What average MCAT score and GPA do you need to get into your top choice medical school?
The two biggest objective medical school admissions stats that determine an applicant’s success in medical school admissions are the average MCAT score and average GPA.
However, subjective criteria which is communicated through your medical school personal statement, AMCAS work and activities, secondary essays, and letters of recommendation, also impact interview and admissions outcomes.
However, for the purposes of this article we will focus on the objective criteria, or med school admission stats, that impact success.
In the medical school admissions process, your MCAT and GPA serve as the foundational building blocks for every student’s 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 medical school statistics.
What does this mean exactly? Your MCAT and GPA are the two criteria that will earn you a foot in the door. Assuming these two metrics meet minimum cut offs set by a medical school, your application will actually be reviewed by a human being. If not, your application can be automatically rejected.
Below you will find a complete list of U.S. medical schools, including the average GPA and average MCAT scores by school.
Keep in mind that most medical schools do not publish MCAT and GPA cut offs and many medical schools have sophisticated formulas to determine how to weigh MCAT and GPAs when making these cut off determinations.
Note: It is not always simple to find out a medical school’s average MCAT score and GPAs for accepted students since the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) only lists MEDIAN (or middle) statistics and not MEAN (or average) statistics for accepted students. However, some medical schools, but not all, post this data on their websites.
Understanding the numerical criteria that influence an applicant’s success in the process will allow premedical students to set goals. It also enables medical school applicants to gauge how competitive they are in general, and for specific medical schools in which they are interested.
Finally, it is important to review medical school acceptance rates to get an idea of each medical school’s competitiveness. The lower the medical school acceptance rate, the more competitive the medical school. And, the higher a medical school acceptance rate, the less competitive the medical school.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Average GPA, MCAT Score and Acceptance Rate for Every Medical School in 2022-2023 (M.D.)
| 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 |
| Creighton University | 3.82 | 510 | N/A | 6126 | 609 | N/A | 155 |
| Dartmouth College (Geisel) | 3.66 | 514 | 4% | 7361 | 806 | 284 | 92 |
| Drexel University | 3.67 | 511 | 5% | 13831 | 747 | 707 | 263 |
| Duke University | 3.86 | 519 | 4% | 6951 | 704 | 277 | 121 |
| East Carolina University (Brody) | 3.71 | 507 | 12% | 1008 | 429 | 125 | 87 |
| East Tennessee State University (Quillen) | 3.77 | 506 | 6% | 2402 | 217 | 138 | 73 |
| Eastern Virginia Medical School | 3.6 | 511 | 5% | 6729 | 813 | 356 | 150 |
| Emory University | 3.7 | 514 | 4% | 7790 | 668 | 311 | 138 |
| Florida Atlantic University (Schmidt) | 3.7 | 510 | 7% | 2384 | 302 | 155 | 64 |
| Florida International University (Wertheim) | 3.75 | 512 | N/A | 5016 | 557 | N/A | 123 |
| Florida State University | 3.76 | 505 | 3% | 5866 | 280 | 151 | 123 |
| George Washington University | 3.7 | 512 | 1.9% | 12057 | 1141 | 349 | 184 |
| Georgetown University | 3.63 | 512 | 3% | 13149 | 1029 | 375 | 203 |
| Harvard University | 3.93 | 519 | 3.3% | 6815 | 948 | 227 | 165 |
| Hofstra University | 3.8 | 516 | 7.9% | 4477 | 874 | 354 | 99 |
| Howard University | 3.4 | 502 | 4% | 5044 | 276 | 192 | 119 |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | 3.82 | 518 | 5.7% | 6304 | 1077 | 358 | 140 |
