Tuition-Free Medical Schools in the US and What Each One Covers

Five U.S. MD programs cover tuition for every student in their eligible classes. NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine cover tuition for every MD student they enroll, while Alice L. Walton School of Medicine waives tuition for its first five cohorts only. Johns Hopkins covers tuition for qualifying students from families earning less than $300,000, and the Uniformed Services University charges no tuition in return for a military or Public Health Service commitment.

Free tuition does not mean a free medical degree. Fees, housing, food, insurance and educational expenses can still cost $30,000 to $40,000 or more each year, while several prominent offers depend on income, demonstrated need, a scholarship decision or years of service. Kaiser Permanente’s universal tuition waiver has ended for students entering in 2027, although a new scholarship now covers the full cost of attendance for selected students. Understanding the full cost of medical school, rather than tuition alone, will help you compare these options honestly.

Free Tuition at a Glance

• NYU Grossman, NYU Grossman Long Island, Albert Einstein and Cleveland Clinic Lerner cover tuition for every MD student. Alice L. Walton covers tuition for every student in its first five cohorts; its first class entered in July 2025.
• Since fall 2024, Johns Hopkins has covered tuition for eligible students with family income below $300,000. Its packages also cover fees and living expenses when family income is below $175,000, subject to additional eligibility requirements. Hopkins tuition is $69,100 for 2026-2027.
• Tuition-free students still need a living-cost plan. NYU Grossman estimates $38,616 for a first-year student in 2026-27 after its tuition scholarship and health insurance subsidy, NYU Grossman Long Island estimates $32,396, and Walton estimates $38,181 for 2026-2027 after its tuition and partial fee waiver.
• Kaiser Permanente waived tuition for its first seven entering classes, the students who enrolled from 2020 through 2026. First-year tuition is $69,212 for 2027/2028. Starting with the class entering in 2027, the KPSOM Impact Scholarship covers the full cost of attendance for selected students, and students with demonstrated financial need can receive need-based, debt-free institutional aid.
• Service programs exchange financial support for career commitments lasting two to ten years. Uniformed Services University graduates owe seven years of active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard, or ten years in the Public Health Service.

The Programs That Remove Medical School Tuition

The table below lists every program by who receives the support: what is covered, who qualifies, any service obligation, the academic year of the figures and the school or agency page each row comes from.

The distinctions in the table above matter. An automatic scholarship given to every MD student is different from need-based aid, a competitive merit award, a selective full-cost scholarship or a service program that directs several years of your career. Compare the category first, then compare the expenses that remain.

A full-tuition award has substantial value. For in-state students in 2025-26, median first-year tuition, fees and health insurance came to $43,648 at public medical schools and $74,661 at private schools (AAMC Tuition and Student Fees data). IMA’s guide to medical school tuition provides the broader context for comparing what schools charge.

Medical Schools With Tuition Covered for Every Student

These five programs cover tuition automatically for the students their policies include. None of them is free to attend, because each one leaves fees, living costs or both to the student.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Every student in NYU Grossman’s MD program receives a Full-Tuition Scholarship regardless of merit or financial need, and no FAFSA is required for that award. In the school’s 2026-27 cost of attendance, the scholarship fully offsets $65,500 in tuition. NYU also subsidizes the $9,325 student health insurance charge for every medical student. The policy has covered every current and entering MD student since fall 2018, and it applies to both the four-year MD and the accelerated three-year MD.

Students still face fees of $4,550, estimated living expenses of $32,436 (housing $17,016, food $9,096 and $6,324 for other personal costs) and first-year educational expenses of $1,630. After the tuition scholarship and health insurance subsidy, NYU estimates a cost of $38,616 for each of the first three years and $37,486 for the fourth. Students with demonstrated financial need may also qualify for a Debt-Free Scholarship covering remaining expenses such as housing, food and books.

If research resources affect your school choice, the National Institutes of Health awarded New York University School of Medicine about $438 million across 593 awards in fiscal year 2025, the twelfth-largest total among organizations NIH lists as schools of medicine. That measure is placed in context in IMA’s guide to the best medical schools ranked by research funding. For admissions statistics, essays and interviews, see IMA’s NYU Grossman School of Medicine admissions guide.

NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine

NYU Grossman Long Island runs a three-year MD program and gives every matriculated MD student a three-year Full-Tuition Scholarship, regardless of merit or financial need. Students do not submit a separate application for it. Those who financially qualify can receive additional Debt-Free Scholarships toward costs above tuition, so your need-based package may determine how much you pay for the rest of attendance.

For 2026-27, the scholarship covers $63,552 in tuition each year and the school subsidizes the $9,325 health insurance plan. The estimated cost after the scholarship and subsidy is $32,396 in the first year, $32,080 in the second and $30,430 in the third. Because the program lasts three years instead of four, a student also saves a full year of living costs compared with a four-year school. The school’s focus is primary care, so read IMA’s NYU Grossman Long Island admissions guide to judge whether the mission fits your goals.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

The Gottesman Scholarship Fund covers tuition and educational and technology fees for students pursuing an MD at Einstein. Established in March 2024 through a gift from Dr. Ruth L. Gottesman, the fund was created so that no MD student at Einstein pays tuition again. Every accepted MD student receives it automatically with no separate application, and the ongoing requirement is satisfactory academic progress.

In Einstein’s current MD student budget, tuition is $74,261 and the educational and technology fee is $5,597, so the scholarship is worth $79,858 a year. The scholarship does not cover room, board or other living expenses. The first-year budget still includes a $500 health service fee, $7,670 for student health insurance (which can be waived with comparable coverage), $2,500 for books and supplies and $34,450 in living expenses for rent, food, personal costs and transportation. The total first-year student budget before the scholarship is $121,978, so plan to pay for health coverage, books and living costs yourself unless you waive the insurance or receive other aid. IMA’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine admissions guide covers the school’s admissions process in detail.

Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine

Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine awards a full-tuition scholarship to every student and covers select fees. Its research thesis year carries a continuation fee equal to 5 percent of tuition, but the scholarship covers that charge as well. The program is designed to train physician investigators, making its research focus an important fit question in addition to the financial benefit.

For 2026-2027, the scholarship covers tuition of $72,526, and the college subsidizes the Graduate Student Council, educational materials, technology and medical activity fees. Students still pay disability insurance ($80) and an RTA transit pass ($140), along with first-year indirect costs of about $32,124 for living expenses, books, transportation and clinical travel (Class of 2031). The optional student medical plan ($4,220) can be waived with other coverage. The total estimated first-year cost of attendance before the scholarship is $111,212. IMA’s Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine admissions guide explains the five-year program and its research expectations.

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine will waive tuition for its first five cohorts. This is an automatic benefit for students in those cohorts, but it is a time-limited policy rather than an offer stated for every future class. The school welcomed its inaugural class in July 2025 and holds preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The school does not list the entry years the five cohorts cover, so confirm your class’s eligibility with its financial aid office before you rely on the waiver.

For 2026-2027, first-year tuition is $69,650, and the total estimated first-year cost is $38,181 after the school’s tuition and partial fee waiver. Most of that remaining amount is the school’s $34,225 estimate for housing, food, transportation and miscellaneous living expenses, plus $1,500 for books and supplies and $2,456 in billed charges the waiver does not cover. The estimated cost after the waiver rises to $39,611 in the second year and $42,800 in the third, then falls to $36,083 in the fourth. IMA’s Alice L. Walton School of Medicine admissions guide covers the school’s mission and application process.

Johns Hopkins Free Tuition by Family Income

Johns Hopkins ties free tuition to family income. Since fall 2024, its income-based financial aid policy has provided scholarships covering tuition for eligible medical students whose families earn less than $300,000. For students from families earning less than $175,000, the package covers the full cost of attendance, including tuition, fees and living expenses. The school lists additional eligibility requirements, so income alone does not establish your final award.

When the program was announced in July 2024, nearly two-thirds of current and entering Johns Hopkins medical students qualified for either tuition coverage or tuition plus living expenses. The program is funded by a $1 billion gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Students above the $300,000 threshold are still reviewed for the school’s other need-based aid.

The numbers show what each threshold is worth. For 2026-2027, Hopkins tuition is $69,100 a year, and the first-year cost of attendance is $111,386. A student who qualifies for tuition only still covers about $42,000 in first-year fees, insurance and living costs, often with federal loans. A student under the $175,000 threshold has those costs covered too. For the 2027-28 aid year, the CSS Profile opens October 1, 2026, and the submission deadline is December 15, 2026.

