50+ Best Medical Schools in the US for Different Specialties

Interested in attending med school? Learn about the best medical schools in the US which have been listed and discussed in this post to help facilitate your admission. Also, details about the various specialties of med school are broadly discussed to help you choose which medical field is best for you and how to apply for them.

The United States is known for many things including having some of the best universities and colleges in the world. The popular Ivy League schools are located here and students who come here – the US – to study automatically gain a competitive edge in the workforce compared to students who got their degree elsewhere.

Although countries like Canada and Australia compete right next to the US for having the overall best higher education institutions in the world. These three places are top education hubs globally, and the institutions therein are very competitive to gain entry.

Just like every other place, the United States has medical schools which rank among the best in the world and, as you may have already guessed, are highly competitive to gain entry especially for international students. If you aspire to pursue a medical degree in the US either as an international or domestic student, this post contains important details such as admission requirements, the application process, etc. to help facilitate our admission into any medical discipline.

There are different branches of medicine such as pediatrics, cardiology, osteopathy, psychiatry, and more. Academic requirements of each of these branches of medicine as well as the schools that best offer the programs in the US have been outlined and discussed here.

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What does it take to get into the best medical schools in the US?

To gain entry into US best medical schools you have to be extremely bright and driven by the motive of being a successful professional medical professional. As much as this might make sense to you and seem enough it actually isn’t, you also need to have exceptional academic excellence as well as other documents listed below:

  • High school diploma
  • Undergraduate degree in science or premed school with a minimum GPA of at least 3.8
  • Outstanding scores in TOEFL or IELTS
  • Letters of recommendations, CV/resume, statement of purpose, and student visa or study permit (international applicants only)
  • MCAT results (score are set by universities and varies too)

These are just the basic things you should get together before applying for any of the best medical schools in the US. While some schools may require more than what is listed here, others may require less, it varies from school by school.

What international medical schools do the best in the US match?

  • Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s – Columbia University Medical School of International Health
  • Ross University Medical School (Dominica)
  • Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine (Mexico)
  • Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv University
  • George’s University, Grenada
  • Technion American Medical School Program (Israel)
  • Duke University – National University of Singapore
  • The University of Queensland – Ochsner Program (Australia and New Zealand)

Which is the #1 medical school in the US?

Harvard Medical School is the top best medical school in the United States.

Firstly, we’ll discuss the overall best medical schools in the US before going into each of the different disciplines best offered by med schools. Without further ado, let’s get started…

Best Medical Schools in the US

  • Harvard Medical School
  • Grossman School of Medicine
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Perelman School of Medicine
  • Stanford University School of Medicine
  • Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
  • Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
  • UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
  • The University of San Francisco School of Medicine
  • Washington University School of Medicine

Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School is the medical school of Harvard University, one of the best medical schools in the US, actually, top of the list, the institution as a whole is one of the 8 Ivy League universities in the US, and ranks among the best higher education institutions in the world. Harvard is very popular, no doubt, so, it’s quite normal for its medical school to be the best in the US.

The school was established in 1967 with its location in Boston and has a total student enrollment of 700 all in full-time studies. International students are accepted into medical school to pursue a bachelor’s or MD degree but it can be highly competitive for foreigners.

The application fee at Harvard Medical School is $100 and the tuition fee is $64,984 for international students and 65,203 for domestic students. Academic requirements include an average GPA of 3.94 and an average MCAT of 520 to be considered for admission.

Official Website

Grossman School of Medicine

Grossman School of Medicine is one of the best medical schools in the US and the medical school of New York University located in Manhattan, New York. It was established in 1841 and has since been providing one of the best medical degrees in the US and in the world.

The application fee is $110 and has a high academic requirement of an average GPA of 3.93 and an MCAT score of 522.

Official Website

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University is popular for its advanced medical teaching, located in Baltimore, established in 1893, and ranked among the best medical schools in the US and in the world. The tuition fee is $56,500 for domestic students and $60,749 for international students with an application fee of $100.

