Ask any pre-med what stresses them out most, and the MCAT wins almost every time. It’s one score, but it can feel like the whole ballgame. The thing is, there’s no secret number that flips the switch on medical school. Every school sets its own bar, and whoever reads your file is weighing a lot more than one exam. So where does the average MCAT score really land, and what do you need to aim for? Below, we’ll cover the average MCAT score for medical school, what a good score looks like, and how your GPA plays into it.
Understanding the MCAT Scoring System
The scoring trips people up at first, so let’s get it straight before anything else.
MCAT Score Range
There are four sections, and each one gets scored between 118 and 132. Stack them together and the total MCAT score range stretches from 472 up to 528. That means 472 is the lowest MCAT score you can walk away with, and 528 is the maximum MCAT score, which you only hit with a flawless 132 on all four. The bulk of test takers sit somewhere in the middle of that MCAT range.
MCAT Score Distribution
Your raw total then turns into a percentile, and that’s what schools really look at. It shows how you did against everyone else who sat it. The median MCAT score sits around 500 to 501, right at the 50th percentile, and the MCAT average score across all test takers is close behind. Climb higher on the MCAT score distribution and every extra point gets tougher to grab. Score a 515 and you’re already knocking on the 90th percentile.
What is the Average MCAT Score?
When someone asks what the average MCAT score is, the real answer is that it depends on which group you mean. Look at every examinee and it hovers near 501 to 502. But the students who make it in tend to score above that. Accepted MD students average somewhere around 511 to 512. Accepted DO students come in lower, closer to 503. That DO gap is worth flagging now, and we’ll circle back to it later. The bigger takeaway: getting an acceptance usually means beating the average, not just matching it.
These figures never sit still for long. The AAMC and AACOM update them every cycle, and they’ve been creeping up for years as the applicant pool gets stronger. A number that impressed people five years back might look pretty ordinary today. A little year-to-year drift is normal, so a point here or there isn’t worth stressing over. Before you judge your own MCAT average score, just make sure you’re looking at the newest data.
A quick side-by-side:
| Applicant Type | Average MCAT |
| All Examinees | ~501–502 |
| MD Matriculants | ~511–512 |
| DO Matriculants | ~503 |
What is a Good MCAT Score for Medical School?
So what lands in “good” territory? It hinges on your list, but a few score bands make it easier to place yourself.
Below 500: This is under the national matriculant average, and it makes MD admission an uphill climb. Most people treat it as minimum MCAT score territory. A few schools will still give you a read, but you’ll want a strong GPA and a story that earns attention. Realistically, DO programs are the better fit.
500–505: Here the field widens. You’ll find medical schools that accept a 500 MCAT score, mainly DO programs plus a handful of mission-driven MD schools. You’re in it, as long as the rest of your application shows up.
506–511: At this point you’re competitive across plenty of MD schools. It sits right near the accepted-student average, so it makes a dependable middle for a wide list.
512–517: A strong score, no way around it. You read as a competitive applicant just about everywhere, and well-ranked programs come into play.
518+: This is the top shelf. Score here and you’re up in the high percentiles, in the running even at the pickiest schools.
So, all told, what is a good MCAT score for medical school? For MD programs, 511 and up is a solid target. But your good MCAT score range ties back to where you’re applying, so look up each school’s average and aim to clear it.
Know your target score. Now build the plan to hit it.
Our complete MCAT guide breaks down the exam, timing, and section-by-section strategy in one place.
Applying to Medical School With a Lower MCAT Score
A lower MCAT score doesn’t mean medical school is out of reach, it just means you need to apply strategically. Many DO programs, along with some mission-driven MD schools, take a holistic approach that looks beyond test scores to consider your GPA, clinical experience, service, and personal story.
Instead of applying broadly, focus on schools where your MCAT falls within or near the recent admitted-student range. If your score is between 500 and 508, a balanced list of both MD and DO programs is often the smartest strategy. A well-targeted application can make a bigger difference than simply applying to more schools.
Average GPA for Medical School
The MCAT doesn’t get evaluated in a vacuum. Your GPA sits right beside it and carries just as much weight, so those numbers deserve a close look too.