The practical step for your family is to compare its finances against both income thresholds, then review the school’s complete eligibility rules before assuming what an award will cover. IMA’s Johns Hopkins School of Medicine admissions guide covers how competitive the school is.

Debt-Free Aid and Full-Tuition Scholarships

Columbia, Weill Cornell, WashU Medicine, UCLA and now Kaiser Permanente charge tuition, but qualifying or selected students may have all of it covered. These programs belong in a broader plan for paying for medical school without loans, not in the same category as an automatic scholarship for every student. IMA’s overview of medical school scholarships explains how merit, need and outside awards fit together.

Columbia Vagelos

The Vagelos Scholarship Program has met 100 percent of demonstrated financial need with scholarships for eligible MD students since 2018-19. Loans are not included in the package used to meet calculated need. Columbia determines need by subtracting student, spouse and calculated parent resources from its cost of attendance budget, using financial information from the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

For 2026-27, Columbia’s tuition is $76,336, tuition and fees come to $85,013 in the first year, and the full first-year student budget is $117,049. A student with no demonstrated need pays that amount. A student with need receives scholarship for the gap between the budget and the family’s calculated contribution. IMA’s Columbia Vagelos admissions guide covers the school’s admissions process.

Weill Cornell Medicine

Since 2019-2020, Weill Cornell’s debt-free aid program has covered tuition, books, housing, food and related expenses with scholarships for medical students who demonstrate financial need. Its aid package does not offer or require loans. The decisive phrase is “who qualify for aid,” because the award depends on the school’s assessment of your finances. Ask the financial aid office for the current year’s cost of attendance when you compare offers. IMA’s Weill Cornell Medicine admissions guide covers the rest of the application.

WashU Medicine

Among the 123 students in WashU Medicine’s entering class of 2025, 71 percent had full tuition funding and 77 percent had merit or need-based scholarships. Every admitted MD student is automatically reviewed for merit scholarships, which may cover full or partial tuition. Those figures show substantial scholarship support, but WashU should not be treated as automatically tuition-free for every admitted student.

For the 43-week 2026-2027 year, WashU’s base tuition is $67,968 and the total cost of attendance for a Phase 1 student is $103,047. WashU fixes tuition, merit scholarships and need-based scholarships through a tuition stabilization plan, which makes a four-year cost estimate easier to trust. IMA’s WashU Medicine admissions guide covers the school’s admissions process.

UCLA Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship

The UCLA Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship pays full tuition for select students and includes a one-time $5,000 research stipend. Created in 2012 by an anonymous donor, the award is now supported by the school’s alumni and friends. All David Geffen School of Medicine applicants are considered automatically through the application and interview process. The scholarship is renewed annually for four years based on satisfactory academic performance and participation in program activities. IMA’s UCLA medical school admissions guide covers the rest of the application.

Free Tuition in Return for Service

Service programs can cover tuition and other expenses, but they exchange financial support for control over several years of your career. Before choosing one, study the commitment as closely as the benefit. IMA’s guide to NHSC, military and state programs for physicians explains these routes in greater detail.

Uniformed Services University

Students accepted to the Uniformed Services University MD program pay no tuition and commission as officers in one of the five uniformed services before classes start. The school accepts 178 students, both civilians and active duty personnel, into each class. Students receive the full salary and benefits of a junior-ranking officer during the four-year program. After graduation, the active-duty commitment is seven years for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard or ten years for the Public Health Service. IMA’s Uniformed Services University guide covers admissions and military life in more depth.

Military Health Professions Scholarship Program

The Health Professions Scholarship Program is used at the civilian MD or DO school you attend. The Navy’s program pays tuition and educational fees for up to four years, reimburses required books and equipment and provides a monthly stipend. In return, you serve at least two years on active duty or one year for each scholarship year, whichever is longer. The Navy opens the scholarship to students accepted to or enrolled in an AMA or AOA medical school in the United States or Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Army similarly offers full tuition for up to four years, funding for books, equipment and school fees and a monthly stipend of $2,999. The Army’s program expressly includes osteopathic medical degrees. These are military career paths, not scholarships with a minor work condition.

National Health Service Corps Scholarship

The National Health Service Corps supports up to four school years for students training for primary care professions. Its scholarship pays tuition and eligible fees, makes an annual payment for other reasonable educational costs and provides a monthly stipend. Scholars commit to two to four years of full-time work at an NHSC-approved site in a Health Professional Shortage Area, and the number of years depends on the number of school years supported. The program does not provide financial support during postgraduate training.

