MCAT Scores by Medical School
Showing 91 schools
| School | State | Avg MCAT ↓ | Avg GPA |
|---|---|---|---|
NYU Grossman School of MedicineMDTop 10 | NY | 523 | 3.98 |
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicineMDTop 10 | PA | 522 | 3.94 |
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and SurgeonsMDTop 10 | NY | 522 | 3.90 |
Johns Hopkins School of MedicineMDTop 10 | MD | 521 | 3.94 |
Yale School of MedicineMDTop 10 | CT | 521 | 3.94 |
Mayo Clinic Alix School of MedicineMDTop 25 | MN | 521 | 3.95 |
Vanderbilt University School of MedicineMDTop 25 | TN | 521 | 3.90 |
Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineMDTop 25 | IL | 521 | 3.93 |
University of Chicago Pritzker School of MedicineMDTop 25 | IL | 521 | 3.91 |
Harvard Medical SchoolMDTop 10 | MA | 520 | 3.90 |
University of South Florida Morsani College of MedicineMDTop 50 | FL | 520 | 3.95 |
Stanford University School of MedicineMDTop 10 | CA | 519 | 3.82 |
Washington University in St. Louis School of MedicineMDTop 10 | MO | 519 | 3.92 |
Duke University School of MedicineMDTop 10 | NC | 519 | 3.90 |
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiMDTop 25 | NY | 519 | 3.81 |
Weill Cornell Medical CollegeMDTop 25 | NY | 518 | 3.90 |
Baylor College of MedicineMDTop 25 | TX | 518 | 3.90 |
Case Western Reserve University School of MedicineMDTop 25 | OH | 518 | 3.87 |
Hofstra Northwell School of MedicineMDTop 50 | NY | 518 | 3.86 |
University of California San Francisco School of MedicineMDTop 10 | CA | 517 | 3.87 |
UCLA David Geffen School of MedicineMDTop 25 | CA | 517 | 3.78 |
University of Virginia School of MedicineMDTop 25 | VA | 517 | 3.85 |
University of Colorado School of MedicineMDTop 50 | CO | 517 | 3.70 |
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineMDTop 50 | MA | 517 | 3.74 |
University of Southern California Keck School of MedicineMDTop 50 | CA | 517 | 3.85 |
University of Rochester School of MedicineMDTop 50 | NY | 517 | 3.60 |
University of Michigan Medical SchoolMDTop 25 | MI | 516 | 3.85 |
University of Pittsburgh School of MedicineMDTop 25 | PA | 516 | 3.91 |
Albert Einstein College of MedicineMDTop 50 | NY | 516 | 3.82 |
Brown University Warren Alpert Medical SchoolMDTop 50 | RI | 516 | 3.83 |
UT Southwestern Medical SchoolMDTop 50 | TX | 516 | 3.89 |
Stony Brook University Renaissance School of MedicineMDTop 100 | NY | 516 | 3.93 |
NYU Long Island School of MedicineMDTop 100 | NY | 516 | 3.94 |
University of Arizona College of Medicine – PhoenixMD | AZ | 516 | 3.80 |
Emory University School of MedicineMDTop 25 | GA | 515 | 3.81 |
University of Iowa Carver College of MedicineMDTop 50 | IA | 515 | 3.81 |
University of Florida College of MedicineMDTop 50 | FL | 515 | 3.86 |
University of Nebraska Medical CenterMDTop 100 | NE | 515 | 3.75 |
University of Miami Miller School of MedicineMDTop 100 | FL | 515 | 3.83 |
New York Medical CollegeMD | NY | 515 | 3.60 |
Rutgers New Jersey Medical SchoolMD | NJ | 515 | 3.70 |
Ohio State University College of MedicineMDTop 50 | OH | 514 | 3.82 |
Tufts University School of MedicineMDTop 50 | MA | 514 | 3.81 |
Dartmouth Geisel School of MedicineMDTop 50 | NH | 514 | 3.81 |
University of Utah School of MedicineMDTop 100 | UT | 514 | 3.87 |
University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical SchoolMDTop 100 | TX | 514 | 3.78 |
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityMDTop 100 | PA | 514 | 3.78 |
Wayne State University School of MedicineMDTop 100 | MI | 514 | 3.80 |
University of Maryland School of MedicineMDTop 50 | MD | 513 | 3.76 |
Georgetown University School of MedicineMDTop 50 | DC | 513 | 3.76 |
Temple University Lewis Katz School of MedicineMDTop 100 | PA | 513 | 3.76 |
