Top 10 Medical School Rankings

Coming into the new year, we wanted to compile a new list of the best medical school rankings. There are a ton of medical schools in the United States and since they are all competitive and expensive, we wanted to dream a little and make a list of the best medical schools in the country.

By searching through US News and World Report's findings and statistics and looking at Start Class's research, we've made our own medical school rankings, using MCAT scores, tuition, acceptance rate, teacher-to-student ratio, number of students, and, mainly, GPA, to determine our list of the best (meaning most competitive) medical schools in the US.

Top 10 Medical School Rankings:

10. University of California - San Francisco

UCSF, coming in last on our medical school rankings list, is a great school and it's not far off from other schools on this list in terms of GPA, tuition, and MCAT scores. Students can earn traditional M.D.s and second degrees like M.D./M.S. and focus on research and health and medical sciences. They can also become involved in working with impoverished and underserved communities.

Tuition for UCSF is relatively low for this list at $44,610 a year and an acceptance rate of 2.2%. Not only do you have a better chance of getting into UCSF compared to other schools on this list, you also could maybe afford to go there (even though $45k still isn't cheap).

Students have great MCAT scores and GPAs too. Coming into their freshmen year, UCSF's med students boast MCAT scores of 516 and GPAs of 3.85 which keeps them on par with all the other medical students on this list. If you do get into UCSF, you will be part of the 632 other students here and have a great faculty to provide a focused education (with a faculty to student ratio of 3.3:1).  Another great thing about this school is that you can go to the beach.

9. Columbia

The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S) does not have a traditional four-year medical school. They instead divide their curriculum into three parts: Fundamentals, Major Clinical Year, and Differentiation & Integration.

This kind of curriculum caters to how adults learn and makes students become more involved in their learning. It allows students to focus on goals specific to what they want to practice in medicine and makes them a part of a team. With only 648 students in their med program, that team environment will allow you to interact and learn from the other students here. Their faculty to student ratio is 2.9:1 so it gives you the opportunity to work with professors and make sure you get a solid education.

Tuition is a steep $53,544 a year, making it one of the most expensive on the list. Students who go here have an average GPA of 3.83 and MCAT scores of 516, and Columbia only accepts 2.2% of applicants, which makes it one of the most competitive schools in the country.

8. Stanford

If you want to live in sunny California and have about $50,715 to spend on medical school, then you should try to get into the medical school at Stanford. The Stanford University School of Medicine is located in Silicon Valley, Calif., between San Francisco and San Jose.

Their medical interview process is unique though and can be daunting because you must complete 10 eight-minute interviews, with quick breaks in between-- not to mention they only accept 1.4% of applicants. To get in, you must be quick on your feet and have great credentials. It would help to come in with a 517 MCAT score and 3.85 GPA, as those are the average of incoming students at Stanford.

If you get in, expect a unique M.D. program, with a low student body of 462 candidates. Students can get a rounded education concentrating them in special areas like bioengineering and clinical research.

7. Duke

Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation’s top medical schools. The Duke University Health System is world-class and offers a ton of services. At $53,628 a year, it comes in at the top of our list in terms of tuition, but number 7 because of other factors. 

Duke is a great school, where students can earn a traditional four-year M.D. and tailor their education to their interests. Their school has been top ranked for several years and is a household name. To get into this school is not easy. Incoming students have MCAT averages of 516, GPAs of 3.86 and the school only accepts 2% of those that apply.

To get to that level, like with any of these schools, it takes a ton of discipline, work, and motivation. It's no doubt that Duke is one of the best schools and they live up to that by having Nobel Laureates as professors and many highly esteemed Alumni.

6. University of Chicago - Pritzker

At the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine is another great school on our list of best medical school rankings. They have a relatively decent tuition of $45,835 a year and a solid curriculum.

Their medical school curriculum isn't like traditional programs and they give grades on a pass/fail basis. Medical students can start choosing specialty electives their first year and do research projects to hone in on what medicine they would most like to practice.

Before graduating, students must complete a mentored project before graduation in one of five areas: Scientific Discovery, Medical Education, Quality and Safety, Community Health, and Global Health.

If you want to be apart of the other 356 students here, you need to have great MCATs, a great GPA, and a little luck. On average, their students have MCAT scores of 517, GPAs of 3.87, and they only accept 1.6% of those who apply. So good luck and make sure your credentials are proper.

5. Yale

At the Yale School of Medicine, students can expect to pay $52,085 a year and share your experience with a small group of only 415 other students. The first two years of education students aren't given a class rank or grades. So that students have something to strive towards, preclinical classes are set up like small seminars where you become involved in curriculum, become part of a team, you can direct the tests you take.

