If you’re a high school student considering a pre-med track as an undergraduate, it’s natural to wonder what SAT or ACT score you need to get started. The short answer is that there is no single required score for “pre-med,” because pre-med isn’t a major.
Pre-med is a track, or set of courses and experiences, that prepares you for medical school. Your ACT or SAT score matters only in terms of the colleges you’re applying to, not the pre-med path itself.
Knowing that, this guide breaks down average SAT and ACT scores by college type, what may matter even more than your standardized test scores, and whether you should retake your test. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how to approach both tests and how to prepare for med school as a high schooler.
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Your target SAT or ACT score depends a lot on the selectivity of the colleges on your list. While pre-med students often aim for strong academic environments, you can pursue pre-med successfully at a wide range of schools.
Below are general score ranges based on publicly available admissions data from official university admissions websites and data compiled by U.S. News & World Report.
Highly selective schools admit students with very high standardized test scores, typically in the top percentiles nationally. Even at this level, test scores are still only a part of a highly competitive application, alongside top academic performance and strong extracurricular involvement.
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These schools are still selective, but admit students across a wider range of standardized test scores compared to top-tier institutions. Most admitted students perform well above the national average and are competitive applicants overall.
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These schools are generally more flexible in their admissions criteria and admit students across a broader range of standardized test scores. Many still offer strong academics and solid pre-med pathways, especially for students who take advantage of opportunities once enrolled.
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Example averages:
Your SAT or ACT score is only one part of your college application. Admissions officers look at a range of factors when deciding who gets admitted to their undergrad programs, and some schools are even test-optional or test-blind. (Test-blind schools won’t consider standardized test scores at all as part of their admission requirements, even if you submit them with your application.)
These parts of your application can carry just as much or more weight than standardized test scores:
Once you get into college and begin your bachelor’s degree or pre-med track, the focus in the application process shifts again. For medical school admissions, your college GPA, particularly your BCPM GPA in science courses, pre-med coursework, and eventually your MCAT score become more important than what you accomplished in high school.
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Deciding whether to retake the SAT or ACT comes down to how your current score compares to your target schools and whether you can realistically improve that score. Here’s what we tell our students.
Consider retaking if:
Skip retaking if:
This actually mirrors how pre-med students should think about the MCAT later on. A retake only makes sense if there’s a meaningful improvement. Small gains may not significantly change your competitiveness, but larger jumps can.
Preparing properly the second time around is essential. As with the MCAT for medical students, you shouldn’t retake the SAT or ACT without changing your approach. If you decide to retake, plan to study more effectively, not just repeat the same strategy.
Navigating the path to pre-med can feel overwhelming as a high school student, especially when you’re trying to make the right decisions early on. From choosing the right colleges to building a strong academic and extracurricular profile to gain admission to those schools, every step is amplified.
That’s where we come in. At MedSchoolCoach, we work directly with high school students to help them stay on track, avoid common mistakes, and build a clear, strategic plan that sets them up for success in college and beyond.
If you’re ready to take a more intentional approach to your pre-med journey, we’re here to help. Through our Pre-Med Coach program, you’ll work one-on-one with both a college advisor and a Physician Advisor to map out your path from high school to college and beyond.