This article will discuss 22 medical schools with the highest acceptance rates in America. We will also talk about career growth in the healthcare sector and healthcare companies that are being entirely revolutionized with Artificial Intelligence (AI). If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can head straight to 5 Medical Schools with the Highest Acceptance Rates in America.
The demand for healthcare professionals has almost always been on the rise regardless of economic, political, and global situations. The importance of healthcare professionals keeping communities healthy and safe was significantly highlighted during the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic mainly because the pandemic exacerbated hospital staff shortages. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the demand for certified nursing assistants rose by 25% during the lockdown.
Moreover, market research has estimated that the global healthcare market will reach $665.37 billion, and U.S. national expenditure will reach $6.2 trillion by 2028. Furthermore, the United States spent 17.8% of its GDP on healthcare in 2021, almost double that of other OECD countries.
As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment rate for healthcare occupations is expected to increase by 13% from 2021 to 2031, creating nearly 2 million jobs over the 10 years. Thus, we observe how apart from being some of the most trusted professions in America, the growth for healthcare practitioners is faster than the average growth of any other occupation in the U.S. Currently, nurse practitioners' professions are the most-in-demand careers.
The BLS anticipates growth of 46% in the jobs of nurse practitioners from 2021 to 2031, translating to an expected opening of 118,600 jobs nationwide. The average annual salary of a nurse practitioner in 2021 was $120,680, making it one of the fastest-growing and highest-paying occupations in the U.S.
Owing to job benefits in the health sector like high salaries, prestige, job security, and ever-evolving job opportunities, it is not surprising that 85,000 plus students appear for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) every year in America. U.S. medical school enrollment of matriculants increased by 37.5% from 2002 to the year 2021-2022, according to the data released by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The analysis also identified over 22,000 matriculating students and over 62,000 applicants to U.S. medical schools for 2021-2022.
While admission requirements for each college may vary, the average median GPA and MCAT score required for medical colleges in 2021 was 3.77 and 512, respectively. According to BeMo Academic Consulting, the medicalschool with the highest out-of-state acceptance rate in the US is East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine, with a success rate of 5.65% for out-of-state students as of 2023. Additionally, the acceptance rate of Harvard Medical School was 2.1% in 2022.
With the emerging trends involving the use of AI in every industry, technologies like wearables, mHealth, telemedicine, and remote monitoring devices have changed the landscape of the healthcare sector globally and especially in the US, allowing for efficient and effective treatment.
One notable example of the integration of A.I. and the healthcare sector is the Transform Diabetes Care program by CVS Health Corp (NYSE:CVS). The program aims at assisting CVS Health Corp (NYSE:CVS)’s pharmacy benefit management (PBM) clients in improving diabetic patients' well-being. It also helps lower the expenses stemming from the disease by strengthening medical adherence, A1C control, and lifestyle management through the use of data analytics, along with clinical, physical, and digital assets.
Nearly 50% of this tool's members with uncontrolled diabetes successfully moved to a controlled status during the initial two years of the program, highlighting the tangible gains associated with using AI by CVS Health Corp (NYSE:CVS).
Similarly, Teladoc Health Inc. (NYSE:TDOC), a multinational telemedicine company, has recently collaborated with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) to make the Teladoc Health Inc (NYSE:TDOC) Solo Platform function better. Moreover, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience, an AI-powered voice-enabled solution using GPT4 AI service allows Teledoc Health Inc (NYSE:TDOC) to autonomously document patient encounters for final review and signoff by medical professionals.
22 Medical Schools with Highest Acceptance Rates in America
wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com
Our Methodology
To list the medical schools with the highest acceptance rates in America while ensuring that it is based on credible information, we have sourced our data from BeMo Academic Consulting Medical School Acceptance Rates in 2023. We have also discussed the in-state and out-of-state students success rate for which the data was also sourced from BeMo Academic Consulting whereas the data for average GPA and MCAT scores for all medical schools was taken from College Evaluator. We have tried to keep the information up-to-date and reliable. The list has been ranked according to the acceptance rates and is presented in ascending order.
Note: The acceptance rates we have used may also include other factors accounted for apart from in-state and out-state success rates.
