Medical School Acceptance Rates and Admissions Statistics (2020-2021)

Know the stats you need to get in to your top choice medical school!

There are several factors that influence whether or not a student is offered a medical school interview and ultimately a medical school acceptance during the medical school admissions process. While there are a ton of subjective criteria that impact interview and admissions outcomes, for the purposes of this article we will focus on the objective criteria, or med school admission stats, that impact success. These medical school admissions statistics 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, personal statement, activities entries, letters of recommendation, and secondary essays, it is often impossible to overcome low medical school statistics.

The two biggest objective med school admissions stats that determine an applicant’s success in medical school admissions are the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) score and undergraduate grade point average (GPA). 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.

Related: Where to Apply to Medical School & Easiest Medical Schools to Get Into (2020-2021)

The Ultimate Guide Getting into Medical School ebook

medical school acceptance rates highest

Table of Contents

Part 1: Medical School Acceptance Rates, Average GPA, and MCAT Score for Every Allopathic Medical School (2020-2021)

School	Median GPA	Median MCAT	Acceptance Rate	Total Applicants	Total Interviewed	Total Accepted	Total Enrolled
Albany Medical College	3.68	511	N/A	8579	587	N/A	134
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University	3.7	510	12%	3074	558	372	233
Baylor College of Medicine	3.92	517	4%	7620	829	311	186
Boston University	3.76	516	6%	9112	1151	524	174
Brown University (Alpert)	3.77	514	3%	9922	371	322	149
California Northstate University	3.64	513	N/A	5585	359	N/A	94
Case Western Reserve University	3.78	518	8%	6740	1266	567	250
Central Michigan University	3.74	506	N/A	5393	423	N/A	103
Columbia University	3.87	520	4%	8258	1035	285	150
Cornell University (Weill)	3.84	517	5%	6245	828	335	106
Creighton University	3.82	510	N/A	6126	609	N/A	155
Dartmouth College (Geisel)	3.72	512	4%	6774	745	286	93
Drexel University	3.67	511	5%	13831	747	707	263
Duke University	3.8	518	4%	7030	752	255	115
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	5%	6455	663	295	143
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	509	3%	11432	1098	335	184
Georgetown University	3.61	511	3%	14062	1019	403	203
Harvard University	3.93	517	4%	6749	885	235	165
Hofstra University	3.73	515	7%	5132	686	360	101
Howard University	3.4	502	4%	5044	276	192	119
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai	3.83	517	7%	6384	1046	457	140
Indiana University--Indianapolis	3.8	509	8%	7206	1000	555	360
Johns Hopkins University	3.93	519	5%	4820	676	254	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	3.9	516	2%	8068	606	168	97
Medical College of Wisconsin	3.76	511	7%	5041	588	353	271
Medical University of South Carolina	3.73	509	11%	2025	436	227	180
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)	3.93	521	5%	7659	1211	360	122
Northeast Ohio Medical University	3.76	506	N/A	2743	262	N/A	148
Northwestern University (Feinberg)	3.89	520	7%	7516	691	533	162
Ohio State University	3.82	514	5.9%	7163	675	426	202
Oklahoma State University	3.73	500	15%	958	205	140	116
Oregon Health and Science University	3.73	510	4%	6365	570	245	164
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	3.63	509	6%	5347	442	309	136
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School--Newark	3.65	512	8%	4712	679	358	180
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School--New Brunswick	3.64	511	8%	3907	609	312	172
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	3.82	519	2%	7258	510	167	100
Stony Brook University--SUNY	3.75	512	8%	5505	784	440	137
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)	3.72	512	4%	10883	797	437	212
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	3.78	510	8%	5061	997	427	217
University of Texas--Rio Grande Valley	3.63	508	N/A	3946	351	N/A	50
Thomas Jefferson University (Kimmel)	3.71	513	5%	10052	870	459	274
University of Arizona Phoenix	3.82	510	NA	4721	348	NA	80
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	508	7%	3802	456	261	191
University of Arizona Tuscon	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	3.65	510	3%	6943	480	204	116
University of California--Irvine	3.74	512	4%	6286	537	269	105
University of California--Los Angeles (Geffen)	3.75	512	3%	11417	824	362	184
University of California--Riverside	3.64	508	4%	2635	264	112	66
University of California--San Diego	3.77	515	3%	7972	742	258	137
University of California--San Francisco	3.85	517	3%	8078	505	268	150
University of Central Florida	3.8	512	5%	4823	443	261	122
University of Chicago (Pritzker)	3.9	520	5%	5549	717	258	90
University of Cincinnati	3.74	514	8%	4970	568	409	174
University of Colorado	3.75	511	4%	7058	629	299	183
University of Connecticut	3.71	511	8%	2781	332	215	104
University of Florida	3.87	514	5%	5007	395	228	143
University of Hawaii--Manoa (Burns)	3.74	511	5%	2231	292	101	74
University of Illinois	3.71	512	7%	7625	843	561	286
University of Iowa (Carver)	3.8	511	8%	3799	749	291	152
University of Kansas Medical Center	3.85	509	8%	3374	531	269	214
University of Kentucky	3.83	511	N/A	2750	449	N/A	136
University of Louisville	3.73	507	8%	3586	399	302	162
University of Maryland	3.81	512	7%	4837	598	323	159
University of Massachusetts--Worcester	3.73	512	9%	3614	774	326	166
University of Miami (Miller)	3.71	512	5%	8081	568	371	202
University of Michigan--Ann Arbor	3.82	515	6%	6943	527	391	182
University of Minnesota	3.8	510	6%	5957	835	359	253
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	510	10%	1708	410	168	131
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	3.68	511	4%	6198	657	234	189
University of North Dakota	3.7	506	18%	589	210	105	79
University of Oklahoma	3.78	505	10%	2070	288	200	161
University of Pennsylvania (Perelman)	3.9	520	4%	5390	801	235	159
University of Pittsburgh	3.8	515	6%	6151	796	370	148
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine	3.79	503	N/A	676	150	N/A	109
University of Rochester	3.7	514	4%	5862	536	256	104
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	3.6	514	5%	6249	573	319	175
University of Southern California (Keck)	3.7	517	5%	8099	726	402	190
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	3.83	514	9%	5194	860	455	236
University of Toledo	3.66	509	7%	4115	435	305	180
University of Utah	3.75	512	5%	3707	504	170	125
University of Vermont	3.73	509	5%	5857	617	261	119
University of Virginia	3.89	518	10%	4148	593	426	162
University of Washington	3.67	508	4%	8607	769	332	271
University of Wisconsin--Madison	3.77	512	5%	5474	481	287	176
University of South Carolina--Greenville	3.81	508	N/A	4234	367	N/A	104
Vanderbilt University	3.89	520	5%	6334	566	331	102
Virginia Commonwealth University	3.6	510	5%	8770	635	399	218
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine	3.6	512	2%	4403	307	107	N/A
Wake Forest University	3.65	510	3%	9281	447	261	137
Washington State University (Floyd)	3.59	506	N/A	711	332	N/A	60
Washington University in St. Louis	3.86	521	11%	3633	1090	381	125
Wayne State University	3.65	507	9%	5580	857	518	307
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	3.84	521	6%	4700	707	269	104
Yeshiva University (Einstein)	3.81	515	5%	7679	1173	411	190