University of Connecticut School of MedicineMDTop 100 | CT | 513 | 3.76 |
Creighton University School of MedicineMDTop 100 | NE | 513 | 3.87 |
Saint Louis University School of MedicineMDTop 100 | MO | 513 | 3.89 |
University of North Carolina School of MedicineMDTop 25 | NC | 512 | 3.79 |
University of Cincinnati College of MedicineMDTop 50 | OH | 512 | 3.78 |
Virginia Commonwealth University School of MedicineMDTop 100 | VA | 512 | 3.79 |
George Washington University School of MedicineMDTop 100 | DC | 512 | 3.72 |
University of Washington School of MedicineMDTop 25 | WA | 511 | 3.70 |
Indiana University School of MedicineMDTop 50 | IN | 511 | 3.80 |
Wake Forest University School of MedicineMDTop 50 | NC | 511 | 3.83 |
University of Minnesota Medical SchoolMDTop 50 | MN | 511 | 3.77 |
Penn State College of MedicineMDTop 100 | PA | 511 | 3.75 |
Medical University of South CarolinaMDTop 100 | SC | 511 | 3.86 |
University of Wisconsin School of MedicineMDTop 50 | WI | 510 | 3.77 |
Medical College of WisconsinMDTop 100 | WI | 510 | 3.78 |
University of Oklahoma College of MedicineMDTop 100 | OK | 510 | 3.81 |
Loyola University Stritch School of MedicineMD | IL | 510 | 3.60 |
Oregon Health & Science University School of MedicineMDTop 50 | OR | 509 | 3.69 |
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of MedicineMDTop 50 | AL | 509 | 3.83 |
University of Kansas School of MedicineMDTop 100 | KS | 509 | 3.84 |
Rush Medical CollegeMDTop 100 | IL | 509 | 3.67 |
Loma Linda University School of MedicineMD | CA | 509 | 3.84 |
Tulane University School of MedicineMD | LA | 509 | 3.61 |
University of Arizona College of Medicine – TucsonMDTop 100 | AZ | 508 | 3.74 |
Western University of Health Sciences COMPDO | CA | 508 | 3.66 |
Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic MedicineDO | IL | 508 | 3.65 |
Howard University College of MedicineMD | DC | 507 | 3.61 |
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic MedicineDO | IA | 507 | 3.71 |
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic MedicineDO | MI | 507 | 3.60 |
Touro University College of Osteopathic MedicineDO | NY | 507 | 3.47 |
Rowan University School of Osteopathic MedicineDO | NJ | 507 | 3.60 |
University of Kentucky College of MedicineMDTop 100 | KY | 506 | 3.82 |
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic MedicineDO | CO | 506 | 3.61 |
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic MedicineDO | PA | 505 | 3.50 |
Kansas City University College of Osteopathic MedicineDO | MO | 505 | 3.62 |
Morehouse School of MedicineMD | GA | 504 | 3.64 |
Meharry Medical College School of MedicineMD | TN | 503 | 3.46 |
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic MedicineDO | OH | 503 | 3.68 |
A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic MedicineDO | MO | 502 | 3.65 |
Edward Via College of Osteopathic MedicineDO | VA | 502 | 3.60 |
Source: Official school admissions pages, AAMC FACTS (2025 entering class). Scores represent average or median MCAT of most recently admitted class. National avg: MD 512, DO 503.
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The average MCAT score for students entering U.S. MD programs in the 2025-2026 cycle was 512.1, with a mean total GPA of 3.81 (AAMC FACTS, Table A-16). Osteopathic matriculants averaged 502.97 (AACOM, 2024 entering year).
Those are national numbers. The table below compares published medians for 91 schools, 79 MD and 12 DO, so you can see which specific programs sit at your score rather than how you compare to the country. For the national picture over time, use the MCAT statistics dashboard; this page answers the question school by school.