| Indiana University--Indianapolis | 3.9 | 511 | 8.6% | 6683 | 1113 | 574 | 365 |
| Johns Hopkins University | 3.94 | 521 | 6% | 4297 | 657 | 256 | 120 |
| Loma Linda University | 3.83 | 508 | N/A | 5252 | 362 | NA | 168 |
| Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center--New Orleans | 3.81 | 509 | N/A | 3083 | 475 | N/A | 195 |
| Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center--Shreveport | 3.8 | 504 | N/A | 1265 | 233 | N/A | 127 |
| Loyola University Chicago (Stritch) | 3.72 | 510 | N/A | 11355 | 606 | N/A | 165 |
| Marshall University (Edwards) | 3.62 | 503 | 6% | 1960 | 157 | 125 | 84 |
| Mayo Clinic School of Medicine | 3.92 | 520 | 2.4% | 7265 | 816 | 172 | 102 |
| Medical College of Wisconsin | 3.76 | 511 | 7% | 5041 | 588 | 353 | 271 |
| Medical University of South Carolina | 3.75 | 510 | 15.5% | 1385 | 364 | 214 | 157 |
| Meharry Medical College | 3.58 | 502 | N/A | 6806 | 455 | N/A | 115 |
| Mercer University | 3.71 | 505 | N/A | 1081 | 348 | N/A | 123 |
| Michigan State University (College of Human Medicine) | 3.58 | 506 | 4% | 7135 | 490 | 293 | 192 |
| Morehouse School of Medicine | 3.61 | 504 | N/A | 6088 | 418 | N/A | 100 |
| New York Medical College | 3.6 | 511 | 7% | 9527 | 1082 | 639 | 219 |
| New York University (Langone) | 3.96 | 522 | 2.5% | 8937 | 1060 | 219 | 103 |
| Northeast Ohio Medical University | 3.76 | 506 | N/A | 2743 | 262 | N/A | 148 |
| Northwestern University (Feinberg) | 3.91 | 520 | 6.4% | 6878 | 819 | 439 | 159 |
| Ohio State University | 3.79 | 514 | 5.7% | 7723 | 570 | 442 | 209 |
| Oklahoma State University | 3.73 | 500 | 15% | 958 | 205 | 140 | 116 |
| Oregon Health and Science University | 3.7 | 512 | 4% | 6264 | 555 | 252 | 160 |
| Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine | 3.82 | 510 | N/A | 8536 | 914 | N/A | 152 |
| Ponce School of Medicine | 3.63 | 499 | N/A | 1460 | 331 | N/A | 86 |
| Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University | 3.66 | 512 | N/A | 6967 | 519 | N/A | 93 |
| Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science | 3.62 | 509 | N/A | 11928 | 928 | N/A | 189 |
| Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine | 3.65 | 503 | 7% | 5003 | 494 | 325 | 188 |
| Rush University | 3.69 | 512 | 6% | 7263 | 476 | 328 | 144 |
| Rutgers New Jersey Medical School--Newark | 3.65 | 512 | 8% | 4712 | 679 | 358 | 180 |
| Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School--New Brunswick | 3.7 | 512 | 5.4% | 5689 | 500 | 308 | 165 |
| San Juan Bautista School of Medicine | 3.63 | 497 | N/A | 1352 | 222 | N/A | 60 |
| Southern Illinois University--Springfield | 3.72 | 506 | N/A | 1197 | 267 | N/A | 71 |
| Saint Louis University | 3.85 | 513 | 8% | 6949 | 988 | 569 | 177 |
| Stanford University | 3.89 | 519 | 2.3% | 7258 | 480 | 172 | 90 |
| Stony Brook University--SUNY | 3.8 | 514 | 8.2% | 5241 | 776 | 431 | 136 |
| SUNY Downstate Medical Center | 3.76 | 514 | N/A | 5268 | 1067 | N/A | 196 |
| SUNY Upstate Medical University | 3.73 | 513 | N/A | 4290 | 778 | N/A | 168 |
| Temple University (Katz) | 3.7 | 511 | 4.9% | 8193 | 919 | 405 | 195 |
| Texas A&M Health Science Center | 3.8 | 512 | N/A | 4870 | 948 | N/A | 164 |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center - Lubbock | 3.81 | 510 | 9% | 4480 | 826 | 406 | 189 |
| Texas Tech University--El Paso | 3.82 | 509 | N/A | 3954 | 535 | N/A | 103 |
| Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine | 3.82 | 509 | N/A | 3954 | 535 | N/A | 103 |
| University of Texas--Austin (Dell) | 3.74 | 513 | 2% | 4832 | 347 | 111 | 50 |
| University of Texas Health Science Center--Houston (McGovern) | 3.78 | 510 | 10% | 4926 | 899 | 467 | 245 |
| University of Texas Health Science Center--San Antonio | 3.8 | 515 | 7% | 5211 | 1107 | 369 | 211 |
| University of Texas--Rio Grande Valley | 3.63 | 508 | N/A | 3946 | 351 | N/A | 50 |