Matriculant GPAs run high. If you enrol in an MD program, your overall GPA is probably landing around 3.7 to 3.8, which is noticeably steeper than what most other graduate programs expect. The average med school GPA has been climbing, too, largely because more applicants keep arriving with near-spotless transcripts.
And there isn’t one GPA schools track, there are two. The overall GPA rolls in every course you’ve taken. The science GPA, usually called the BCPM GPA, counts just your biology, chemistry, physics, and math. The average science GPA for medical school comes in slightly below the overall, around 3.7 for matriculants. Committees lean on this one because it hints at whether you can handle a science-heavy workload.
Bottom line on medical school GPA: aim high everywhere, but protect those science grades in particular. A strong science GPA quietly tells admissions you can take what med school is about to hand you.
What GPA Do You Need for Medical School?
So what GPA do you need to get into med school? Most programs won’t spell out a cutoff, but the numbers still point somewhere.
Think of 3.5 overall as the floor. Dip under it and MD admission gets hard fast, unless another part of your file is truly standout. A competitive GPA for MD schools runs 3.7 or higher, since that’s about where the matriculant average sits. Get up around 3.8 or beyond and you’ve met the academic bar most places set.
DO schools cut you a little more slack. The GPA needed for DO programs usually falls near 3.5 to 3.6, and some look past a lower number if your grades climb or your MCAT does the heavy lifting.
One more thing: medical school GPA requirements shift school to school, and hardly any post a firm line. They read your grades against everything else you bring. But the higher yours climbs, the more schools you can reasonably reach for.
MCAT and GPA Together Matter More Than Either Alone
Here’s what a lot of applicants gloss over: your MCAT and GPA aren’t scored in separate rooms. A big test score can ease the sting of a softer GPA, and a high GPA can prop up a middling score. Committees look at the pair together.
They don’t stop at the two numbers, though. A real review folds in your research, your clinical hours, your recommendation letters, and your personal statement. The stats get your foot in the door. What you’ve done everywhere else decides whether it swings open.
That’s exactly where the MCAT GPA grid pulls its weight. Every year the AAMC releases this GPA MCAT grid, basically a table of acceptance rates for each GPA and MCAT combo. You track your GPA along one side, your MCAT along the other, and land on the percentage of applicants who got an offer.
Dropping your own average MCAT and GPA for medical schools onto that grid quickly shows where you stand. It won’t hand you any promises. But it’s straight with you, which is what makes it useful.
Medical School Acceptance Rates by MCAT and GPA
Acceptance rates across medicine are rough almost everywhere you look. At a single program, the average med school acceptance rate often sits below 5 percent, and the marquee schools dip well under 2. But those top-line figures aren’t your personal odds. Your MCAT and GPA nudge them one way or the other.
The direction is simple enough. As your GPA and MCAT rise, so does your shot at getting in. A 3.8 paired with a 515 puts you on much firmer ground than a 3.4 and a 500. The AAMC grid shows it plainly, with the odds climbing as you head toward the top-right corner, and thinning out down in the bottom-left.
Even so, big numbers guarantee nothing. Strong applicants get rejected constantly, and softer ones get accepted more often than you’d think. Med school acceptance rates by GPA and MCAT map out trends, not certainties.
Loosely, it moves like this:
- MCAT ↑ → Acceptance % ↑
- GPA ↑ → Acceptance % ↑
Move up on both and your chances follow. Just lean on it to build a level-headed school list, not as some promise you’re owed.
Average MCAT Scores at Popular Medical Schools
National averages have their place, but the school-by-school numbers say a lot more. The heavy hitters sit far above that 511 to 512 matriculant line, while others land right around it. Here’s how a handful of familiar names shake out.
Harvard Medical School carries one of the loftiest averages out there. The Harvard Medical School average MCAT lands somewhere near 520 to 521, roughly the 98th percentile. If it’s on your list, you’ll want to be sitting in that band.
UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine is just as demanding. The UCLA average MCAT for matriculants hovers around 522, about as high as these numbers go.
Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine trails only slightly. The Northwestern MCAT average comes in near 521 for its latest class.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine eases off a bit while staying well above the national mark. The Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s average MCAT runs somewhere around 516.
Albany Medical College is the most within reach of the group. The Albany Medical College average MCAT sits close to 512, right about the national matriculant average.
