20 of the Best Medical Schools in the US in 2023| MedSchoolCoach

20 of the Best Medical Schools in the US in 2024

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Posted in: Applying to Medical School

20 of the Best Medical Schools in the US in 2024

If you are an aspiring medical student, you know there’s no shortage of medical colleges to choose between. So how do you decide where to go? We’ve done the homework for you and rounded up a list of high-ranking med schools.

Your medical education is important, so we’ve checked multiple sources. The rankings below each school are from the U.S. News & World Reports for Research and Primary Care. While this is a widely-used report for medical school rankings, USNWR’s methodology has come under fire recently, with some institutions declining to participate.

That said, the top medical schools in the US remain consistent across multiple platforms, with a few outliers. We encourage med school applicants to do further research using the MedSchoolExplorer from MedSchoolCoach. Explore your options based on the programs, acceptance rates, GPA and MCAT ranges, and specialties you’re passionate about.

We’ve provided application fees and some requirements for each school. If you want more information on admissions requirements, check out AAMC’s Medical School Admission Requirements™ (MSAR) database.

1. Harvard University Medical School 

Boston, Massachusetts

#1 in Research

#22 in Primary Care

Application fee: $100

Application Deadline: October 15

Acceptance Rate: 3.3%

Average MCAT score: 521

Median undergrad GPA: 3.95

Full-time tuition: $69,300

2. New York University (Grossman School of Medicine) 

New York, New York

#10 in Research

#67 in Primary Care

Application fee: $110

Application Deadline: October 15

Acceptance Rate: 2.1%

Average MCAT score: 523

Median undergrad GPA: 3.97

Full-time tuition: $0

3. University of Pennsylvania (Perelman School of Medicine)

Photo credit: pennmedicine.org

Philadelphia, PA

#3 in Research

# 34 in Primary Care

Application fee: $100

Application Deadline: October 15

Acceptance Rate: 3.8%

Average MCAT score: 522

Median undergrad GPA: 3.96

Full-time tuition: $65,940

4. Johns Hopkins University 

Baltimore, MD

#2 in Research

#92 in Primary Care

Application fee: $100

Application Deadline: October 15

Acceptance Rate: 6.3%

Median undergrad GPA: 3.96

Average MCAT score: 522

Full-time tuition: $59,700

5. University of California, San Francisco

Photo credit: ucsf.edu

San Francisco, CA

#5 in Primary Care

#5 in Research

Application fee: $80

Application Deadline: October 15

Acceptance Rate: 2.6%

Average MCAT score: 516

Median Undergrad GPA: 3.88

Full-time tuition: $38,073 (in-state), $50,318 (out-of-state)

6. Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons 

New York, New York

#4 in Research

#92 in Primary Care

Application fee: $110

Application Deadline: October 15

Acceptance Rate: 3.6%

Average MCAT score: 522

Median Undergrad GPA: 3.93

Full-time tuition: $66,816

7. Stanford University

Photo credit: med.standford.edu

Stanford, CA

#5 in Research

#31 in Primary Care

Application fee: $100

Application Deadline: October 3

Acceptance Rate: 1.4%

Average MCAT score: 519

Median Undergrad GPA: 3.92

Full-time tuition: $63,747

8. Duke University

Photo credit: medschool.duke.edu

Durham, NC

#5 in Research

#111 in Primary Care

Application fee: $100

Application Deadline: October 15

Acceptance Rate: 2.9%

Average MCAT score: 520

Median Undergrad GPA: 3.9

Full-time tuition: $63,310

9. University of Washington

Photo credit: newsroom.uw.edu

Seattle, WA

#1 in Primary Care

#13 in Research

Application fee: $35

Application Deadline: October 15

Acceptance Rate: 4.5%

Average MCAT score: 512

Median Undergrad GPA: 3.75

Full-time tuition: In-state: $53,112, out-of-state: $93,996

10. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Photo credit: davisbrodybond.com

New York, NY

#18 in Research

# 98 in Primary Care

Application fee: $110

Application Deadline: October 1

Acceptance Rate: 3.4%

Average MCAT score: 518

Median Undergrad GPA: 3.89

Full-time tuition: $58,685

11. Washington University in St. Louis 

St. Louis, MO

#5 in Research

#82 in Primary Care

Application fee: $100

Application Deadline: November 30

Acceptance Rate: 7.5%

Median Undergrad GPA: 3.94

Average MCAT score: 521

Full-time tuition: $65,001

12. Vanderbilt University

Photo credit: medschool.vanderbilt.edu

Nashville, TN

#5 in Research

#82 in Primary Care

Application fee: $95

Application Deadline: November 1

Acceptance Rate: 4.5%

Average MCAT score: 521

Median Undergrad GPA: 3.94

Full-time tuition: $64,882

13. Cornell University (Weill Cornell Medicine)

Photo credit: weill.cornell.edu

New York, New York

#10 in Research

#61 in Primary Care

Application fee: $100

Application deadline: October 15

Acceptance rate: 3.4%

Average MCAT score: 520

Median undergrad GPA: 3.91

Full-time Tuition: $62,650

14. Mayo Clinic School of Medicine (Alix) 

Rochester, Minnesota

#13 in Research

#34 in Primary Care

Application fee: $120

Application deadline: October 1

Acceptance rate: 4.5%

Average MCAT score: 521

Median undergrad GPA: 3.94

Full-time tuition:  $62,500

15. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 

Ann Arbor, Michigan

#13 in Research

#26 in Primary Care

Application fee: $85

Application Deadline: October 15

Acceptance Rate: 5.6%

Average MCAT score: 518

Median undergrad GPA: 3.87

Full-time tuition: $50,265 (in-state), $69,714 (out-of-state)