| Thomas Jefferson University (Sydney Kimmel) | 3.72 | 515 | 4.7% | 9443 | 724 | 448 | 272 |
| University of Arizona Tucson | 3.72 | 509 | 2.3% | 9940 | 482 | 229 | 119 |
| Tufts University | 3.65 | 512 | 6% | 10951 | 926 | 539 | 210 |
| Tulane University | 3.64 | 511 | N/A | 9935 | 595 | N/A | 190 |
| Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (Hebert) | 3.7 | 510 | N/A | 3009 | 562 | N/A | 171 |
| Universidad Central del Caribe | 3.72 | 497 | N/A | 1181 | 267 | N/A | 72 |
| University at Buffalo--SUNY (Jacobs) | 3.79 | 510 | 11% | 3866 | 612 | 420 | 182 |
| University of Alabama--Birmingham | 3.84 | 509 | 7% | 4369 | 469 | 263 | 186 |
| University of Arizona Phoenix | 3.72 | 508 | N/A | 7218 | 520 | N/A | 117 |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | 3.81 | 507 | N/A | 2210 | 417 | N/A | 173 |
| University of California--Davis | 3.63 | 510 | 3% | 7176 | 482 | 226 | 123 |
| University of California--Irvine | 3.76 | 516 | 4% | 6281 | 594 | 253 | 104 |
| University of California--Los Angeles (Geffen) | 3.83 | 517 | 2.4% | 13101 | 311 | 181 | 184 |
| University of California--Riverside | 3.64 | 508 | 4% | 2635 | 264 | 112 | 66 |
| University of California--San Diego | 3.8 | 516 | 3.8% | 7381 | 757 | 282 | 134 |
| University of California--San Francisco | 3.84 | 518 | 3.8% | 7846 | 468 | 297 | 155 |
| University of Central Florida | 3.8 | 512 | 5% | 4823 | 443 | 261 | 122 |
| University of Chicago (Pritzker) | 3.91 | 521 | 4.3% | 5683 | 639 | 247 | 90 |
| University of Cincinnati | 3.75 | 515 | 8.9% | 4734 | 634 | 420 | 185 |
| University of Colorado | 3.82 | 512 | 3.7% | 8666 | 644 | 317 | 180 |
| University of Connecticut | 3.76 | 512 | 6.6% | 3286 | 331 | 218 | 110 |
| University of Florida | 3.89 | 515 | 5% | 4617 | 390 | 236 | 137 |
| University of Hawaii--Manoa (Burns) | 3.76 | 511 | 5% | 1980 | 304 | 98 | 77 |
| University of Illinois | 3.75 | 513 | 10.3% | 5722 | 837 | 587 | 295 |
| University of Iowa (Carver) | 3.85 | 514 | 7.1% | 3878 | 726 | 275 | 152 |
| University of Kansas Medical Center | 3.85 | 510 | 8% | 3254 | 526 | 261 | 211 |
| University of Kentucky | 3.78 | 505 | 11.3% | 2394 | 409 | 270 | 203 |
| University of Louisville | 3.73 | 507 | 8% | 3586 | 399 | 302 | 162 |
| University of Maryland | 3.83 | 515 | 6.6% | 4979 | 635 | 331 | 146 |
| University of Massachusetts--Worcester | 3.77 | 514 | 8.6% | 4094 | 928 | 351 | 162 |
| University of Miami (Miller) | 3.71 | 513 | 4.3% | 9164 | 636 | 392 | 207 |
| University of Michigan--Ann Arbor | 3.81 | 516 | 5% | 7896 | 507 | 393 | 177 |
| University of Minnesota | 3.77 | 510 | 6% | 7030 | 934 | 343 | 240 |
| University of Mississippi | 3.79 | 503 | N/A | 406 | 282 | N/A | 155 |
| University of Missouri | 3.83 | 508 | 9% | 2266 | 378 | 200 | 134 |
| University of Missouri--Kansas City | 3.81 | 509 | N/A | 2227 | 378 | N/A | 128 |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | 3.77 | 511 | 10% | 1590 | 400 | 160 | 132 |
| University of Nevada--Las Vegas | 3.71 | 509 | N/A | 908 | 297 | N/A | 60 |
| University of Nevada--Reno | 3.63 | 507 | 12% | 1267 | 323 | 147 | 73 |
| University of New Mexico | 3.68 | 505 | 9% | 1464 | 300 | 133 | 111 |
| University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill | 3.87 | 512 | 4% | 7384 | 608 | 298 | 190 |
| University of North Dakota | 3.7 | 506 | 18% | 589 | 210 | 105 | 79 |
| University of Oklahoma | 3.85 | 509 | 7.7% | 2701 | 314 | 209 | 165 |
| University of Pennsylvania (Perelman) | 3.9 | 522 | 4.4% | 5744 | 718 | 251 | 150 |
| University of Pittsburgh | 3.8 | 517 | 4.5% | 7013 | 665 | 315 | 147 |
| University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine | 3.79 | 503 | N/A | 676 | 150 | N/A | 109 |
| University of Rochester | 3.82 | 516 | 5.7% | 5387 | 674 | 306 | 102 |
