Medical Schools by MCAT: 2026 Admissions Data Guide

What are the current average MCAT scores across U.S. medical schools?

The national average MCAT score for MD matriculants is 512.1, while the average for all applicants sits at 506.3. That gap tells you something important: roughly half of everyone who applies never makes it to a seat. The average GPA for matriculants is 3.81, compared to 3.67 for all applicants.

DO programs run lower across the board. The average MCAT for DO matriculants is approximately 503, with an average GPA near 3.60. DO schools also weight clinical experience and community service more heavily alongside test scores, so the profile they’re building looks somewhat different from a typical MD program.

Metric	All Applicants	MD Matriculants	DO Matriculants
Average MCAT	506.3	512.1	~503
Average Overall GPA	3.67	3.81	~3.60

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Average MCAT and GPA data for individual U.S. medical schools

The spread across schools is wider than most applicants expect. NYU Grossman leads with an average MCAT of 523 and a 3.98 GPA, while the University of Mississippi sits at 506 with a 3.80 GPA. That’s a 17-point MCAT difference across ranked MD programs, which translates to a massive shift in who’s competitive where.

Schools also report score ranges from the 10th to 90th percentile, not just averages. A score below the published average doesn’t automatically disqualify you. What matters is whether you fall within the realistic range for that school’s entering class.

Medical School	State	Avg. GPA	Avg. MCAT
NYU Grossman	NY	3.98	523
Columbia (Vagelos)	NY	3.98	523
Johns Hopkins	MD	3.98	523
Mayo Clinic (Alix)	MN	3.98	523
Harvard Medical School	MA	3.90	523
Yale School of Medicine	CT	3.98	523
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai	NY	3.81	519
University of Colorado	CO	3.70	517
New York Medical College	NY	3.60	516
University of Florida	FL	3.98	516
Meharry Medical College	TN	Not publicly listed	Not publicly listed
University of Mississippi	MS	3.80	506

A few patterns stand out. Public schools like the University of Colorado and the Texas systems often post lower averages than their reputations suggest, largely because of in-state admissions mandates. New York Medical College’s 3.60 GPA average is notably lower than most schools at the same MCAT tier, suggesting a more holistic review process. And the top 15 programs compress tightly between 519 and 523, meaning a single point separates schools that most applicants treat as entirely different tiers.

• Top-tier MD programs (ranks 1–15) average 519–523 MCAT and 3.81–3.98 GPA
• Mid-tier MD programs (ranks 40–70) cluster around 514–516 MCAT and 3.80–3.90 GPA
• Lower-tier MD programs (ranks 85–100) range from 506–510 MCAT and 3.70–3.87 GPA
• Public schools typically favor in-state residents with lower effective score thresholds
• DO programs as a category sit below all MD tiers on average test scores

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How to interpret MCAT and GPA averages when building your school list

Averages are a starting point, not a verdict. A school’s published average MCAT reflects the middle of its entering class, not a floor. Some schools also publish minimum cutoff scores that trigger automatic rejection at the primary screening stage. Those are different numbers, and confusing the two is a costly mistake.

Pro Tip: Use the AAMC’s MCAT/GPA grid to see your actual probability band before finalizing your list. A 512 MCAT with a 3.85 GPA puts you in a very different position than a 512 with a 3.60, and the grid makes that visible in a way that averages alone don’t.

State residency shifts the math significantly. Public medical schools routinely set lower effective thresholds for in-state applicants. An out-of-state applicant targeting a state school with a 514 average may need a 517 or 518 to be genuinely competitive, while an in-state applicant at 511 could be well within range.

• Identify your score’s percentile at each target school, not just how it compares to the average
• Separate “reach,” “target,” and “likely” schools using the 10th–90th percentile range, not just the median
• Verify whether a school’s listed minimum is a hard cutoff or a soft guideline
• Factor in residency status before assuming a public school is a realistic target
• A high MCAT can partially offset a lower GPA, but the reverse is significantly harder to pull off

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What does a realistic MCAT study schedule look like?

Most applicants need 3–6 months of dedicated preparation, with study intensity scaling based on your diagnostic score and target. A 3-month schedule works if you’re already scoring near your goal and need focused refinement. Six months is more realistic if you’re starting from a baseline well below your target school’s average.

Pro Tip: Take a full-length AAMC diagnostic exam before you build your schedule. Your weakest section determines your timeline, not your strongest.

