 | 3.67 | 3.61 | NA |
| Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine | 506 | 3.63 | NA | 16% |
Medical School Acceptance Rates by Gender
What are the most recent allopathic medical school acceptance rates by gender?
Allopathic Medical School Acceptance Rates based on Gender
| Men: | 48% |
| Women: | 45% |
Osteopathic medical schools do not disclose national acceptance rates. Therefore, we do not know exactly what percentage of applicants are accepted. Also, many osteopathic medical school applicants will preferentially matriculate at allopathic medical schools if accepted to both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. Therefore, it is likely that higher percentages of both genders were accepted to osteopathic medical schools.
Something the osteopathic medical schools do report are matriculation rates. What are the most recent osteopathic medical school matriculation rates by gender?
Osteopathic
| Men: | 45.3% |
| Women: | 54.7% |
Medical School Acceptance Rates by Race/Ethnicity
There is no question that some races and ethnicities have higher acceptance rates than others. See the table below to review the percent of each group's overall allopathic medical school acceptance rate.
Rates of Acceptance to U.S. Medical Schools by Race/Ethnicity (2024 – 2025)
| Applicant Race/Ethnicity Responses | Percent Accepted |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 50% |
| Asian | 51.4% |
| Black or African American | 41.7% |
| Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin | 45.3% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 38% |
| White | 51.5% |
| Other | 41.1% |
| Multiple Race/Ethnicity | 48.4% |
| Unknown | 43.4% |
| Non-U.S. Citizen and Non-Permanent Resident | 18.6% |
| Total | 46.5% |
As you can see from the data above, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asians, and Whites have the highest rates of acceptance.
Now let's review the highest percentage of matriculants based on the largest groups according to Race and Ethnicity in 2024. The data is interesting:
The cumulative 2024 allopathic medical school acceptance rate was 44.6%.
The osteopathic national data is not as detailed as the allopathic data. The data for average MCAT and GPA by major is not available for osteopathic medical schools. But, we will review most common majors for osteopathic medical school matriculants:
Medical School Acceptance Rates by Major
Premedical students often ask if it matters what they major in. The simple answer is no! However, it is best to review the data to better understand medical school acceptance rates by major!
Allopathic Matriculation Rates (%) to U.S. Medical Schools by Major
| Major / Matriculation Rate (%) | |
|---|---|
| Biological Sciences | 44% |
| Humanities | 53% |
| Math and Statistics | 53.5% |
| Other | 41.4% |
| Physical Sciences | 51.9% |
| Social Sciences | 43% |
| Specialized Health Sciences | 42% |
| All Majors | 44.6% |
Osteopathic Medical School Matriculant Majors
The osteopathic national data is not as detailed as the allopathic data. The data for average MCAT and GPA by major is not available for osteopathic medical schools. But, we will review most common majors for osteopathic medical school matriculants:
Osteopathic Medical School Matriculants By Major (2022)
| Major | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Life Sciences | 6,866 | 81.3% |
| Social Sciences | 629 | 7.5% |
| Physical Sciences | 438 | 5.2% |
| Arts & Humanities | 252 | 3.0% |
| Other | 253 | 3.0% |
| No Major | — | — |
| Undisclosed | 194 | NA |
As you can see the most popular majors by far for osteopathic matriculants are the life sciences.
GPA and MCAT Score Based on Race
The Association of American Medical Colleges releases data for average MCAT and GPAs for medical school matriculants (those who are accepted and attend allopathic medical schools) based on race. When applying to medical school, it is important to consider which group you fall in to as there is variation between the average MCAT and GPAs for different groups of successful applicants.
The average metrics among matriculants from the largest ethnic/racial groups are as follows:
Medical School Acceptance Rates by MCAT Score/GPA
First of all in 2024 (the most recent data available), the average GPA for medical school matriculants is 3.77 (an increase of 0.02 from 2023). The average MCAT for medical school matriculants is 511.7 (a decrease of 0.2 since 2023).
Don't be stuck on absolute numbers, however, when considering your competitiveness. The average med school GPA and the average med school MCAT mean that many successful applicants had higher and lower than those averages!
What are medical school acceptance rates by MCAT? How about medical school acceptance rates by GPA? Obviously, the higher your MCAT and GPA, the greater your chances of getting accepted to medical school. But, let's review the medical school acceptance rates based on MCAT score and GPA to understand some nuances.What percentage of applicants with a specific MCAT and GPA are actually accepted to medical school. Review this allopathic medical school acceptance rate data:
What does this data suggest?
- If you have a lower total GPA, you should try to earn a higher MCAT to compensate for that lower GPA.
- By the same token, if you have a lower MCAT, a higher GPA will increase your chances of acceptance.
