Attending one of California’s sixteen medical schools is something many medical school applicants dream of. However, getting into a California medical school is extremely difficult and only the most prepared applicants are accepted. At MedEdits, we have been helping students successfully get into California medical schools for more than 15 years.

Why is medical school in California so appealing? For in state California residents, tuition is much lower at state funded schools. Even for out of state students, California medical schools have lower tuition than most private medical schools. All of the medical schools in California have great reputations that help medical students earn top residencies. In fact, some of the best medical schools in the country are in California. Finally, the beautiful state of California is a desirable place to live!
In this article discover the California medical schools and what you should do to improve your chances of getting accepted.
Table of Contents
Rankings: List of the Best Medical Schools in California
When you first start your journey to medical school, it is important to understand the medical school rankings, medical school categories (pubic, private, MD-granting, and DO-granting. Below we will break down this information and will then review the most pertinent medical school-specific data such as average MCAT, GPA, and percent of out of state students interviewed and accepted.
Stanford, University of California San Francisco, and University of California Los Angeles are all ranked in the top ten for research by US News and World Report.
Because California medical schools are so desirable, they receive huge numbers of applications each year making California medical school acceptance rates very low.
Here are the U.S. News and World Report rankings for medical schools in California:
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- Stanford (#4)
- University of California – San Francisco (#6 – tie)
- University of California – Los Angeles (#6 – tie)
- University of California – San Diego (#21)
- University of Southern California (Keck) (#31)
- University of California – Davis (#40)
- University of California – Irvine (#44)
- University of California – Riverside (#91)
- Touro University of California (#94-122)
- Western University of Health Sciences (#94-122)
- California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (NR)
- California Northstate University (NR)
- California University of Science and Medicine (NR)
- Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine (NR)
- Loma Linda University (NR)
- Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (NR)
Practice Type
California Osteopathic Medical Schools
- California Health Sciences University
- Touro University of California
- Western University of Health Sciences
California Allopathic Medical Schools
- California Northstate University
- California University of Science and Medicine
- Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
- Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine
- Loma Linda University
- Stanford
- University of California – Davis
- University of California – Irvine
- University of California – Los Angeles
- University of California – San Diego
- University of California – San Francisco
- University of California – Riverside
- University of Southern California (Keck)
School Type
California Public Medical Schools
- University of California – Davis
- University of California – Irvine
- University of California – Los Angeles
- University of California – San Diego
- University of California – San Francisco
- University of California – Riverside
California Private Medical Schools
- Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
- California Health Sciences University
- California Northstate University
- California University of Science and Medicine
- Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine
- Keck School of Medicine of Southern California
- Loma Linda University School of Medicine
- Stanford University School of Medicine
- Touro University of California
- Western University of Health Sciences
By Region
Northern California Medical School
- California Health Sciences University (Clovis, CA)
- University of California – Davis (Davis, CA)
- University of California – San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
- California Northstate University (Elk Grove, CA)
- Stanford University School of Medicine (Stanford, CA)
- Touro University of California (Vallejo, CA)
Southern California Medical Schools
- California University of Science and Medicine (San Bernardino, CA)
- Charles R. Drew (Los Angeles, CA)
- University of California – Irvine (Irvine, CA)
- University of California – Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
- University of California – Riverside (Riverside, CA)
- University of California – San Diego (San Diego, CA)
- Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine (Pasadena, CA)
- Keck School of Medicine of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
- Loma Linda University School of Medicine (Loma Linda, CA)
- Western University of Health Sciences (Pomona, CA)
How to be a Competitive for California Medical Schools
To determine your competitiveness for a California medical school you must first review the average MCATs and GPAs for accepted students as well as the California medical school acceptance rates. For out of state students, it is important to pay attention to how many out of state students are interviewed and what percentage of out of state students matriculate each year.
So, how difficult is it to get accepted to a California medical school? Let’s review the data. Below are the average MCAT scores and college GPAs, interview rates for in state and out of state applicants, percent of entering class that is in state, and tuition for all medical schools in California.