The medical school picks the best for students making admission highly competitive. Among the academic entry requirements include an average GPA of 3.95 and an MCAT score of 521. Students at the Johns Hopkins University learn through the Genes to Society Curriculum pairing academics with concurrent clinical experience.

Official Website

Perelman School of Medicine

Perelman School of Medicine has consistently ranked among the best medical schools in the US. The US News World Report and Times Higher Education rank it among the top 10 research-intensive medical schools in the US. Perelman is the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania and has a total student population of 616.

Students can earn MD, Ph.D., MD-PhD, master’s, MD-master’s, or post-doctoral degrees and also certificate programs in areas like Global Health, Women’s Health, and Aging. The faculty-student ratio is 4.5:1 and has 2,773 full-time faculty on staff.

The application fee for Perelman School of Medicine is $100 and the full-time tuition fee is $59,910 for in-state students and $65,343 for out-of-state students which also include international students. Just like the other schools on this list, the acceptance rate of this school is relatively low with high academic entry requirements making admission competitive.

Some of the academic entry requirements include an average GPA of 3.92 and an MCAT score of 521.

Official Website

Stanford University School of Medicine

Stanford University holds global prestige in offering world-class education and the medical school is one of the best medical schools in the US. It was established in 1908 and has a current student population of 484 enrolled in various medical disciplines pursuing masters and doctoral degrees.

To pursue any degree program at Stanford is competitive and expensive even to domestic students and the competitiveness gets higher when it comes to a medical or business program. The acceptance rate of the Stanford University School of Medicine is 2.3% making it one of the top 3 most competitive medical schools in the United States and in the world as a whole.

The application fee is also $100 and the tuition fee is $62,193 for all students. You will need an average GPA of 3.98 and an MCAT score of 519 to be considered for admission to Stanford’s medical school.

Official Website

Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Established in 1767 and located in New York, the Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has been consecutively ranked by the US World News Report and a couple of other educational ranking platforms as one of the best medical schools in the US. The school holds a global prestige for offering world-class medical education and for producing some of the best physicians and surgeons in the country.

The tuition fee is the same for in-state and out-of-state students at the rate of $65,425 per annum. The academic entry requirement is also on the high side, accepting students with an average score of 3.91 GPA and an MCAT score of 521. By now, you should know that the acceptance rates of the schools on this list are really low as they want only the best.

The acceptance rate of this college is sitting at 3.5% with a student-faculty ratio of 3.8:1

Official Website

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine

Ranked among the best medical schools in the US, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine provides students with experiential learning in various branches of medicine equipping them with skills to become the finest in their respective fields. It was founded in1972, located in Rochester, and has a current student enrollment of 362.

With an acceptance rate of 2.4% getting into this school could prove to be very difficult and you may want to consider applying to a medical school with a high acceptance rate. What could discourage you further are the average required GPA and MCAT scores set at 3.92 and 520 respectively. The school fee is $57,170 for all student types.

Official Website

UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine

The University of California is very popular among high school leavers, a lot of them aspire to pursue a degree from a higher institution. The institution offers varieties of programs including Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, Medicine, Business, and more.

The faculty that offers medical programs at UCLA is known as the David Geffen School of Medicine and this med school ranks among the best medical schools in the US. Aspirants who aim to pursue a bachelor, master’s, or doctorate degree in any branch of medicine must apply through this faculty.

The med school is located in Los Angeles and established in 1951, which is a bit younger than the other schools on this list, and has a current student enrollment of 731. The required GPA average of 3.85 and MCAT score of 518 is the lowest on this list but the acceptance rate sits at 2.4% which means it is highly competitive to gain entry.

The tuition fee for in-state and out-of-state students vary at $36,752 and $48,997 respectively.

Official Website

The University of San Francisco School of Medicine

This is one of the best medical schools in the US and has the highest acceptance rate on this list at 3.8%. The required GPA and MCAT score are also the lowest on this list at 3.8 and 518 respectively. The Faculty-to-student ratio sits at 4.3 and has a total enrollment of 643 in full-time medical studies.

