Medical School Acceptance Rates (Plus, What to Expect in 2025)

Data was aggregated from AAMC FACTS data and Applicants & Matriculants by COM.

Overall Acceptance Rates vs. Institution-Level Rates

It’s important to note the difference between acceptance rates at any given medical program versus those across an application system. For instance, 44.58% of MD applicants matriculated to a medical school for the 2024-2025 school year. However, most medical schools have an acceptance rate lower than 7%.

This is because med school applicants almost always apply to many schools across multiple application systems. In the 2023/24 application cycle, the AAMC estimates 18.6 applications were submitted per applicant via AMCAS. I recommend students apply to 25-30 programs if possible.

Both overall acceptance rates and institution-level acceptance rates can offer important data to consider as you apply. For instance, pre-med students with lower-than-average GPA or MCAT scores may want to focus on applying to schools with higher acceptance rates. Students with highly competitive applications might go after a more coveted spot at a program with a lower acceptance rate.

Regardless of individual school rates, though, it’s vital to remember that your chances of acceptance into any medical program are less than 45% overall. MD schools boast the highest acceptance rates, approaching 45%, while Texas medical schools have the lowest at closer to 34% (possibly because of how strongly they favor in-state students).

Related: What Top Tier Medical Schools Look For in Applicants 

Recent Trends in Medical School Admissions

Med school admissions have seen major fluctuations in the last several years. Here are a few of my observations about what has happened and why:

• The ‘Fauci Effect.’ As people watched the impact of Dr. Anthony Fauci during the COVID pandemic, many of them saw a physician in the public eye making a significant difference. This is one reason the number of total applicants to medical school surged in 2020 and 2021 (reflected in the final matriculant numbers in 2021 and 2022) — those on the fence saw the impact they could make, too. Admissions officers began referring to this as ‘The Fauci Effect.’ As the pandemic died down, there became less of a call for doctors, and total applications dropped again close to pre-pandemic numbers.
• The spotlight of social media. Social media has shined a light on how difficult a career in medicine really is. We’ve seen doctors unionize, struggle with insurance preauthorizations all day, and report significantly higher levels of burnout, stress, and depression. Fewer people may now be applying for this reason, opting for a career with less red tape and lower barriers to entry.
• Enrollment at an all-time high. Due to higher numbers of hopefuls in the applicant pool and newly opened medical programs offering more available seats, medical school enrollment is higher than ever. The AAMC reports that nearly 100,000 students are enrolled in medical schools, the highest total number in history.
• New rules for diversity considerations. In June of 2023, the Supreme Court overturned decades of precedent of affirmative action in college admissions. This ruling trickled down to med school admissions, and — as the AAMC predicted — has led to a less diverse pool of applicants and matriculants since taking effect. Applications and acceptances of many URiM (underrepresented in medicine) groups have declined significantly in just the two years after this decision.

Read Next: 10 Medical Specialties with the Best Work/Life Balance 

How to Maximize Your Chances at Acceptance

To increase your competitiveness as a medical school applicant, you’ll need to do a lot more than meet the minimum admissions requirements — you need to stand out. A few ways to do this include:

• Maximize your MCAT score. Aim to exceed the average MCAT score of your peers. For context, MD matriculants averaged 511.7 on the MCAT, and DO matriculants averaged 503.9 in the most recent application cycle. Read our full guide to the MCAT, with tons of resources for the best chance at success.
• Maximize your GPA. For many students, a better GPA might mean taking a gap year to enter a post-bacc program to enhance your coursework. Aiming for an average GPA of at least 3.6-3.8 will put you around the middle of the pack, but your BCPM GPA (AKA “science GPA”) also plays a big part.
• Optimize your personal statement. One of the only factors in your application that’s completely unique to you is your personal statement. This essay should feature compelling storytelling to help you shine as an individual. Check out our writing guide and great examples of personal statement essays from successful medical school applicants.
• Prioritize high-quality extracurricular activities. Your extracurriculars show a lot about your commitment to the medical profession. Read our detailed guide, and scroll through our curated list of the best extracurriculars for pre-meds.
• Get top-notch letters of recommendation. Recommendations from physicians and professors carry a lot of weight in your application. Our team wrote a comprehensive breakdown of how many letters to get, who to ask, and how to ask to get the best letters possible.
• Apply where you’re likely to succeed. It’s okay to have a few “reach” or “undershoot” options on your school list, but in general, choose medical schools where your metrics and CV are likely to attract attention from admissions committees. If you don’t have a super high MCAT score or GPA, it’s probably a good idea to avoid applying to Ivy League medical programs. 

Read Next: How Hard Is It to Get Into Medical School in 2025? 

Our experienced Physician Advisors and Writing Advisors can help you create the best application possible to stand out in the crowd. Our clients are 2X more likely to get into medical school than the average student!