Side by side, it looks like this:
| Medical School | Average MCAT |
| Harvard Medical School | ~520–521 |
| UCLA (David Geffen) | ~522 |
| Northwestern (Feinberg) | ~521 |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine | ~516 |
| Albany Medical College | ~512 |
Remember, a school’s average isn’t a fence you have to jump. It’s just a read on how hard you’ll have to work to stand out in that pile.
MD vs DO Schools: Average MCAT Scores
MD and DO both land you at licensed physician, but the road in looks different. The average DO MCAT score comes in under the MD figure, which is a big reason DO schools belong on many applicants’ lists.
MD admits average roughly 511 to 512. The average MCAT for DO schools runs nearer to 503. That’s no rounding blip, it’s a genuine gap, and it means a score down in the low 500s can hold up nicely for DO programs even when it comes up short for a chunk of MD ones.
DO admissions also put real stock in the holistic pieces, like your leaning toward primary care and the story driving your application. So the average MCAT score for DO schools speaks to a different pool. If you’re parked in that 500 to 508 range, spreading your list over both MD and DO is usually the wise call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an MCAT pass rate?
Nope, no such thing. The MCAT doesn’t pass or fail anyone, so there’s no MCAT pass rate to hit. You walk away with a number between 472 and 528, and each school decides for itself what counts as competitive. Chase strong, not “passing,” and try to land at least at the matriculant average.
What is the minimum MCAT score for medical school?
No universal one exists. That said, most MD programs rarely go below 500 in practice, so the working minimum MCAT score for med school hangs around there. Some schools also run quiet screening cutoffs, often in the 500 to 505 neighborhood, so applying under that is possible but uncommon.
Can I get into medical school with a 500 MCAT?
Yes, it happens. There are medical schools that accept a 500 MCAT score, mostly DO programs and a few mission-driven MD ones. You’ll need a solid GPA and a well-built application behind it, but a 500 doesn’t shut every door. A lot of physicians started right about there.
Is a 500 MCAT score good?
A 500 sits right at the median of all test-takers but below the matriculant average, so it’s below the MD bar and around the DO range. It’s workable, mostly at DO and mission-driven MD programs, if your GPA and application are strong.
Is a 508 MCAT score good?
A 508 is above the applicant average and competitive at many DO programs and a range of MD schools, especially with a solid GPA. It’s a respectable score that keeps a broad list open, though it sits just under the MD matriculant average.
Is a 510 MCAT score good?
Yes. A 510 puts you right around the national MD matriculant average and makes you competitive at the majority of MD programs and very strong for DO. It’s a genuinely good score for a wide, balanced school list.
Is a 515 MCAT score good?
A 515 is strong, landing near the 90th percentile. You read as a competitive applicant almost everywhere, and well-ranked programs come into play. Paired with a good GPA and a complete application, it opens most doors.
Is a 518 MCAT score good?
A 518 is excellent, up around the 96th–97th percentile. You’re competitive even at the most selective schools. At this level your MCAT is essentially never the reason for a rejection, so the rest of your application does the deciding.
Does GPA matter more than MCAT?
Not one clearly over the other. Schools weigh both, and the MCAT tends to work as a leveler, since everyone sits the identical exam. A gleaming GPA from an easy major can matter less than a strong MCAT.
Should I retake the MCAT?
Comes down to your score and your target schools. If you’re sitting well below their averages and you’ve got time to prep the right way, another go can pay off. Just don’t retake unless you’re confident you’ll climb several points.
Final Takeaways
There’s no one “safe” MCAT score that reserves you a seat, much as we’d all love one. The average MCAT score for medical school is a benchmark, and that’s all it is. Your MCAT and GPA rise and fall together, and both feed a holistic review that also weighs your experiences, your essays, and your letters.
So before you hit submit, dig into each school’s average MCAT and GPA and build a balanced list around them. Meet or beat those marks where you can. And pour real effort into the non-number parts of your application, because that’s what turns a good score into a seat in the class.
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Disclaimer:
Articles published by IMG Helping Hands are prepared by our team using information from direct experience, publicly available resources, and educational references. AI tools may be used to assist with drafting, proofreading, and formatting; however, all content undergoes review and approval before publication.
The information provided is intended for educational purposes only. Requirements, policies, and processes may change over time. Readers should consult official sources for the most current information.