The University of San Francisco, School of Medicine sits at $35,384 and $47,630 for domestic and international students respectively.

Official Website

Washington University School of Medicine

The Washington University School of Medicine is one of the best medical schools in the US. The students here can design their medical education to suit their interests in a variety of ways. The required average GPA is 3.93 while MCAT is 522 making it one of the highest academic requirements on this list.

However, the acceptance rate sits on the high side of 8.2% which is the highest on this compiled list of best medical schools in the US. The tuition fee for an international student is $66,913 per year and $64, 164 for domestic students.

Official Website

These are the best medical schools in the US arranged in no particular order and whichever of the schools that piques your interest, click on the “official website” and learn more about the specific medical program you want to pursue.

Best Pre Medical Schools in the US

If you aspire to be part of the medical field then the term “pre-medical school” should no longer sound new to your ears but if this is the first time you’re coming across it or just never knew what it means, then allow me to do the honors.

What is Pre-medical school?

Basically, pre-medical school is a term used for any 4-year college course that an aspiring medical student takes before they attend medical school. Before you go on to become a medical professional, you must go through premed school – as it is popularly called – it is a necessary part of aspiring doctor’s training to become a professional in the medical field.

Premed school prepares you for admission into med school, it is a guiding principle for your education and increases your chances for admission into medical schools. To get into premed school, you don’t need to have an existing knowledge of the medical field instead, it is here that your foundational knowledge of the medical profession will be built before going on to med school and become a physician.

The estimated cost of premed school in the US for over four years is estimated to be $150,444 for in-state or $247,664 for out-of-state.

Requirements of Premed School in the US

There are certain requirements you need to meet up with to gain entry into premedical school in the US, these requirements usually vary by institutions but the basic ones are;

  • S high school diploma or it’s equivalent for international students
  • Students from non-English speaking countries must the TOEFL or IELTS and achieve a minimum score of 600 or 6.5 respectively.
  • SAT/ACT test score which usually varies by institutions
  • The application fee, usually $100 but can vary by institution
  • An admission application
  • A passport photograph
  • A personal statement explaining why you want to be involved in the medical field
  • Two letters of recommendation from an academic or professional source
  • A resume that includes extracurricular activities you partake in or medical volunteer activities
  • All official transcripts

Your host institution may require all of these and more or even lesser than what is listed here, however, have all of these in your portfolio before going on to research on other requirements so that you would be better prepared.

Now that you’ve known about premedical school as well as the requirements to gain entry into one, we can now go on to see the best premedical schools in the US.

  • The University of Pennsylvania
  • Rice University
  • Harvard College
  • Washington University in Saint Louis
  • Duke University
  • Stanford University
  • Northwestern University
  • Case Western Reserve University
  • Amherst College
  • Brown University

Among them are also the best medical schools in the US, turns out their premed education is also the best in the States.

Best Medical Schools in the US for Surgery

Surgery is a branch of medicine that treats injuries, diseases, and deformities by the physical removal, repair, or readjustment of organs and tissues, often involving cutting into the body. Within this field, one can specialize even further in areas like orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, or plastic surgery, among other areas.

Surgeons are regarded as the best doctors in medical practice, they are highly paid and well-respected by colleagues in the field. You get to enjoy these benefits if you successfully go through the program and become a licensed doctor.

The cost of studying surgery in the US up to obtaining your professional license is estimated to range between $250,000 to over $500,000.

The basic requirements to study surgery in the US include;

  • Earning a bachelor’s degree or completed a premed program related to medicine such as biology, physics, or chemistry.
  • MCAT score varies by institution but you may want to target a score of 510
  • Students from non-English speaking countries must take the TOEFL or IELTS test and submit the scores. The required score for English proficiency tests usually vary by universities
  • Letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, essay, and resume/CV
  • Admission for application

The best medical schools in the US for surgery are listed below in no particular order;

  • Harvard University
  • Duke University
  • Columbia University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Baylor College of Medicine
  • The University of Washington
  • Stanford University
  • The University of Pennsylvania
  • Yale University
  • Perelman School of Medicine

Best Undergraduate Medical Schools in the US

Undergraduate medical schools are the same as premedical schools and it confuses a lot of people, it is the same and the only difference is their names. You can either call it premed or undergraduate medical school.