16. University of Minnesota

Photo credit: med.umn.edu

Minneapolis, Minnesota

#2 in Primary Care

#35 in Research

Application fee: $100

Application Deadline: October 15

Average MCAT score: 512

Median undergrad GPA: 3.82

Acceptance Rate: 3.43%

Full-time tuition: $41,919 (in-state), $62,085 (out-of-state)

17. Northwestern University (Feinberg School of Medicine)

Photo credit: nm.org

Chicago, Illinois

#13 in Research

#71 in Primary Care

Application fee: $95

Application Deadline: November 1

Acceptance Rate: 1.86%

Average MCAT score: 520

Median undergrad GPA: 3.92

Full-time tuition: $67,880

18. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

#7 in Primary Care

#26 in Research

Application fee: $68

Application Deadline: October 1

Acceptance Rate: 4.1%

Average MCAT score: 515

Median undergrad GPA: 3.8

Full-time tuition: $32,746 (in-state), $60,706 (out-of-state)

19. University of Colorado

Photo credit: news.cuanschutz.edu

Aurora, Colorado

#8 in Primary Care

#26 in Research

Application fee: $100

Application Deadline: November 30

Acceptance Rate: 2.8%

Average MCAT score: 515

Median undergrad GPA: 3.82

Full-time tuition: $42,450 (in-state), $69,405 (out-of-state)

20. Yale University 

New Haven, Connecticut

#10 in Research

#108 in Primary Care

Application fee: $95

Application Deadline: October 15

Acceptance Rate: 5.5%

Average MCAT score: 522

Median undergrad GPA: 3.92

Full-time tuition: $67,484

Top 5 Medical Schools by Specialty

 AnesthesiologyFamily MedicineInternal MedicineObstetrics/ GynecologyPediatricsPsychiatrySurgery
1Johns HopkinsOregon Health and Science UniversityJohns HopkinsHarvardUniversity of Pennsylvania ColumbiaJohns Hopkins
2HarvardUniversity of WashingtonHarvardJohns HopkinsHarvardHarvardUCSF
3DukeUNC Chapel HillUCSFUniversity of Michigan, Ann ArborUniversity of CincinnatiJohns HopkinsHarvard
4UCSFUCSFDukeDukeJohns HopkinsUCSFDuke
5University of Michigan, Ann ArborUC DavisUniversity of Michigan, Ann ArborUCSFUCSFUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Top 5 Schools of Osteopathic Medicine

1. University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

Application fee: $50

Application Deadline: November 1

Acceptance Rate: 12.4%

Average MCAT score: 506

Median undergrad GPA: 3.63

Full-time tuition: $6,540

2. University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

Application fee: $75

Application Deadline: July 30

Acceptance Rate: 16%

Average MCAT score: 520

Median undergrad GPA: 3.54

Full-time tuition: $51,500

3. Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

Application fee: $100

Application Deadline: February 1

Acceptance Rate: 93%

Average MCAT score: 504

Median undergrad GPA: 3.64

Full-time tuition: $36,785 in-state, $51,416 out-of-state

4. Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

Application fee: $50

Application Deadline: March 1

Acceptance Rate: 6.7%

Average MCAT score: 503

Median undergrad GPA: 3.41

Full-time tuition: varies by discipline

5. William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Application fee: $50

Application Deadline: March 16

Acceptance Rate: 4.5%

Average MCAT score: 505

Median undergrad GPA: 3.53

Full-time tuition: varies by discipline

Choosing the Right School

Now that you have a handle on the top schools, it’s time to research for yourself. Make sure the schools you apply to offer the medical programs you want AND the extracurricular options you want to help you stay on track during your first year of med school.

Take into account the school’s location — if you live in Florida, it’s worth traveling to Michigan in the winter if you’re considering a move to Ann Arbor for med school. If location is a driving factor, there’s good news: every state has a great med school.

If you have questions or you’re looking for more medical school admissions guidance, contact our team here at MedSchoolCoach.

READ NEXT: Medical School Letters of Recommendation: Who and How To Ask, or The Principles of Biomedical Ethics & Medical Morality

What is the hardest medical school to get into? The hardest medical school to get into is the Grossman School of Medicine at NYU. With free admission to med students, it’s no wonder the program is competitive.

What is the #1 medical school in the US? Harvard Medical School is the highest ranked in the US. Established in 1782, Harvard has spent 2½ centuries building a reputation of excellence.

What is a good GPA for medical school? 3.5 or higher is a good GPA for medical school. Like any other graduate school, the higher your undergrad GPA, the better.

What is the difference between a medical school and a medical college? Medical schools and medical colleges are the same thing. The only difference is the verbiage.

What is a good MCAT score for medical school? Average MCAT scores for medical schools are often in the range of 510+. There are many factors that play into admissions, but a great MCAT score is certainly needed for most of the top medical schools. For more competitive medical schools, applicants should aim for a 520+.

Renee Marinelli, MD

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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