University of Arizona Primary Care Scholarship

The University of Arizona Primary Care Scholarship Program, established by the Arizona Legislature in 2019, covers tuition at the in-state rate in exchange for primary care practice in an underserved rural or urban Arizona community. Selection is competitive, and recipients commit to two to four years of service. Qualifying specialties are family medicine, general internal medicine, geriatric medicine, general pediatrics, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology and psychiatry. When fully implemented, the program is designed to cover tuition for approximately 100 medical students. IMA’s University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix admissions guide covers the school itself.

If you borrow and later work full-time for an eligible public-service employer, Public Service Loan Forgiveness for physicians may forgive the remaining balance of qualifying Direct loans after the equivalent of 120 qualifying monthly payments.

Free-Tuition Offers That Have Ended for New Students

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine originally waived tuition for its first five entering classes and later extended the waiver to its first seven. That covers the students who enrolled from the school’s opening in 2020 through 2026. Students entering in 2027 or later pay tuition, so an applicant seeking admission now should not rely on the former waiver.

For 2027/2028, first-year tuition at Kaiser, including books and supplies, is $69,212 and a total estimated cost of attendance of $113,232. That total includes $35,550 for housing, utilities and food, $4,410 for transportation and $3,960 for personal expenses. Health and disability insurance, valued at $6,534, is provided at no cost to the student.

The school has replaced the universal waiver with targeted aid. On July 9, 2026, it announced the KPSOM Impact Scholarship, which provides full cost-of-attendance support for all four years of medical school to selected students in each entering class, beginning with the class entering in 2027. The scholarship looks for applicants who show academic excellence, resilience, leadership and a sustained commitment to improving health outcomes and strengthening communities. The school has not published how many students receive it each year. The 2026-2027 secondary application includes an optional question where applicants can nominate themselves for the scholarship and explain which parts of their application show alignment with the school’s mission.

Students who do not receive the Impact Scholarship are not left with tuition alone. Every student is eligible for financial aid, and students with demonstrated financial need are eligible for need-based, debt-free institutional aid. The school also plans a broader mix of need-based and merit-based grants. If the school is on your list, budget for it as you would for any private medical school, then treat the Impact Scholarship and need-based aid as possible reductions. IMA’s Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine admissions guide covers the school’s secondary essays and interview.

University of Houston

The University of Houston gave each of the 30 students in its first medical school class a $100,000 philanthropic scholarship toward four years of tuition and fees. That founding-class award was not a continuing tuition-free policy. The current published costs list annual tuition and fees of $24,268 for Texas residents and $37,368 for nonresidents, with total cost of attendance estimates of $56,614 and $69,714. IMA’s University of Houston College of Medicine admissions guide covers the school’s community-health focus.

Most applicants will ultimately compare schools where they pay at least some tuition. IMA’s guide to the cheapest medical schools can help you evaluate lower-cost options without confusing them with schools that waive tuition.

Costs That Remain at a Tuition-Free Medical School

Tuition is only one part of the student budget. For in-state students in 2025-26, the median first-year cost of attendance was $75,654 at public medical schools and $106,787 at private schools (AAMC fact card, October 2025), well above the median tuition, fees and health insurance given earlier. Housing, food, transportation, insurance, books, supplies and personal expenses account for much of that difference.

Each school that covers tuition for every student publishes what a covered year still costs:

• NYU Grossman: $38,616 a year in years 1 to 3 after its scholarship and insurance subsidy (2026-27).
• NYU Grossman Long Island: $32,396 in the first year after its scholarship and insurance subsidy (2026-27).
• Albert Einstein: a $500 health service fee, $7,670 in student health insurance (waivable), $2,500 for books and supplies and $34,450 in living expenses in the first year of its current budget.
• Cleveland Clinic Lerner: about $32,124 in first-year indirect costs plus small uncovered charges (2026-2027).
• Alice L. Walton: $38,181 in the first year after its tuition and partial fee waiver, nearly all of it living expenses (2026-2027).