| University of South Alabama | 3.87 | 508 | N/A | 1485 | 211 | N/A | 72 |
| University of South Carolina | 3.8 | 508 | N/A | 3448 | 376 | N/A | 100 |
| University of South Dakota (Sanford) | 3.83 | 507 | 13% | 706 | 205 | 92 | 71 |
| University of South Florida | 3.8 | 516 | 7.5% | 5511 | 627 | 413 | 182 |
| University of Southern California (Keck) | 3.7 | 517 | 4.6% | 8041 | 733 | 372 | 186 |
| University of Tennessee Health Science Center | 3.77 | 510 | 14% | 1947 | 494 | 268 | 172 |
| University of Texas Medical Branch--Galveston | 3.89 | 507 | 11% | 4838 | 1097 | 512 | 239 |
| University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | 3.86 | 516 | 7% | 5536 | 892 | 388 | 213 |
| University of Toledo | 3.66 | 509 | 7% | 4115 | 435 | 305 | 180 |
| University of Utah | 3.75 | 512 | 4.7% | 3851 | 559 | 119 | 96 |
| University of Vermont | 3.7 | 511 | 6.4% | 4917 | 599 | 313 | 122 |
| University of Virginia | 3.89 | 518 | 11.7% | 3699 | 581 | 431 | 156 |
| University of Washington | 3.68 | 510 | 4.1% | 8190 | 832 | 339 | 270 |
| University of Wisconsin--Madison | 3.74 | 512 | 5.5% | 4815 | 545 | 264 | 181 |
| University of South Carolina--Greenville | 3.81 | 508 | N/A | 4234 | 367 | N/A | 104 |
| Vanderbilt University | 3.84 | 520 | 5.3% | 5980 | 622 | 316 | 97 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 3.72 | 511 | 5% | 7998 | 703 | 386 | 184 |
| Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine | 3.6 | 512 | 2% | 4403 | 307 | 107 | N/A |
| Wake Forest University | 3.67 | 513 | 3% | 10703 | 504 | 326 | 145 |
| Washington State University (Floyd) | 3.59 | 506 | N/A | 711 | 332 | N/A | 60 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 3.9 | 521 | 8.2% | 3773 | 1087 | 309 | 101 |
| Wayne State University | 3.81 | 511 | 5.6% | 9993 | 1102 | 559 | 292 |
| West Virginia University | 3.8 | 507 | 4% | 4552 | 831 | 166 | 120 |
| Wright State University (Boonshoft) | 3.72 | 504 | 6% | 4235 | 411 | 244 | 115 |
| Yale University | 3.83 | 518 | 5.5% | 4932 | 642 | 270 | 104 |
| Yeshiva (Albert Einstein) College of Medicine | 3.81 | 515 | 5% | 8088 | 1000 | 346 | 183 |
Part 2: Medical School Acceptance Rates
When deciding where to apply to medical school, a student must research each medical school’s average acceptance rate. By understanding school of medicine acceptance rates, applicants can gauge for what medical schools they are most competitive. However, many medical schools do not disclose how many applicants they actually accept.
Medical schools may only publish how many applications they receive, the number of applicants they interview and how many actually matriculate. Therefore, it isn’t always possible to know what percentage of applicants interviewed are ultimately accepted.
Typically, the more competitive the medical school, the lower the acceptance rate. There are some medical schools that one might not think are very competitive based on the average GPAs and MCATs of accepted students. However, some of these “less competitive” schools receive a very large numbers of applications and interview a small percentage of applicants making them quite competitive.
Part 3: What are the Most Popular Medical Schools?
In 2021-2022 the following medical schools received more than 15,000 applications!
- Georgetown (17,882)
- Tulane (17,225)
- GW (16,825)
- Drexel (16,682)
- Loyola – Stritch (16,039)
- Tufts (15,440)
- New York Medical College (15,110)
For the entering medical school class of 2021-2022, there were 62,443 medical school applicants applicants. This large number of applicants may have been influenced by the pandemic, however, and the AAMC anticipates application numbers will shift to prepandemic levels this year. For reference, there were 53,370 applicants in 2020-2021.
In total, 23,711 applicants were accepted meaning 38% of medical school applicants were accepted.