Which medical schools match your MCAT score
The most useful way to read this table is backwards: not "what is this school's median" but "which schools have a median I can reach". Here is how the 91 schools in the tool distribute across score bands, with the official percentile for each band from the AAMC percentile ranks in effect May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027.
| MCAT band | Percentile | Schools in this tool | MD | DO | GPA medians in band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 520 to 523 | 97th to 99th | 11 | 11 | 0 | 3.90 to 3.98 |
| 516 to 519 | 92nd to 96th | 23 | 23 | 0 | 3.60 to 3.94 |
| 514 to 515 | 89th to 91st | 14 | 14 | 0 | 3.60 to 3.87 |
| 511 to 513 | 82nd to 86th | 16 | 16 | 0 | 3.70 to 3.89 |
| 508 to 510 | 74th to 79th | 13 | 11 | 2 | 3.60 to 3.84 |
| 504 to 507 | 61st to 71st | 10 | 3 | 7 | 3.47 to 3.82 |
| 502 to 503 | 55th to 58th | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3.46 to 3.68 |
The 508 to 513 range is the single busiest stretch of the table: 29 of the 91 schools have a median there. It covers most state MD programs, including Washington, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina, plus two DO programs at 508. If you are in that range, your list problem is not a shortage of schools. It is choosing between them on mission fit and residency.
Two things the band view makes obvious that a school-by-school ranking hides:
- The GPA bar moves with the score bar, but not evenly. In the 516 to 519 band the GPA medians run from 3.60 all the way to 3.94. A strong GPA genuinely substitutes for a point or two of MCAT at some schools in that band and not at others.
- DO programs do not appear until 508 and below. Every school above 508 in this tool is an MD program. If your score is under 508, the DO route is not a consolation prize, it is where most of the available medians actually are.
Enter your score in the tool and it highlights every school you are at or above, which is the same lookup done live.
How to use this MCAT school comparison tool
This tool answers a simple question: where does my MCAT score stand relative to the schools I am targeting?
Enter your score in the input field and the table instantly highlights schools where your score is at or above the median. Schools where you fall more than 2 points below are dimmed.
Understanding the data
- Average MCAT is the mean or median total MCAT score of the most recently reported admitted class, as published by each school or by AAMC
- Average GPA is the mean cumulative undergraduate GPA of admitted students
- Tier rankings follow U.S. News and World Report medical school research rankings
- School medians reflect the most recent class profile each school has published. The national figures were re-checked for the 2025-2026 cycle, which is the newest AAMC has released
MCAT percentiles by score
Percentile ranks are set by AAMC once a year and are based on all exams from the three most recent testing years. The current table is based on 305,494 scores from 2023, 2024, and 2025, with a mean of 500.6.
| Score | Percentile | Schools in this tool you are at or above |
|---|---|---|
| 524 and above | 99th to 100th | All 91 |
| 520 to 523 | 97th to 99th | 82 to 91 |
| 515 to 519 | 91st to 96th | 57 to 80 |
| 510 to 514 | 79th to 89th | 27 to 50 |
| 505 to 509 | 64th to 76th | 7 to 23 |
| 500 to 504 | 48th to 61st | 0 to 5, all of them DO or lower-median MD |
MD and DO programs
Both MD and DO degrees lead to full physician licensure. The admissions numbers differ more than most applicants expect:
- MD programs: 512.1 mean MCAT and 3.81 mean GPA for 2025-2026 matriculants. Science GPA averaged 3.75
- DO programs: 502.97 mean MCAT for the 2024 entering year, the most recent AACOM has published
- DO programs weigh clinical experience and community service more heavily relative to raw scores
The gap between the two is about 9 points, and it is widening rather than closing. The MD matriculant mean rose from 511.5 to 512.1 over six cycles while the DO matriculant mean fell from 504.73 in 2021 to 502.97 in 2024. The common claim that DO admissions are rapidly catching up to MD admissions is not what either body's own data shows.
A note on holistic admissions
MCAT scores matter, but medical school admissions are holistic. Schools also weigh:
- GPA and science GPA
- Clinical experience and volunteering
- Research experience
- Personal statement and secondary essays
- Letters of recommendation
- Interview performance
- Life experiences and background
A strong MCAT score opens doors, but it is one piece of a larger picture. If you are weighing whether your current score is good enough, what is a good MCAT score works through the benchmarks in detail.
What MCAT score do I need? Scores by school tier
The answer depends entirely on which schools you are targeting.
