We've Found The Best Pre-Med Schools 2026
- Danielle Slauter
- Feb 11
- 8 min read
Thinking about pre-med? Check out the best schools and everything you need to know about pre-med programs.
If you think a career in the medical field is in your future, then you'll probably want to start thinking about a pre-med program or track during your undergrad.
With everything you already have to think about when starting college, it's hard to know where to start. And if you're pursuing a biology or chemistry major at the undergrad level then you're already majoring in one of the hardest degrees out there.
So we're here to help you narrow down your choices and find out everything there is to know about pre-med pathways and their requirements.
Jump to:
What is a pre-med school?
Pre-med schools are pathways or tracks that undergrads follow before becoming medical students. Pre-med isn't a specific major, but a series of courses, coursework, clinical experience, and volunteering that can help boost your application for medical school.
Pre-med programs are known for their intense schedule and it's a big commitment, but can reap rewards if you're set on pursuing a medical career.
Each med school has a different set of requirements, so it's worth thinking about what college you want to attend. But you'll usually have to take classes in:
Biology
General chemistry
Organic chemistry
Physics
Biochemistry
Calculus/statistics (or both)
If you've decided to go down the pre-med path, then you'll normally have to get started in your freshman year. Some schools don't have specific pre-med programs, but you can still follow the same kind of track to emulate this pathway.
Best pre-med schools in the US 2026
If you need inspiration to get started, check out our table of some of the best pre-med schools across the country.
College | Acceptance rate | Estimated cost of attendance 25/26 | Amount of students | Ivy League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Harvard University | 3.6% | $86,926 | 24,317 | Yes |
Duke University | 4.8% | $98,500 | 16,686 | No |
University of Pennsylvania | 4.9% | $95,612 | 29,109 | Yes |
Columbia University | 4.3% | $93,417 | 35,173 | Yes |
John Hopkins | 5.1% | $91,800 | 30,210 | No |
Stanford University | 3.6% | $96,513 | 17,469 | No |
Northwestern University | 7% | $96,236 | 22,000 | No |
Dartmouth University | 6% | $95,490 | 6,938 | Yes |
University of Chicago | 4.5% | $98,301 | 19,287 | No |
Boston University | 4.1% | $90,207 | 37,557 | No |
Rice University | 7.8% | $84,927 | 8,961 | No |
Washington University in St. Louis | 12% | $92,932 | 16,357 | No |
Brown University | 5.7% | $95,984 | 11,956 | Yes |
University of North Carolina | 15.3% | $64,846 | 32,438 | No |
Emory University | 10.3% | $93,352 | 15,175 | No |
All data taken from university websites
If you're keen on moving to the Big Apple, then we've also got a guide on the top 10 best universities in New York.
Medical school prerequisites
If you're looking at undergrad programs but want to go down the pre-med track, make sure your university will help you tick off the requirements you need to become a medical student.
Bachelor's degree
This probably goes without saying, but a Bachelor's degree will be an essential step to getting into a pre-med program. Science-related degrees, for example in biology or chemistry will be essential. Some medical schools like a well-rounded education so classes in humanities are also well-received.
GPA
While a lot of medical schools don't specify a minimum GPA as a requirement for entry, you'd usually expect to maintain a GPA of at least 3.5. Especially for some of the top schools which will have a high GPA expectation as well as competitive admission.
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
When you head to medical school, you'll need to take the MCAT, an exam to test your scientific knowledge. It requires critical thinking and problem solving, which will all be crucial to entrance to med schools.
There are four sections of the test with a maximum score of 132 in each section. The highest score you can get is 528, and most medical schools will want you to get at least into the 50th percentile of scoring.
Clinical experience
Clinical experience gives you insight into the real-world reality of working in a medical setting. This is obviously great for med schools to see, but that real-world experience is priceless for you. If you walk into a clinical setting and decide it's actually not for you, then it's better to figure that out sooner than later.
Letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation are a really key part of your med school application. These letters can attest to your character, your knowledge and contributions to your current course, and your ambitions. Your professors, college counselors, or mentors can all write letters of recommendation. Most colleges will ask for 2 or 3 letters, but each university will have different requirements, so make sure to check this.
What to look for in a pre-med school
Now you know what the med schools are looking for in your application, how do you go about choosing a pre-med school?
There are so many things to look for, including:
How many students get accepted to med school
A range of medical and science majors
Opportunities to gain experience (for example, experience in a clinical setting)
Comparing the costs of the med school you apply to
How many students get accepted to med school
Reputation isn't everything when it comes to your medical school choice. But it's always good to understand the acceptance rate of students who applied to medical school from your undergrad college.
This can help guide your choice to find out where the most desirable pre-med courses are, but also how likely you are to get accepted. If there's a high acceptance rate from your undergrad college, then you've probably got a better chance of getting in.