For example, students with a GPA in the range of 3.4 – 3.59 have an overall acceptance rate of 31.6%. However, students with GPAs in this range who earned an MCAT of 517+ had acceptance rates of 65.7%!
| Total GPA | <486 | 486-489 | 490-493 | 494-497 | 498-501 | 502-505 | 506-509 | 510-513 | 514-517 | 517-528 | All Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| >3.79 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 8.1 | 19.2 | 31.2 | 43.5 | 55.4 | 69.6 | 77.1 | 83.6 | 63.2 |
| 3.60-3.79 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 5.2 | 13.1 | 23.2 | 35.5 | 44.1 | 59.1 | 66.7 | 73.6 | 43.3 |
| 3.40-3.59 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 4.5 | 11.3 | 21.1 | 30.5 | 37.3 | 48.3 | 58.2 | 65.7 | 31.6 |
| 3.20-3.39 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 8.6 | 15.7 | 25 | 31.3 | 40.7 | 48.6 | 55.5 | 23.1 |
| 3.00-3.19 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 6.9 | 17.2 | 23.7 | 29.8 | 38.1 | 43.4 | 42.8 | 17.4 |
| 2.80-2.99 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 13.1 | 20 | 23.7 | 30.1 | 37.9 | 38 | 13.2 |
| 2.60-2.79 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 6.3 | 12 | 21.1 | 22.9 | 30.4 | 36.1 | 40 | 9.6 |
| 2.40-2.59 | 0.3 | 0 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 10.2 | 19.3 | 21.9 | 32.4 | 50 | 23.1 | 6.2 |
| 2.20-2.39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 | 13.3 | 30.8 | 19.4 | 23.1 | — | — | 5.6 |
| 2.00-2.19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 | 13.3 | 30.8 | — | — | 2 |
| <2.00 | 2.2 | ||||||||||
| All Applicants | 0.9 | 1.9 | 4.4 | 12.0 | 23.2 | 35.2 | 45.6 | 60.9 | 70.4 | 79.8 | 44.7 |
Osteopathic Average Medical School MCAT and GPA
The average overall GPA and science GPA for osteopathic medical school matriculants was 3.62 and 3.55 respectively. The average MCAT score for osteopathic medical school matriculants was 504.77. Osteopathic medical school matriculants' post-baccalaureate average GPAs were the highest in history, 3.71. By reviewing the average MCAT scores and GPAs for osteopathic medical school matriculants, we can draw some conclusions.
MCAT Score Ranges for Osteopathic Matriculants
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| 519 or higher | 78 | 0.9% |
| 513 – 518 | 614 | 7.3% |
| 507 – 512 | 2382 | 28.3% |
| 501 – 506 | 3,389 | 40.2% |
| 495 – 500 | 1,659 | 19.7% |
| 489 – 494 | 266 | 3.2% |
| 483 – 488 | 40 | 0.5% |
| Less than 482 | — | — |
Undergraduate GPA Ranges for Osteopathic Matriculants
| Number / Percent of Matriculants | |
|---|---|
| 3.60 –4.00 | 4,913 / 57 |
| 3.20 –3.59 | 2,797 / 32.5 |
| 2.80 –3.19 | 731 / 8.5 |
| 2.40 –2.79 | 145 / 1.7 |
| 2.00 –2.39 | 22 / 0.002 |
| Less than 1.99 | 0 / 0 |
Overall, average GPA for osteopathic medical school matriculants were high. 89.6% of matriculants had a GPA of 3.2 or higher and 57% had a GPA of 3.6 or higher. The more significant piece of data is that nearly 63% of matriculants had an MCAT score of less than 507. There is simply no way to get around the fact that an applicant's MCAT score largely determines his or her competitiveness for medical school admissions.
Medical School Acceptance Rates by College
Finding accurate data on medical school acceptance rates by college is very difficult. Why? Colleges that write premedical committee letters do not compose a letter automatically on behalf of any student who wants to apply to medical school. If a student is not a competitive medical school applicant, the college may refuse to write a committee letter. Or, the college might agree to only write a committee letter for osteopathic medical school admission and not allopathic. Also, some colleges do not distinguish between allopathic and osteopathic acceptance rates so, the available data may be inclusive of both types of medical schools. However, the medical school feeder college data available is accurate. Generally speaking the more competitive and prestigious the undergraduate college, the higher their acceptance rate for medical schools.
Which undergraduate colleges have the most allopathic medical school applicants? The top 10 are listed below.
| University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA: | 1,199 |
| University of Florida, Gainesville, FL: | 872 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI | 863 |
| University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX | 965 |
| University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: | 702 |
| University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA: | 646 |
| The Ohio State University Main Campus, Columbus, OH: | 540 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC | 541 |
| University of Georgia, Athens, GA: | 506 |
| Texas A & M, College Station, TX | 594 |
What undergraduate colleges have the most osteopathic medical school applicants? The top 10 are listed below.
| University of Florida: | 389 |
| Michigan State University – East Lansing: | 328 |
| University of California – Los Angeles: | 394 |
| Rutgers State University of New Jersey – New Brunswick: | 273 |
| University of South Florida – Tampa: | 277 |
| Ohio State University: | 264 |
| University of California – San Diego: | 279 |
| University of California – Irvine: | 248 |
| University of Michigan – Ann Arbor: | 271 |
| University of Central Florida: | 293 |
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