Details about premed school have already been provided above.

Best Public Medical Schools in the US

There are public schools in the US where you can study for a medical program, these public medical schools are cheaper in tuition fees and their academic requirements are also easy compared to private medical schools in the US.

The estimated cost of public medical schools in the US for an academic year is $39,150 for in-state and $63,546 for out-of-state. These public schools also offer renowned medical degrees in the US and most of the best medical schools in the US are actually among these public medical schools.

The best public medical schools in the US are;

  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Duke University
  • Perelman School of Medicine
  • The University of Washington
  • The University of Pennsylvania
  • NYU Grossman School of Medicine
  • Oregon Health & Science University
  • The University of Michigan
  • The University of California, Los Angeles
  • The University of California, San Francisco

Best Medical Schools in the US for Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery is a branch of surgery that deals with the nervous system. It is a medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of patients with injury to, or diseases/disorders of the brain, spinal cord and spinal column, and peripheral nerves within all parts of the body.

The estimated cost of being a professional, certified neurosurgeon in the US may cost up to $300,000.

To gain admission into a medical school in the US to study neurosurgery, you must meet up with the following academic entry requirements;

  • English language proficiency for international applicants or applicants from non-English speaking countries
  • Obtain an undergraduate degree
  • Take the MCAT and apply to medical schools

The best medical schools in the US for neurosurgery are;

  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Harvard University
  • Yale University
  • Columbia University
  • Duke University
  • Washington University in St. Louis
  • The University of Pennsylvania
  • Stanford University
  • The University of Michigan
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Best Medical Schools in the US for Pediatrics

Pediatrics is a branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of adolescents, children, and infants. Pediatricians are individuals specially educated and trained in diagnosing and treating illnesses in infants, children, and adolescents.

The best medical schools in the US for pediatrics are;

  • Baylor College of Medicine
  • Harvard Medical School
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • The University of Pennsylvania
  • Stanford University
  • Duke University
  • The University of California, San Francisco
  • The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
  • The University of Colorado
  • The University of Washington

Best Osteopathic Medical Schools in the US

Osteopathy is a branch of medicine that involves detecting, treating, and preventing health problems by moving, stretching, and massaging a person’s muscles and joints. You can become a doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O) by attending an accredited osteopathic medical school in the US.

Aside from the cost of premed school or undergraduate medical school, you’ll spend an estimated cost of about $200,000 in four years to become a fully licensed osteopathic doctor.

The best medical schools in the US to study osteopathic medicine are;

  • Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

Best Medical Schools in the US for Cardiology

Cardiology is a branch of internal medicine that involves the study and treatment of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. This branch of medicine, cardiology, also includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and electrophysiology.

Studying cardiology in the US can cost up to $200,000 aside from the cost of bachelor’s or premed education.

The best medical schools in the US to earn a degree in cardiology are:

  • Harvard University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Yale University
  • The University of Michigan
  • Cornell University
  • David Geffen School of Medicine
  • Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
  • Boston University
  • Duke University
  • Columbia University
  • Stanford University

Best Medical Schools in the US for Psychiatry

Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that involves studying and treating mental illness, emotional disturbances, and abnormal behavior. It includes the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders.

The cost of studying for a psychiatry degree in the US is up to $95,560 for domestic students while it can get to $234,672 for international students for the four years of study this is the only tuition fee for the 4 years of study and doesn’t include living cost, study materials, or premed or undergraduate school.

The best medical schools in the US for psychiatry are:

  • Duke University School of Medicine
  • Weill Cornell Medical College
  • The University of Massachusetts Medical School
  • Emory University School of Medicine
  • The University of California, San Francisco
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Harvard Medical School
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Yale University
  • Perelman School of Medicine

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