Science and medical majors on offer
Some colleges have a stronger science course offering than others, which is a good thing to look at when thinking about med school. Do they offer biology, chemistry, physics, and even maths courses? These are all essential when taking the MCAT exam so making sure the major you choose ticks all these boxes will put you on the right path.
Explore all the range of courses on offer at your college shortlist as this can heavily influence your decision. Do you want to pursue medical research or become a clinician? These are all questions to ask yourself that can help guide your choice.
Opportunities to gain experience
Specific pre-med pathways are full of opportunities, like participating in lab research and teaching science courses to elementary school students. Some colleges will offer these kinds of opportunities even if they don't have a dedicated pre-med pathway.
Other ways you can gain experience also include mentorship, whether that's through a dedicated program, or just finding fellow pre-med students to form a community. Keep these in mind when figuring out your shortlist of applications.
Comparing the costs of different medical schools
Listen, the price of college isn't getting any cheaper and put medical school bills on top of your undergrad loans, it soon adds up. Some colleges, while with an expensive price tag attached, can be more affordable once you deduct financial aid.
It's personal to each college, but you can find estimated costs of tuition on most college websites to help you compare. Plus we have a whole guide on navigating FAFSA for grad school too.
Can I get into med school without a pre-med major?
Yes, you can get into med school without going down a pre-med pathway. If it's too late to change your major (or you just don't want to!), you can still apply to med school. As long as you meet the prerequisites, med schools will take a look at your application as a whole, not just what you majored in. So if you chose your major based on another motive, then it's still possible.
So if you're not pre-med, but thinking about medical school, look at the other areas that can boost your application. Extracurriculars, work experience, high GPA… none of these are reliant on a pre-med pathway.
What is the best major to choose for pre-med?
We've just mentioned that there's no requirement to do a pre-med pathway or take a science major to get into medical school. That being said, there are some majors that are more popular for pre-med tracks than others.
The AAMC publishes data on applications and matriculations (enrolled students) every year based on the most popular types of majors for medical school applications.
Most popular types of majors for medical school in 2025/2026
Majors | Total applicants | Total matriculants | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
Biological sciences | 32,038 | 13,480 | 42.1% |
Other | 9,288 | 3,783 | 40.7% |
Social sciences | 4,758 | 2,014 | 42.3% |
Physical sciences | 4,243 | 2,175 | 51.3% |
Specialized health sciences | 2,584 | 1,041 | 40.3% |
Humanities | 1,453 | 755 | 51.9% |
Maths & Statistics | 335 | 192 | 57.3% |
All majors | 54,699 | 23,440 | 42.9% |
While biological sciences come out on top in terms of applicants, they don't have the highest acceptance rate. So before you discount yourself for not having a biological science major, know that it's definitely not all about that.
Which medical schools have the highest acceptance rates?
If you're looking one step further, you might want to think about which medical schools have the highest acceptance rates. Look no further, because we've got you covered. Check out the top 20 schools sorted by their acceptance rates.
It's worth noting that some schools have much lower applications, which can impact the acceptance rate. So we've kept in the totals of applicants and students who have enrolled to give you the full picture.
You'll also notice a lot of state schools, as some will offer better acceptance rates for in-state applicants.
Medical school | Applications | Matriculants | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
CUNY | 59 | 59 | 100.00% |
Mississippi | 326 | 170 | 52.15% |
Puerto Rico | 801 | 105 | 13.11% |
Mercer | 1,246 | 176 | 14.13% |
MC Georgia Augusta | 3,368 | 304 | 9.03% |
Ponce | 2,255 | 194 | 8.6% |
Oklahoma | 2,590 | 202 | 7.80% |
Caribe | 1204 | 75 | 6.23% |
Uniformed Services-Hebert | 2,238 | 177 | 7.91% |
East Carolina-Brody | 2,267 | 91 | 4.01% |
Southern Illinois | 1,218 | 80 | 6.57% |
Missouri Kansas City | 1,589 | 134 | 8.43% |
Tennessee | 2,744 | 174 | 6.34% |
South Dakota-Sanford | 1,076 | 71 | 6.60% |
Arkansas | 3,337 | 174 | 5.21% |
New Mexico | 1,719 | 103 | 5.99% |
LSU New Orleans | 3,865 | 195 | 5.05% |
Indiana | 7,822 | 366 | 4.68% |
San Juan Bautista | 1,553 | 69 | 4.44% |
South Alabama-Whiddon | 1,906 | 79 | 4.14% |
Data pulled from the AAMC facts and figures on medical school admissions.
Do community colleges offer pre-med curriculums?
Yes, community colleges can help you complete all the prerequisites you'll need to apply for medical school.
It can be a big help when it comes to financing your studies to take community college classes. With an average 75% difference between the cost of private vs public college, it's definitely something you should consider. While there can be advantages to the reputation of esteemed private colleges, most admissions teams look at applications holistically. So this includes all the extra-curricular, any experience you have, and a strong GPA.
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