Published figures can also look inconsistent when one source reports billed charges and another reflects scholarships. In the AAMC’s 2025-2026 tuition report, NYU Grossman reported $0 tuition and $4,350 in first-year fees. Einstein appeared at $82,697 in tuition, fees and health insurance because the report lists charges before scholarships, even though the Gottesman fund covers tuition and specified educational and technology fees.

Some programs go further than tuition. Johns Hopkins covers fees and living costs for eligible students under its lower income threshold. Kaiser’s Impact Scholarship covers the full cost of attendance for selected students. Need-based scholarships at NYU Grossman, NYU Grossman Long Island, Columbia and Weill Cornell can cover expenses above tuition. Uniformed Services University provides officer salary and benefits, while military and NHSC scholarships include stipends. Your best comparison is therefore the amount your family would actually need to cover after every scholarship, subsidy and required service condition is applied.

Competition for Seats at Tuition-Free Medical Schools

The AAMC’s 2025-2026 Table A-1 shows considerable demand for these seats. NYU Grossman received 8,385 applications and enrolled 99 first-year students. NYU Grossman Long Island received 4,738 applications and enrolled 24, while Einstein received 14,035 and enrolled 148.

Johns Hopkins received 8,057 applications and enrolled 118 first-year students. Alice L. Walton School of Medicine received 2,021 applications and enrolled 48, while Uniformed Services University received 2,238 and enrolled 177. Kaiser Permanente, whose tuition waiver still applied to that entering class, received 6,596 applications and enrolled 49.

These numbers are not acceptance rates. Table A-1 counts applications and enrolled first-year students, but it does not report how many applicants each school accepted. They show demand and class size, not an individual applicant’s probability of admission. IMA’s guide to medical school acceptance rates explains that distinction more fully.

High demand means these schools can choose among many applicants with strong grades and MCAT scores, so the rest of the application carries real weight. Admissions committees look for evidence that you understand patient care, and hands-on clinical work is one of the clearest ways to show it. Applicants often build that experience through hospital jobs, volunteering, scribing and structured pre-med internships that place them in clinical settings.

Free tuition should therefore be one factor in a balanced school list, not the only filter. Consider whether the program’s curriculum, location, length, research emphasis or service obligation fits your goals, then compare the financial outcome if you receive only the aid the school actually guarantees to you.

Clinical Experience for Competitive Tuition-Free Programs

Each tuition-covering school has a distinct mission. Cleveland Clinic Lerner trains physician investigators, NYU Grossman Long Island focuses on primary care, Walton emphasizes care for medically underserved and rural communities, and Kaiser’s Impact Scholarship looks for a sustained commitment to improving community health. Your clinical experience is where you show how your goals connect to that mission.

Direct patient contact carries more weight than hours spent watching. Clinical internships for pre-med students give you work you can describe in specific terms: taking vitals, helping with patient intake, assisting with triage and supporting care under a licensed clinician’s supervision. Those details give admissions readers something concrete to evaluate and give you real material for secondary essays and interviews.

International Medical Aid (IMA) runs medical internships abroad for students preparing for health careers. IMA’s pre-med internships abroad place interns in hospitals and clinics in Kenya and Peru, where they take vitals, help with intake and triage and assist with direct patient care under the supervision of local clinicians. The broader range of IMA’s healthcare internships abroad also includes programs for nursing, physician assistant and other pre-health tracks. IMA is not affiliated with any medical school named in this article, and an internship does not guarantee admission or a scholarship.

If you are still early in college, medical internships for undergraduates can fit between semesters and add clinical depth before you apply. Students who are still deciding between medicine and another health field can use pre-health internships to test that decision in a real clinical setting before committing to a path.

Building Your Application List Around Real Costs

Start with the every-student programs that fit your academic and career goals. If Johns Hopkins interests you, compare your family’s circumstances with both income thresholds and read the remaining eligibility conditions. For need-based schools, file the FAFSA and CSS Profile early when each institution requires them, and do not assume that an automatic application review means an automatic scholarship. If Kaiser is on your list, decide whether to self-nominate for the Impact Scholarship in its secondary and prepare an answer that ties your experiences to the school’s mission.

Treat military, NHSC and state service commitments as career decisions rather than financial shortcuts. Before accepting one, decide whether you are comfortable with the work setting, location limits and years of service attached to the support.