Acceptance rates between medical schools varies significantly. For the most selective medical schools, such as Stanford Medical School, the acceptance rate is 1.4%. However, some medical schools have much higher acceptance rates. For example, the University of Tennessee has an acceptance rate of 8.7%. Average medical school acceptance rates are 5.5%.
With an increasing number of medical school applicants every year, acceptance rates continue to decrease especially at very popular or competitive medical schools.
Part 4: Average GPA, MCAT Score and Acceptance Rate for Every Osteopathic Medical School in 2021
| 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 Medicineof Midwestern University | 508 | 3.54 | 3.48 | NA |
| Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine | 498 | 3.46 | NA | 25% |
| A.T. Still University of Health SciencesKirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine | 503 | 3.61 | 3.53 | NA |
| A.T. Still University of Health SciencesSchool of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona | 504 | 3.48 | 3.37 | NA |
| Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicineat 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 Medicineof Midwestern University | 503 | 3.67 | 3.61 | NA |
| Des Moines UniversityCollege of Osteopathic Medicine | 506 | 3.63 | NA | 16% |
| Georgia Campus: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine | 503 | NA | NA | 12% |
| Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine | 503 | 3.45 | 3.4 | NA |
| Kansas City University of Medicine and BiosciencesCollege of Osteopathic Medicine | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine | 502 | 3.56 | NA | 8% |
| Lake Erie College of Osteopathic MedicineBradenton Campus | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Lincoln Memorial UniversityDeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine | 499 | 3.5 | NA | 9% |
| Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine | 504 | 3.6 | NA | 16% |
| Michigan State UniversityCollege of Osteopathic Medicine | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| New York Institute of TechnologyCollege of Osteopathic Medicine | 504 | 3.6 | NA | NA |
| Nova Southeastern University | 504 | 3.58 | NA | 9% |
| Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine | 502.43 | 3.64 | 3.58 | NA |
| Oklahoma State University Center for Health SciencesCollege of Osteopathic Medicine | Minimum MCAT = 492 | NA | NA | NA |
| Pacific Northwest University of Health SciencesCollege of Osteopathic Medicine | 502 | 3.43 | 3.35 | 6% |
| Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine | 504 | NA | NA | 9% |
| Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Colorado | 505 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3% |
| Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Colorado | 506 | 3.6 | NA | NA |
| Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine | 503 | 3.64 | NA | 7% |
| Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine - New York | 503 | 3.4 | NA | 10% |
| Touro University - CaliforniaTouro University College of Osteopathic Medicine | 508 | 3.51 | 3.45 | 8% |
| Touro University - NevadaTouro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| University of the Incarnate WordSchool of Osteopathic Medicine | 501 | 3.52 | 3.44 | NA |
| University of New EnglandCollege of Osteopathic Medicine | 504 | 3.57 | NA | 10% |
| University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort WorthTexas College of Osteopathic Medicine | 505 | 3.63 | NA | 12% |
| University of Pikeville - Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine | 499 | 3.54 | NA | 8% |
| Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Virginia | 499 | 3.6 | NA | 12% |
| Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn | 499 | 3.6 | NA | 12% |
| Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas | 499 | 3.6 | NA | 12% |
| West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine | 498 | 3.5 | NA | 8% |
| Western University of Health SciencesCollege of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific | 506 | 3.63 | NA | 7% |
| William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine | 500 | 3.4 | NA | NA |
Part 5: Average MCAT Score (2022-2023)
In 2021, the average MCAT for students accepted to allopathic medical schools in the United States in 2021-2022 was 511.9 For reference purposes, know that the highest possible MCAT score is a 528 with with a 132 on each of the four sections. which is the same as the previous year. The typical MCAT score one needs to be competitive for medical school admission to allopathic medical schools in the United States is a 511.
MCAT scores of 508 or below are generally considered low and not competitive for allopathic medical school admissions. There are exceptions, however, to this rule. An MCAT score of 518 or above is considered exceptional. Most medical schools have MCAT cut off scores meaning that an applicant must earn above a specified score in order for the medical school admissions committee to review an application. Unfortunately, medical school do not always make this data public.
Earning the highest MCAT score possible with the lowest number of exam attempts is ideal for getting in to medical school. For example, the student who has taken the MCAT three times, earning scores of 503, 504, and 512, may be evaluated as a less competitive applicant than the applicant who took the exam once and earned a 512 on the first attempt. Medical schools see all exam results which is why one high score among several lower scores could be interpreted as an outlier.