Students that get accepted to Yale have a median MCAT score of 517 and GPA of 3.88, so they are at the top of their classes and self motivated enough to handle the autonomy that Yale provides. The acceptance rate is only 1.9, so if you do get into the school you are one of the few that have what it takes.

You can earn joint degrees through Yale's different programs like: M.D./M.P.H. (Master of Public Health), M.D./M.H.S. (Master of Health Science); an M.D./M.B.A.; an M.D./M.Div. through Yale Divinity School; and an M.D./J.D. through Yale Law. There is also an M.D./Ph.D. degree and a Physician Associate program. You have to complete a thesis in order to graduate from their 4 year graduation.

4. University of Pennsylvania - Perelman

The University of Pennsylvania is home to the first medical school and first school hospital in the country. So, no wonder they are really good at it at this point. They are affiliated with other area hospitals and work with the other schools at Penn to offer various degrees.

Tuition here is a stout $52,478 a year and they have an acceptance rate of 2.8% a year. Even with this low acceptance rate, they still have 653 students in their med program. Penn's medical students come in with an impressive MCAT score average of 519 and boast 3.88 GPAs. 

Penn med students are active in the community and run free health clinics, AIDS awareness programs, prison health groups, and various global health platforms.

3. Washington University - St. Louis

The Washington University - St. Louis lands number three on our list because of their super high MCAT scores, great incoming GPAs and acceptance rate.

Though maybe not as well known as the other schools on this list, Washington University boasts a median MCAT score of 519 out of 520, incoming GPAs of 3.9 on average, and a relatively high acceptance rate, for the schools on this list, of 2.8%. Even though this school boasts some of the highest scores and GPAs, it still has a student body of 918 medical students, which is the largest student body on our list.

For you all wondering, Washington U. costs almost as much as Harvard at a tuition of $54,050 a year. Students can get a broad education here to really focus on what medicine they want to practice. Students can start taking electives their first year, get involved in research projects, and focus in on what they would like to specialize in early in their schooling.

2. Johns Hopkins

Not only is Johns Hopkins one of the best hospitals in the country, they also have one of the best medical schools. Their ranking on our list is due to their average incoming GPA of 3.91 and MCAT scores of 516. Johns Hopkins' med students have some of the highest GPAs in the country and score almost perfectly on their MCATs.

Their student body consists of 484 carefully selected students and they have a 6:1 teacher to student ratio, meaning that each student gets focused attention by their professors. With an acceptance rate of only 1.8%, very few students who apply get in. So if you want to go here, you need to basically set it as a goal as a young kid, so you can spend the rest of your life trying.

If you do get in to this school, you can earn a traditional M.D., a Ph.D., or both in about eight years (because why not). Johns Hopkins also offers dual degree programs for an M.D./M.P.H. (Master of Public Health) and  an M.D./M.B.A. through other university departments. Not only does this school do great things and is apart of one of the best hospitals in the country, they also are one of the leading research centers in genetics and neuroscience.

1. Harvard

There is no doubt, the most prestigious medical school in the country is Harvard, landing the #1 spot on our list of best medical school rankings. They have been on top for many years, and it's due to their super competitive admissions, their median incoming GPA of 3.93 (their average GPA is almost the highest GPA one can get! let that sink in), their great teacher-to-student ratio of 13.4:1, and super high incoming MCAT scores of 517 out of 520.

Only accepting the best of the best, means that you keep being the best of the best. And to do that they only accept 2% of students that apply. This keeps their student body low, but of quality.

In all, they have 726 students in their medical program. Having a student body of 726, means that those 726 students are some of the best medical school candidates in the country. The tuition for full time students is $54,200, which is high, but from seeing the other numbers on the list, it's on par with other medical schools. Making their college expensive and hard to get into, holds it to a high level. People get pretty serious about their schooling when they have to fork out a years salary (for most Americans) just to go there for a year.

Harvard students study for two years before beginning clinicals, where they either get a pass or fail grade. After these two grueling years of constant studying and tests, they go on to complete their clinicals at their choice of 20 affiliated hospitals in the city.

As if medical school wasn't hard enough, students can opt for joint degrees, like the M.D./Ph.D. program offered in conjunction with the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. They can also cross-register at other schools within the university, including their law school and business school.

If you're interested in reviewing some of the other comprehensive medical school guides we've created, take a look at some of the following: Top 10 Best Osteopathic Medical Schools, Top 15 Easiest Medical Schools To Get Into, The Pros and Cons of Caribbean Medical Schools, Choose the Right Medical School, How To Prepare For Medical School In High School and College, A Doctor's Guide To Paying Off Medical School Debt, Medical School Interview Questions: An Overview, Most Affordable Medical Schools, How To Get Into Medical School.