Plan your timeline around the application itself. Most of these schools fill their classes with applicants who submit early, so the clinical and research experience you describe should be in place by the spring before you apply. Many students use pre-med summer internships after their second or third year of college to add that experience without losing a semester. If you are taking time off before medical school or reapplying after an unsuccessful cycle, pre-med gap year programs can add the clinical depth that a stronger second application needs.

Finally, compare aid offers using the total amount you would need to pay, not the size of the tuition scholarship in isolation. Check each school’s official page before you apply because covered cohorts and aid policies can change, as Kaiser’s did in 2026. A clear comparison of tuition, fees, living expenses and obligations will tell you which offer is genuinely affordable for your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Medical Schools Are Tuition Free?

Five U.S. MD programs cover tuition for every student within their covered cohorts: NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and Alice L. Walton School of Medicine. Walton’s waiver applies to its first five cohorts only. Uniformed Services University also charges no tuition, but students commission as officers and complete a service commitment. None of these schools is free to attend, because fees and living costs remain.

Is NYU Medical School Really Free?

NYU Grossman covers full tuition ($65,500 in 2026-27) for every MD student regardless of merit or financial need, and it also subsidizes student health insurance. It is not completely free to attend. For 2026-27, NYU estimates that a first-year student still faces $38,616 in fees, living costs and educational expenses after the scholarship and insurance subsidy. Qualifying students may receive additional need-based support. NYU Grossman Long Island covers tuition in the same way, with an estimated first-year cost of $32,396 after its scholarship and subsidy.

Is Medical School Free in the Military?

It can be tuition-free in exchange for service. Uniformed Services University charges no tuition and pays students officer salary and benefits, followed by seven years of active duty for military services or ten years in the Public Health Service. The military Health Professions Scholarship Program can instead pay tuition and eligible expenses at a civilian MD or DO school, and the Navy asks for at least two years of active duty or one year for each year of scholarship, whichever is longer.

Is Kaiser Permanente Medical School Still Free?

Not for new students. Kaiser Permanente waived tuition for its first seven entering classes, the students who enrolled from 2020 through 2026. For 2027/2028, first-year tuition is $69,212 and the total estimated cost of attendance is $113,232, although the school provides health and disability insurance at no cost to the student. Starting with the class entering in 2027, the KPSOM Impact Scholarship covers the full cost of attendance for selected students, and students with demonstrated need can receive need-based, debt-free institutional aid.

What Is the KPSOM Impact Scholarship?

It is a Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine scholarship, announced July 9, 2026, that covers the full cost of attendance for all four years for selected students in each entering class, beginning with the class entering in 2027. It recognizes academic excellence, resilience, leadership and a sustained commitment to improving health outcomes and strengthening communities. Applicants can self-nominate through an optional question in the secondary application. The school has not published how many students receive it.

Is Johns Hopkins Medical School Free?

It is free for eligible students who meet its financial criteria, not for every student. Since fall 2024, Johns Hopkins has covered tuition ($69,100 in 2026-2027) for qualifying students whose families earn less than $300,000. It covers tuition, fees and living expenses for qualifying students with family income below $175,000. The school applies additional eligibility requirements, and the CSS Profile deadline for 2027-28 aid is December 15, 2026.

Is Albert Einstein College of Medicine Free?

Einstein covers tuition and the educational and technology fee for every MD student through the Gottesman Scholarship Fund, worth $79,858 a year in its current budget. It does not cover living expenses, room and board, health insurance or books. The first-year budget lists $34,450 in living expenses, $2,500 for books and supplies, a $500 health service fee and $7,670 for student health insurance, which can be waived with comparable coverage.

Is Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Tuition Free?

Yes, for tuition. Every Cleveland Clinic Lerner student receives a full-tuition scholarship ($72,526 in 2026-2027) that also covers the research-year continuation fee and several fees. Students still pay living expenses, books, transportation and a few small charges, about $32,000 or more in the first year.

Is Alice L. Walton School of Medicine Tuition Free for Every Class?

No. Walton waives tuition for its first five cohorts only, and its first class entered in July 2025. For 2026-2027, tuition of $69,650 is waived and the estimated first-year cost after the waiver is $38,181. Applicants should confirm with the school’s financial aid office that their entering class falls within the five covered cohorts.

Are Columbia and Weill Cornell Tuition Free?