Top 10 medical schools (520 and above)
The most competitive programs in the country, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, UCSF, Penn, Columbia, Washington University, Duke, NYU, and Yale, have medians between 517 and 523 in this tool. Eleven schools have a median of 520 or above.
To be a competitive applicant at these schools:
- MCAT: 519 or better, ideally 521 and up
- GPA: 3.90 or better. Every school in this band has a GPA median of at least 3.90
- Research: significant research experience, often with publications or presentations
- Extras: a strong narrative, leadership, meaningful clinical experience
A 517 with an exceptional story, publications, and an unusual background can still earn interviews. Below 515 the odds drop sharply at these programs.
Top 25 medical schools (516 to 519)
Schools like Michigan, UCLA, Colorado, Virginia, Brown, and Mount Sinai have medians in the 516 to 519 range. This is the largest single band in the tool at 23 schools.
- MCAT: 515 or better to be competitive
- GPA: 3.75 or better, though the band runs as low as 3.60 at some schools
- Research: expected, but it does not need to be extensive
- Clinical experience: strong and well articulated
This tier offers more flexibility than the top 10. A 513 with an outstanding application can work, while a 520 with a thin one may not.
Top 50 medical schools (511 to 515)
This includes many strong programs such as Maryland, Ohio State, Emory, North Carolina, and Virginia Commonwealth. Thirty schools in the tool sit in this range.
- MCAT: 510 and up puts you in range
- GPA: 3.70 or better
- These programs weigh mission fit, state residency, and clinical experience heavily
State schools and regional programs (505 to 510)
Many public medical schools have medians between 505 and 510, with significant in-state preference.
- MCAT: 503 and up for in-state applicants, 508 and up for out-of-state
- GPA: 3.60 or better
- Key advantage: in-state residency can offset a lower MCAT substantially
DO programs (502 to 508)
Osteopathic schools in this tool have medians from 502 to 508, with the most competitive DO programs at the top of that range.
- MCAT: 500 and up for most programs, 505 and up for the competitive ones
- GPA: GPA medians for the DO programs listed here start at 3.47
- Emphasis: clinical experience, community service, and understanding of osteopathic philosophy
How to build your medical school list using MCAT scores
Your school list is one of the most important strategic decisions in your application. Building it poorly, whether too top heavy, too short, or ignoring state residency, is among the most common mistakes applicants make.
The reach, target, and safety framework
Divide your list into three categories based on where your MCAT and GPA fall relative to each school's median:
| Category | Your score vs. school median | Number of schools | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 1 to 5 points below | 5 to 7 schools | Schools where a strong overall application has to carry you |
| Target | Within 2 points | 8 to 12 schools | Where your stats are competitive. This is the core of the list |
| Safety | 2 or more points above | 3 to 5 schools | Where your stats are above the median |
How many schools should you apply to?
In the 2025-2026 cycle, 54,699 applicants submitted 1,066,896 applications, an average of 19.5 applications each, and 23,440 of them matriculated (AAMC Table A-1). That average is the realistic anchor for your own number.
| MCAT score | GPA | Reasonable number of schools |
|---|---|---|
| 520 and above | 3.85 and up | 15 to 20, and you can be selective |
| 515 to 519 | 3.70 to 3.84 | 18 to 25 |
| 510 to 514 | 3.50 to 3.69 | 20 to 30 |
| 505 to 509 | 3.40 to 3.49 | 25 to 35, including DO programs |
| Below 505 | Below 3.40 | 25 to 40, DO focused, all in-state options |
Applying to too few schools is riskier than applying to too many. Each extra school adds a fee, which is far cheaper than reapplying next cycle.
State residency is a real advantage
Public medical schools favor in-state residents. Nationally, 59.3 percent of 2025-2026 matriculants enrolled in their state of legal residence, on the same AAMC Table A-1 linked above, and at individual public schools the in-state share often runs far higher.
- Some schools, such as the University of Washington WWAMI program, extend in-state status to residents of partner states
- In-state applicants often face lower effective thresholds, so an in-state 508 can compete with an out-of-state 515 at the same school
- States with several public schools, including California, Texas, and New York, offer the most in-state options
Include every public medical school in your state on your list, even where your score sits below the median.
MCAT score vs. GPA: which matters more?
Both matter, and the national data shows how they move together. Among 2025-2026 applicants the mean total MCAT was 506.3 and the mean total GPA was 3.67. Among matriculants those rose to 512.1 and 3.81.