Information & Data For Each California Medical School
California Health Sciences University
Practice Type | Osteopathic (DO-granting) |
Location | Clovis, CA (Northern California) |
School Type | Private |
Average GPA | 3.4 |
Average MCAT Score | 505 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | NA |
Percent of Class In State | NA |
Tuition | $54,500 |
Touro University of California
Practice Type | Osteopathic (DO-granting) |
Location | Vallejo, CA (Northern California) |
School Type | Private |
Average GPA | 3.51 |
Average MCAT Score | 508 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | NA |
Percent of Class In State | 83% |
Tuition | $58,800 (all) |
Western University of Health Sciences
Practice Type | Osteopathic |
Location | Pomona, CA (Southern California) |
School Type | Private |
Average GPA | 3.68 |
Average MCAT Score | 510 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 12.7% & 6.4% (combined) |
Percent of Class In State | 87% |
Tuition | $59,600 (all) |
California Northstate University
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | Elk Grove, CA (Northern California) |
School Type | Private |
Average GPA | 3.69 |
Average MCAT Score | 512 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | NA |
Percent of Class In State | 90.6% |
Tuition | $60,377 (all) |
California University of Science and Medicine
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | San Bernardino, CA (Northern California) |
School Type | Private |
Average GPA | 3.69 |
Average MCAT Score | 513 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 4% |
Percent of Class In State | 84% |
Tuition | $60,250 (all) |
Charles R. Drew/UCLA
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | Los Angeles, CA (Southern California) |
School Type | Private |
Average GPA | 3.64 |
Average MCAT Score | 511 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 3.2% |
Percent of Class In State | NA |
Tuition | $58,000 (all) |
Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | Pasadena, CA (Southern California) |
School Type | Private |
Average GPA | NA |
Average MCAT Score | NA |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | NA |
Percent of Class In State | NA |
Tuition | Tuition Free |
Loma Linda University
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | Loma Linda, CA (Southern California) |
School Type | Private |
Average GPA | 3.89 |
Average MCAT Score | 510 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | N/A |
Percent of Class In State | 43% |
Tuition | $59,820 (all) |
Stanford
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | Stanford, CA (Northern California) |
School Type | Private |
Average GPA | 3.89 |
Average MCAT Score | 519 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 2.3% |
Percent of Class In State | 37 % |
Tuition | $61,328 (all) |
University of California – Davis
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | Davis, CA (Northern California) |
School Type | Public |
Average GPA | 3.7 |
Average MCAT Score | 512 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 3.1% |
Percent of Class In State | 98% |
Tuition | $41,231 (in-state) and $53,476 (out-of-state) |
University of California – Irvine
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | Irvine, CA (Southern California) |
School Type | Public |
Average GPA | 3.83 |
Average MCAT Score | 517 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 4% |
Percent of Class In State | 85.6% |
Tuition | $36,525 (in-state) and $48,770 (out-of-state) |
University of California – Los Angeles
Related: How to get into UCLA Medical School
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | Los Angeles, CA (Southern California) |
School Type | Public |
Average GPA | 3.85 |
Average MCAT Score | 517 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 2.4% |
Percent of Class In State | 60.5% |
Tuition | $37,947 (in-state) and $50,192 (out-of-state) |
University of California – San Diego
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | San Diego, CA (Southern California) |
School Type | Public |
Average GPA | 3.85 |
Average MCAT Score | 517 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 3.8% |
Percent of Class In State | 86% |
Tuition | $37,090 (in-state) and $49.335 (out-of-state) |
University of California – San Francisco
Related: How to get into UCSF Medical School
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | San Francisco, CA (Northern California) |
School Type | Public |
Average GPA | 3.85 |
Average MCAT Score | 518 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 3.8% |
Percent of Class In State | 79% |
Tuition | $36,021 (in-state) and $48,266 (out-of-state) |
University of Southern California (Keck)
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | Los Angeles, CA (Southern California) |
School Type | Private |
Average GPA | 3.81 |
Average MCAT Score | 517 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 4.6% |
Percent of Class In State | 82% |
Tuition | $65,439 (all) |
University of California – Riverside
Practice Type | Allopathic |
Location | Riverside, CA (Southern California) |
School Type | Public |
Average GPA | 3.72 |
Average MCAT Score | 510 |
Interview & Acceptance Rates | 5.5% |
Percent of Class In State | 100% |
Tuition | $37,612 (in-state) and $49,857 (out-of-state) |
California Medical School Acceptance: Increase Your Chances
So, what can you do to increase your chances of getting accepted to a California medical school?
1) Be realistic about your competitiveness and do what you need to improve your chances. When deciding when to apply to medical, you should consider how your average GPA and MCAT compares to the school’s average GPA and MCAT for accepted students. If your GPA and/or MCAT are lower than the California medical schools you would like to attend, consider boosting your GPA or MCAT to make yourself more competitive. You must also consider your state residency; many California medical schools admit the majority of students from within the state.
2) When you complete secondary essays, do so thoughtfully and considerately. The majority of UC medical schools screen applications so only a certain percentage of applicants receive secondary applications. Therefore, it is important to make sure your secondary essays distinguish you and highlight what you will bring to the medical school community.
3) Don’t try to spin your documents, secondary essays, or interview responses to “fit” a certain medical school. All medical schools are looking for diverse medical school entering classes. No medical school, for example, wants a class full of students who have NIH funded research or a an entire class of students who have been community service leaders. Always be true to yourself, your ideals, and your interests. If you have the stats to be a competitive applicant for a California medical school, what is most important is to address every secondary essay, every interview question and every MMI scenario authentically and honestly. Trying to “tell them what you think they want to hear” can actually undermine how you are perceived and decrease your chances of success.
About MedEdits
MedEdits helps students get admitted to medical school and residency programs. Our consultants have years of experience serving on medical school admissions committees, and as faculty members at the top medical schools in the country.
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