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In 2025-2026, med school applicants (including those who didn’t matriculate) had an average science GPA (BCPM) of 3.57 and overall GPA (science and non-science) of 3.67. On the other hand, MD program matriculants had an average BCPM GPA of 3.75 and an overall GPA of 3.81.
Recently, applicants to osteopathic programs had a BCPM GPA of 3.47 and an overall GPA of 3.57, while matriculants had an average BCPM GPA of 3.52 and an overall GPA of 3.60.
The minimum required GPA to apply to most med schools is 3.0. However, if you’re a pre-med student, you’ll need to aim for a GPA of 3.6 or higher to compete with other applicants. A competitive GPA and the minimum GPA required to apply are very different.
When it comes to the medical school admissions process, grade point average is often one of the first things that admissions officers and the admissions committee look at. The sheer volume of medical school applications means that GPA is a critical screening factor.
But what does a competitive GPA for medical school look like? Below, we’ll answer what’s a good GPA overall, what’s a competitive BCPM GPA for the school you’re interested in, and how to boost your GPA and therefore your chances at getting into your ideal med school.
Use our free Med School Chance Predictor to calculate your odds of acceptance at MD and DO programs nationwide. Enter your GPA, MCAT, and other metrics to see your odds at each school.
What’s Considered a Competitive GPA?
A competitive GPA for medical school is generally 3.6 or higher.
On average, successful matriculants — students who are accepted and enroll — have higher GPAs than all applicants combined.
The most recent average GPAs and MCAT scores for medical school applicants and matriculants are listed below, according to the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) and AACOM (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine; GPA and MCAT stats reported separately).
| Average Science GPA | Average Non-Science GPA | Average Overall GPA | Average MCAT Score | |
| Applicants (MD) | 3.57 | 3.80 | 3.67 | 506.3 |
| Matriculants (MD) | 3.75 | 3.88 | 3.81 | 512.1 |
| Applicants (DO) | 3.47 | 3.69 | 3.57 | 502.4 |
| Matriculants (DO) | 3.52 | 3.71 | 3.60 | 503.0 |
These averages provide a good benchmark for what medical schools consider competitive. However, remember that these are averages; they include GPAs from applicants or matriculants from all MD and DO programs across the country.
Top-tier schools of medicine have higher average GPAs and lower acceptance rates. Ivy League medical schools have around a 3.90 average GPA for matriculants.
You can access more med school admissions statistics at AAMC, as well as look into individual schools’ admissions requirements using the MSAR.
How Your GPA for Admissions Is Calculated
For medical school application purposes, your GPA consists of your science GPA, non-science GPA, and your overall cumulative GPA.
Your science GPA is based on grades from medical school prerequisite courses like biology, chemistry, physics, and math, often referred to as “BCPM” (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics). Your non-science GPA is based on grades from all other courses.
While the overall GPA provides a general idea of your academic performance, your science GPA specifically reflects how capable you are in the health sciences, which is particularly important to admissions committees.
How to Get Into Med School With a Lower GPA
Getting into medical school with a lower GPA is possible, but you’ll probably need to put in extra work to stand out as an applicant. The good news is that applicants who fall below national GPA averages can still be accepted if they excel in other components of their AMCAS or AACOMAS.
Medical schools understand that each applicant is unique. That’s why they take subjective aspects of an application into account, like your extracurricular involvement, research experience, and personal qualities. Plus, there are other objective measures besides your GPA.
Below are the ways you can boost your chances of getting into medical school if you have a lower GPA.
Get a High MCAT Score
A good MCAT score can counterbalance a low GPA. Getting a high score on this standardized test will prove to the admissions committee that you’re capable of handling the academic rigor of medical school, despite your lower-than-average GPA.
The average MCAT score for matriculants in the most recent cycle was 512.1 for MD programs and 503.0 for DO programs. For now, that’s the score to beat if your GPA is less than impressive.
Prepare thoroughly by using resources such as MCAT prep courses, practice tests, and extensive study of the coursework. Check out our comprehensive MCAT study guide.
If you know you’re likely to struggle with the MCAT, hire a tutor before your first test attempt. You can certainly retake the exam, but several do-overs may give a negative impression to admissions committees.
Get a Guaranteed Score Increase when you sign up for Silver, Gold, or Platinum MCAT tutoring.
Focus On Extracurriculars
Medical school AdComs value well-rounded applicants who demonstrate a commitment to patient care. During pre-med, engage in meaningful extracurricular activities such as clinical experience, volunteer work in healthcare settings, research projects, and community service.
Physician shadowing is another great option to gain on-site experience in the specialties you’re interested in. Aim for 100-150 shadowing hours if possible.
These experiences can showcase your dedication, passion, and unique qualities beyond your GPA. Leadership positions or active involvement in student organizations can also illustrate your teamwork and management skills, which are highly valued in the healthcare industry.
Learn More: Med School Extracurriculars You Need
Write a Standout Personal Statement
Your medical school personal statement is your chance to share your motivations for pursuing medicine, highlight experiences that shaped you, connect with the admissions committee on a personal level, and explain a low GPA.
Don’t dwell on application red flags, but find a way to concisely demonstrate why your GPA is lower than average, how the circumstances leading to your GPA shaped you, and why you wouldn’t accumulate a low GPA going forward.
Make sure your essay is well-crafted, sincere, and reflects your commitment to becoming a medical professional. The best personal statements use storytelling to communicate why you’re pursuing this career and point to your passions and soft skills that can’t be defined by a test.