That is the clearest available read on the question: the gap between applying and matriculating is about 5.8 MCAT points and 0.14 GPA points. Both separate the two groups, and neither does it alone.
What that means in practice
- A high MCAT does not rescue a weak GPA on its own, and the reverse is also true. Matriculants are above applicants on both measures, not one.
- The science GPA matters. Matriculants averaged 3.75 in science against 3.88 in non-science, so the science figure is the one that moves.
- Moving out of the lowest band returns the most. Going from 505 to 512 crosses from the 64th percentile to the 84th and opens 30 more schools in this tool. Going from 518 to 521 moves you from the 95th to the 98th and opens 12.
Where to put your effort
- If your GPA is fixed because you have graduated: focus on the MCAT. It is the number you can still change, and the retake calculator will show what a realistic gain looks like
- If you are still in school: do not trade GPA for MCAT studying
- If both are low: consider a post-baccalaureate program or a Special Master's Program, then retake
Understanding MCAT score ranges vs. medians
A school's median does not mean everyone admitted scored at that number. Every admitted class spans a wide range, which is why the dimming rule in this tool is a guide and not a verdict.
The national spread makes the point. Matriculants averaged 512.1 with a standard deviation of 6.5, so a substantial share of students who started medical school in 2025-2026 scored in the mid 500s. The applicant pool is wider still, at 506.3 with a standard deviation of 10.
What this means for your list
- Do not eliminate schools where you are 3 to 4 points below the median. You may sit well inside their admitted range
- Do not treat schools where you are above the median as guaranteed. Yield protection is real
- Ranges are wider at mid-tier schools, which tend to read applications more holistically
If you are at a specific score and want to see the reasoning worked through end to end, which medical schools accept a 508 walks through one case in detail.
Low MCAT score? How to strengthen your application
If your score is below the median for your target schools, you have options beyond retaking.
Strengthen the rest of the application
A 508 with an exceptional application can outperform a 515 with a generic one. Focus on:
- Clinical experience: sustained, meaningful patient contact rather than shadowing alone
- Research: even 6 to 12 months with a letter from your principal investigator adds real weight
- Leadership: roles with tangible impact, not titles
- Personal statement: a specific narrative that explains why medicine
Apply strategically
- Lean into state residency. Your in-state public school is the strongest play with a lower score
- Target mission-aligned schools. Programs focused on rural health, underserved communities, or primary care weigh commitment and life experience heavily
- Include DO programs. All twelve DO programs in this tool have medians of 508 or below
Consider a gap year to retake
If you are 5 or more points below your target schools' medians, retaking during a gap year is often more effective than applying with the current score. Use the year for clinical and research experience as well.
Has the MCAT average actually been rising?
Barely, and much less than the common advice suggests. Here is the MD matriculant mean total for every cycle AAMC publishes in Table A-16:
| Entering cycle | Mean total MCAT | Mean total GPA |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 511.5 | 3.73 |
| 2021-2022 | 511.9 | 3.74 |
| 2022-2023 | 511.9 | 3.75 |
| 2023-2024 | 511.7 | 3.77 |
| 2024-2025 | 511.8 | 3.79 |
| 2025-2026 | 512.1 | 3.81 |
That is a rise of 0.6 points across six cycles. It was flat in one and fell in another. You will often read that the matriculant average climbs about a point every two or three years. AAMC's own table does not support it.
GPA is the number that has actually moved. The matriculant mean total GPA rose from 3.73 to 3.81 over the same six cycles, which is a larger shift in standard deviations than the MCAT change.
What this means for you
A 511 was competitive five years ago and it is competitive now. Treat score inflation as a reason to check current medians rather than a reason to assume you need a higher number every year. For how the scale itself works, the MCAT score range breakdown explains what each total is worth.
What applying to medical school costs
Cost scales with the length of your list, which is one reason the number of schools is a strategic decision and not just a safety margin. Registration, the primary application, per-school fees, secondaries, and interview travel all add up, and applicants with lower scores typically apply more broadly and pay more.
AAMC also runs a Fee Assistance Program for applicants with financial need, which reduces registration and application costs and includes MSAR access.
For current figures, see how much the MCAT costs, which tracks registration, rescheduling, and prep pricing, and check the AAMC fee pages for application costs before you budget.
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