Part 6: Which medical schools have some of the lowest median MCAT scores for accepted students?
| Lowest Average MCAT Scores By School | |
|---|---|
| Medical School | MCAT Score |
| Ponce Health Sciences | 501 |
| Meharry Medical College | 503 |
| Edwards / Marshall University | 505 |
| Mercer University School of Medicine | 505 |
| Morehouse School of Medicine | 506 |
| Louisiana in Shreveport | 506 |
| Howard University School of Medicine | 507 |
| Florida State University College of Medicine | 507 |
| Central Michigan College of Medicine | 508 |
| Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina/a> | 508 |
| Highest Average MCAT Scores By School | |
|---|---|
| Medical School | MCAT Score |
| NYU | 522 |
| Perelman/University of Pennsylvania | 522 |
| Vagelos Columbia | 521 |
| Pritzker/University of Chicago | 521 |
| Washington University | 521 |
| Yale | 521 |
| Johns Hopkins | 521 |
| Northwestern | 520 |
| Vanderbilt | 520 |
| Harvard | 520 |
| Mayo | 520 |
Part 8: What are the Best Medical Schools in the U.S.?
Below are the best medical schools in the U.S. based on U.S. News medical school rankings for research and average MCAT scores.
| Best Medical Schools in the U.S. | |
|---|---|
| Medical School | Ranking |
| Harvard Medical School | 1 |
| Johns Hopkins | 2 |
| Stanford University | 3 (tie) |
| University of Pennsylvania (Perelman) | 3 (tie) |
| University of California San Francisco | 5 |
| Columbia University (Vagelos) | 6 |
| University of California Los Angeles | 6 (tie) |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 8 |
| Cornell University (Weill) | 9 (tie) |
| Mayo School of Medicine (Alix) | 9 (tie) |
| New York University (Lagnone) | 9 (tie) |
Part 9: Average GPA for Medical School
The most recent data shows that the average GPA for medical school matriculants in the United States in 2021-2022 were as follows:
- Overall GPA: 3.74
- BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, and math) GPA: 3.67
- Non Science GPA: 3.83
A medical school applicant’s GPA is considered one of the most important admissions criteria when applying to medical school. A medical school applicant’s GPA is broken up in to three categories on AMCAS:
-
- Overall GPA
- BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, and math) GPA
- Non Science GPA
An applicant’s GPA in all three categories is one of the most important factors in medical school admissions. Like the MCAT, many medical schools have minimum GPA cut offs they will consider. However, these cut offs are not always made public.
Keep in mind that these are average GPAs! There is a pretty big variation of matriculant GPAs from medical school to medical school. The typical GPA we advise students to have is a 3.5 across all subjects. However, we work with many students who have GPAs lower than this who are accepted. Grade trends are also important with an upward grade trend making you a more competitive applicant. The rigor of your academic classes and undergraduate college reputation can also impact how your grades are interpreted. We consider the range of competitive GPAs to be 3.4 – 3.5 or higher.
Part 10: Which medical schools have some of the lowest mean GPAs for accepted students?
| Lowest Average Accepted GPA By School | |
|---|---|
| Medical School | GPA |
| Rosalind Franklin | 3.62 |
| New York Medical College | 3.63 |
| University of Texas Rio Grande | 3.63 |
| California State | 3.64 |
| Tulane | 3.64 |
| Virginia Tech | 3.64 |
| Geisinger/Commonwealth | 3.66 |
| Quinnipiac | 3.66 |
| Eastern Virginia | 3.67 |
Part 11: Which medical schools have some of the highest mean GPAs for accepted students?
| Highest Average Accepted GPA By School | |
|---|---|
| Medical School | GPA |
| Johns Hopkins | 3.94 |
| Baylor | 3.92 |
| Harvard | 3.92 |
| NYU | 3.92 |
| Mayo | 3.91 |
| Northwestern | 3.91 |
| Pritzker/University Chicago | 3.91 |
| Vanderbilt | 3.91 |
| University of Virginia | 3.91 |
| Washington University | 3.91 |
Most Important Medical School Admissions Criteria
In summary, the most important criteria in the medical school admissions process are MCAT score(s) and GPA(s). These factors are the cornerstones of every applicant’s candidacy.
If you are about to embark on your premedical journey, keep in mind that academic excellence should be a primary goal. If you are getting ready to apply to medical school, honestly assess your chances of medical school admission by objectively evaluating your stats together with medical school admissions rates to determine your competitiveness.