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 understand 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: Which medical schools receive the most applications?

The following medical schools received more than 14,000 applications!

The following medical schools received more than 10,000 applications!

For the entering medical school class of 2019-2020, there were 53,371 medical school applicants applicants. In total, 21,869 applicants matriculated meaning 41% of medical school applicants matriculated.

Acceptance rates between medical schools varies significantly. For the most selective medical schools, such as Harvard Medical School, the acceptance rate is 3.8%. However, some medical schools have much higher acceptance rates. For example, the University of Tennessee has an acceptance rate of 13.8%. Average medical school acceptance rates are 7%.

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: Medical School Acceptance Rates, Average GPA, and MCAT Score for Osteopathic Medical Schools (2020-2021)

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: MCAT Scores

For reference purposes, know that the highest possible MCAT score is a 528 with with a 132 on each of the four sections. According to the Association of American Medical College, the average MCAT for students accepted to allopathic medical schools in the United States was 511.2 which was slightly higher than the previous year, 510.4, showing an upward trend of average scores for accepted applicants. The typical MCAT score one needs to be competitive for medical school admission to allopathic medical schools in the United States is a 509.

MCAT scores of 507 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
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

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Part 7: Which medical schools have some of the highest median MCAT scores for med school applicants?

Highest Average MCAT Scores By School
Medical School	MCAT Score
NYU	521
Vanderbilt	521
Washington University	521
Yale	521
Johns Hopkins	520
Northwestern	520
Perelman/University of Pennsylvania	520
Pritzker/University of Chicago	520
Harvard	519

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

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.

In 2018-2019, the average United States allopathic medical school matriculant GPAs were as follows:

Overall GPA: 3.72
BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, and math) GPA: 3.65
Non Science GPA: 3.8

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.

The Ultimate Guide Getting into Medical School ebook

medical school acceptance rates highest

Medical School Acceptance Rates and Admissions Statistics (2020-2021)

Know the stats you need to get in to your top choice medical school!

Related: Where to Apply to Medical School & Easiest Medical Schools to Get Into (2020-2021)

Part 1: Medical School Acceptance Rates, Average GPA, and MCAT Score for Every Allopathic Medical School (2020-2021)

Part 2: Medical School Acceptance Rates

Part 3: Which medical schools receive the most applications?

Part 4: Medical School Acceptance Rates, Average GPA, and MCAT Score for Osteopathic Medical Schools (2020-2021)

Part 5: MCAT Scores

Part 6: Which medical schools have some of the lowest median MCAT scores for accepted students?

Part 7: Which medical schools have some of the highest median MCAT scores for med school applicants?

Part 8: What are the Best Medical Schools in the U.S.?

Part 9: Average GPA

Part 10: Which medical schools have some of the lowest mean GPAs for accepted students?

Part 11: Which medical schools have some of the highest mean GPAs for accepted students?

Most Important Medical School Admissions Criteria

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