Here is a list of medical schools with the highest acceptance rates in America
22. Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 4.44%
Founded in 1824, MUSC is ranked as the 56th best research-focused medical college in the U.S., as per the recent U.S. News & World Report rankings of best medical colleges. The average MCAT score required for MUSC is 511, whereas the average GPA falls in the range of 3.7 -4 for the current batch.
21. Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 4.55%
Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is Washington’s second public medical college and follows a community-based approach to education by building partnerships with existing clinical networks across Washington. The university’s average in-state and out-of-state success rate is 7.5% and 0.90%, respectively.
20. Indiana University School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 5.06%
As one of the country's leading medical colleges, the university houses five science departments, along with 20 clinical departments with over 1400 students pursuing a medical career. According to US News and World Report, the university has successfully maintained a faculty-student ratio of 2:1 at its Indianapolis campus.
19. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Herbert School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 5.27%
Being the nation’s only federal university, the uniformed services University of Health Sciences (USUHS) favors a curriculum based on military medicine and its challenge, which helps students integrate fundamental and clinical sciences and gives them earlier exposure to clinical rotations compared to other conventional medical colleges. It is one of the medical schools with the highest acceptance rates in America.
18. University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 5.30%
The average GPA of enrolled students at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine is 3.83, with an in-state success rate of 28.3% and an out-of-state success rate of 1.13%. It is one of the medical schools with the highest acceptance rates in America.
17. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 5.60%
Situated in little rock, Arkansas, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine (UAMS) is a public university and a part of the University of Arkansas System comprising 6 colleges, 7 institutes, research centers, and a nationwide community-based education network.
16. University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 5.77%
The university admits a batch size of nearly 170 students each year in August and requires an average GPA of 3.9 and an average MCAT score of 513. The College of Medicine has campuses in cities like Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville, promoting medical education throughout the US.
15. University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 5.83%
The minimum MCAT score required to be considered for admission at the University of New Mexico (UNM) School of Medicine is 494. Around 40% of the college’s graduates are excelling as practicing physicians in New Mexico.
14. University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 5.91%
Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be considered for admission at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. The average GPA of enrolled students is 3.7, with an average MCAT score of 510.
13. Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 6.07%
Established in 1970, SIU School of Medicine enrolls around 72 students yearly. Known for its innovative education, the school offers a 4-year M.D. program focusing on clinical skills, research, and community services. It is one of the medical schools with the highest acceptance rate in America.
12. University of Kansas (KU) School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 6.44%
As Kansas’ only medical school, KU School of Medicine offers an MD program and a wide range of graduate programs in biomedical sciences, public health, clinical research, etc. The average MCAT score of enrolled students at KU School of Medicine is 510.
11. Universidad Central Del Caribe School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 6.74%
Universidad Central Del Caribe School of Medicine is a private university in Puerto Rico and was established in 1976. It is one of the medical schools with the highest rate of acceptance in America.
10. University of South Dakota (USD) Sanford School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 6.77%
USD Sanford School of Medicine has been serving as the only school of Medicine in the state since 1907. The college grants a degree of Doctor of Medicine, master’s, and doctoral degrees in biomedical sciences, as well as an MD-PHD.
9. University of Nebraska School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 6.97%
The curriculum offered by the University of Nebraska School of Medicine is highly focused on clinical practice, biomedical sciences, and thorough research. The success rate for in-state students stands at 35.7%, whereas the success rate for out-of-state students is 1.58%.
8. Brody School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 7.11%
Like many other medical colleges, Brody School of Medicine’s admission committee only considers applicants from North Carolina for admission. The average GPA of recently admitted students is between 3.5-3.6.
7. University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 7.18%
UMKC’s School of Medicine offers a combined program of B.A. and M.D. in six years for students who wish to pursue medicine right after high school. The bachelorette degree is offered in programs like Liberal arts, chemistry, and biology. Even though the M.D. program is open to all students, in-state students are given preference over out-of-state students.
6. USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 7.40%
One of the rising medical colleges in the US, USF Health College of Medicine has successfully climbed 34 spots in ranking from 2014 to 2023. According to the USN, it has achieved 46th spot in the Best Medical Schools Category. It has also been recognized as one of the colleges with the most diverse and inclusive environment.