Go More In-Depth: Med School Personal Statement — A Comprehensive Guide
A lower GPA does not automatically close the door on medical school, but it does mean your personal statement has to work harder for you. This is one of the few places where you can provide context, show growth, and demonstrate the qualities that numbers alone cannot capture. Explore the Medical School Personal Statement Premium Example Hub to study how strong essays use storytelling, reflection, and structure to make a more compelling case for admission.
Submit Strong Letters of Recommendation
Strong letters of recommendation can provide a holistic perspective of your capabilities and potential as a future physician.
Cultivate relationships with professors, healthcare professionals, and mentors who can speak to your academic abilities, personal qualities, and dedication to the field. Choose recommenders who know you well and can provide meaningful insights into your strengths.
Depending on your unique situation, a letter writer may be able to speak to the circumstances that led to a low GPA and explain how you grew through that experience and why it wouldn’t happen again.
Read More in Detail: Letters of Recommendation — When, Who & How to Ask
Limit Your School List
There are allopathic and osteopathic medical schools that have lower average GPA requirements.
They are still accredited med schools where you’ll get a good education. They may not come with the prestige or the top-tier networking opportunities, but you can still get your medical degree and become a respectable doctor if you attend one of these medical colleges.
If you have a lower GPA, only include a couple of “reach” schools on your list of places to apply. Look for schools you’d be willing to attend that have a lower matriculant GPA.
Learn More: The Easiest Medical Schools to Get Into
If your GPA is lower than average, your school list becomes even more important. But once you identify the right mix of reach, target, and more realistic options, the next challenge is writing secondaries that show why you fit each school’s mission. Explore the Med School Secondary Essay Premium Example Hub for school-specific examples that can help you tailor your application with more precision and less guesswork.
Prepare for Med School Interviews
If you receive an interview invitation despite a low GPA, make sure to thoroughly prepare. You must be ready to justify your low GPA and turn it into a positive.
A low GPA is a potential red flag that admissions committee members will most certainly ask you about during an interview. Be ready to discuss your GPA openly and honestly, and explain what you’ve learned from the experience.
Turn that red flag into a demonstration of your perseverance and growth as a student.
Research the medical school, practice answering common interview questions, and present yourself confidently, articulately, and passionately.
Check Out This Comprehensive Article: Preparing for the Med School Interview
If you earn an interview despite a lower GPA, you need to be ready to discuss it with honesty, maturity, and confidence. Interviews are where you can show the growth, resilience, and self-awareness that may not be obvious from your transcript alone. Explore the Medical School Interview Premium Question Bank to practice with a much broader range of realistic questions and stronger answer models before interview day.
Improve Your GPA
Consider ways to boost your GPA rather than just accepting lower academic marks. Here are the best ways to improve your GPA to get into med school:
- Retake courses where you underperformed.
- Enroll in a post-baccalaureate program designed to help pre-medical students enhance their academic records.
- Consider a Special Master’s Program with a linkage to medical school. An SMP can effectively reset your GPA, and a linkage can guarantee your acceptance, given certain criteria.
- If you’re not done with your last semester(s), make the effort to get stellar grades in your last few classes.
With a well-rounded application highlighting other strengths, it’s still possible to get into medical school with a GPA of 3.5 (or even lower). But don’t take that chance. Make every effort to increase your application’s competitiveness.
Wondering whether a single withdrawal (‘W’) will tank your GPA? Find out here.
Take a Gap Year
Taking a gap year is becoming increasingly typical. A year in between undergraduate school and medical school has several potential benefits, especially if you have a less-than-stellar GPA:
- A gap year gives you time to boost your GPA with post-bacc courses.
- A gap year lets you retake the MCAT and study more, if necessary.
- A gap year allows you to bolster your extracurriculars.
- A gap year can help you develop mentorships that may lead to strong letters of recommendation that could counteract a low GPA.
Read More: Best Med Schools for Non-Traditional Applicants
FAQs
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DO-granting programs, AKA osteopathic medical schools, tend to be more forgiving of lower GPAs on med school applications. They should not be seen as inferior institutions, but they are generally easier to get into compared to MD-granting allopathic schools.
Post-bacc coursework GPA and undergrad GPA are generally combined in your objective stats, but most AdComs will view these numbers in context.
If your GPA is lower than average, but it has clearly increased from your early undergrad days, that’s a good sign.
If your post-bacc GPA shows an upward trend compared to your GPA, that’s a good sign.
The 32-hour rule is when med school admissions committees primarily consider your most recent 32 credit hours, reducing the impact of your overall GPA from earlier undergrad years.
Very few medical schools officially follow this practice. Several med schools use this rule but don’t advertise it. However, most AdComs don’t actively use the 32-hour rule.
Increase Your Chances of Acceptance With MedSchoolCoach
A competitive GPA is vital for medical school admission. Strive for a GPA of 3.6 or higher, particularly in science courses, to increase your chances of acceptance into top-tier medical schools. DO schools may require a slightly lower GPA.
Remember that GPA is just one aspect of the holistic evaluation process. Medical schools assess applicants based on a range of factors, including extracurricular involvement, research experience, letters of recommendation, and personal essays.
Standing out in these areas can compensate for a slightly lower GPA and make you a strong candidate for medical school admission.
Build your application alongside a doctor with admissions experience, and join the 95% of clients who get into medical school.
Renee Marinelli, MD
Dr. Marinelli has practiced family medicine, served on the University of California Admissions Committee, and has helped hundreds of students get into medical school. She spearheads a team of physician advisors who guide MedSchoolCoach students.
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