• Months 1–2 (content review): Cover all four sections systematically. Use structured resources and set weekly targets by subject area.
• Month 3–4 (practice exams): Shift to full-length practice tests under timed conditions. Review every missed question, not just the ones you flagged.
• Month 5–6 (weak point focus): Drill the specific content areas and question types where your practice scores lag. Don’t keep taking full-lengths if you haven’t addressed the gaps they reveal.

Align your test date with application deadlines. Most MD programs open AMCAS in late may, and submitting early in the cycle meaningfully improves your odds. If you’re aiming for a june or july MCAT, your study window needs to start by january at the latest.

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Should you retake the MCAT?

Retaking makes sense in specific situations, not as a default response to disappointment. The clearest signal is a score that falls below the 10th percentile cutoff at most of your target schools. A single weak section dragging down an otherwise strong performance is another strong indicator.

Pro Tip: If you’re retaking, apply to schools in the same cycle only if your retake date allows scores to arrive before their secondary deadlines. A late score that misses the window is worse than waiting a cycle.

• Retake indicators: Score below 505 for MD targets, one section below 124, or a score that puts you below the 10th percentile at your target schools
• Reasons to wait: A retake delays your application, and a second score that doesn’t improve meaningfully can raise questions
• Reasons to go: A stronger score can open doors at schools that were previously out of range, and holistic review means a better MCAT can shift how the rest of your file reads

A higher MCAT can partially compensate for a lower GPA, but there’s a ceiling. Admissions committees notice when a strong test score sits alongside thin clinical experience or a weak personal statement. The score gets you reviewed; the rest of the file determines the outcome.

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How Medschoolpilot helps you connect MCAT planning to your full application

MCAT prep doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You’re simultaneously logging clinical hours, tracking research commitments, managing deadlines, and building a school list. Medschoolpilot integrates all of that into one workspace, so your MCAT score goals connect directly to your application readiness score rather than sitting in a separate spreadsheet.

The platform’s readiness tracker lets you see exactly where your application stands across every dimension, from test scores to extracurricular hours, and flags the areas pulling your overall profile down. That’s the kind of visibility that makes it easier to decide whether to prioritize a retake or shift energy toward strengthening clinical experience.

• Log and track MCAT scores alongside clinical, research, and volunteering hours in one place
• Use the customizable timeline to align study phases with application deadlines
• Identify weak areas in your profile before they become surprises in the review process
• Build your school list using your actual score data, not generic averages

Pro Tip: Use Medschoolpilot’s school selection tools alongside your MCAT percentile data to build a list that reflects your real competitiveness at each program, not just where you wish you could apply.

Start tracking your readiness before your MCAT date, not after. The earlier you map your full profile, the clearer it becomes where a score improvement actually changes your odds.

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How MCAT score expectations have shifted in recent years

The competitive baseline for MD programs has been rising steadily. The average MCAT for MD matriculants climbed from 511.8 in 2024 to 512.1 in 2025, continuing a multi-year upward trend. That may look like a small move, but at the top of a compressed score distribution, it reflects real shifts in who’s getting in.

Schools haven’t broadly published new formal minimums, but the effective floor has risen. A score that was solidly competitive five years ago may now sit at the lower edge of the range at the same program. Using outdated benchmarks to plan your list is one of the more common and avoidable mistakes applicants make. Always pull data from the most recent entering class, which for the 2026 application cycle means the 2025–2026 matriculant profiles. Understanding how scaled test scores function in competitive admissions contexts can also sharpen how you interpret your own MCAT percentile relative to school-specific ranges.

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Key Takeaways

MD matriculants average a 512.1 MCAT and 3.81 GPA, while DO programs average around 503 MCAT and 3.60 GPA, and the gap between your score and a school’s 10th–90th percentile range matters more than the average alone.

Point	Details
MD vs. DO averages	MD matriculants average 512.1 MCAT; DO matriculants average approximately 503.
Score ranges over averages	Use 10th–90th percentile ranges to classify schools as reach, target, or likely.
Residency changes the math	Public schools set lower effective thresholds for in-state applicants; verify before applying.
Retake threshold	A score below 505 for MD targets or below the 10th percentile at most schools warrants a retake.
Rising baseline	The MD matriculant average rose from 511.8 in 2024 to 512.1 in 2025; use current cycle data only.

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