No. Both charge tuition but replace loans with scholarships for students who qualify for need-based aid. Columbia meets 100 percent of demonstrated need with scholarships, and its 2026-27 tuition is $76,336. Weill Cornell covers tuition, books, housing, food and related expenses with scholarships for students who qualify for aid. A student with no demonstrated need pays the full cost at either school.

Is WashU Medicine Tuition Free?

No. WashU charges tuition ($67,968 base rate in 2026-2027) but reviews every admitted student for merit scholarships. In the entering class of 2025, 71 percent of students had full tuition funding and 77 percent had merit or need-based scholarships. A full-tuition award is common there, but it is not automatic.

Is Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Tuition Free?

No. Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine charges tuition of $74,620 for 2026-2027, with a total off-campus cost of attendance of $128,157 in the first year. Students can apply for need-based institutional scholarships, but there is no tuition waiver for all students.

Do You Still Pay Fees at a Tuition-Free Medical School?

Often, yes. The exact answer depends on the school’s policy. NYU Grossman covers tuition and health insurance but lists separate fees and living expenses. Einstein covers tuition plus educational and technology fees but not living expenses. Cleveland Clinic Lerner covers tuition, its research-year continuation fee and select fees. Walton waives tuition and part of its fees but still bills $2,456 a year. Always compare the full student budget rather than assuming “tuition-free” covers every charge.

How Hard Is It to Get Into a Tuition-Free Medical School?

Application volume is high relative to the number of enrolled students. In 2025-2026, NYU Grossman received 8,385 applications and enrolled 99 first-year students, while Einstein received 14,035 applications and enrolled 148. These are application and enrollment counts, not acceptance rates, because AAMC Table A-1 does not report the number of offers made.

What Clinical Experience Helps for Tuition-Free Medical Schools?

Hands-on patient contact helps most, because it shows you understand what a physician’s work involves. Hospital jobs, scribing, clinical volunteering and supervised internships for pre-med students that include vitals, intake and triage all give you concrete experiences to write about. Match your experience to each school’s mission, such as research at Cleveland Clinic Lerner or underserved care at Walton.

Are There Free DO Schools?

No osteopathic college in the 2023-24 osteopathic cost of attendance report was tuition-free for every student. The lowest listed first-year tuition and fees figure was $26,500, at Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. DO students can still pursue military funding: the Army’s Health Professions Scholarship Program covers osteopathic medical degrees, and the Navy opens its scholarship to students accepted to or enrolled in AOA medical schools.

Sources

• NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Cost of Attendance (Four-Year MD 2026-27) and Affordability and Financial Aid pages, checked October 17, 2026.
• NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, Types of Financial Aid and Cost of Attendance (2026-27) pages, checked October 17, 2026.
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Gottesman Scholarship Fund for M.D. Students and Cost of Attendance for M.D. Students pages, checked October 17, 2026.
• Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Tuition and Financial Aid and Estimated Cost of Attendance (2026-2027) pages, checked October 17, 2026.
• Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, Cost of Attendance page, 2026-2027 Estimated Cost of Attendance and About page, checked October 17, 2026.
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Financial Aid for Medical Students and Medical Student Cost of Attendance (2026-2027) pages, and the Johns Hopkins Hub announcement of July 8, 2024, checked October 17, 2026.
• Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Vagelos Scholarship Program page and 2026-27 student budget (dated July 2, 2026), checked October 17, 2026.
• Weill Cornell Medicine, dean’s message on the elimination of medical education debt (September 16, 2019), checked October 17, 2026.
• Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Financial Support and Cost of Education (2026-2027) pages, checked October 17, 2026.
• David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Medical School Scholarships and Grants page, checked October 17, 2026.
• Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, “KPSOM Updates Tuition Strategy, Announces New Scholarship” (July 9, 2026), Tuition and Financial Aid (2027/2028) and Kaiser Permanente History pages, checked October 17, 2026.
• Uniformed Services University F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, MD Program page and FAQ, checked October 17, 2026.
• U.S. Army, AMEDD Scholarship (Health Professions Scholarship Program) page; Navy Medicine, HPSP and FAP page, checked October 17, 2026.
• Health Resources and Services Administration, NHSC Scholarship Program overview (last reviewed March 2026), checked October 17, 2026.
• University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Primary Care Scholarship Program page, checked October 17, 2026.
• University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, Tuition and Fees page and first-class story, checked October 17, 2026.
• Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Cost of Attendance (2026-2027), checked October 17, 2026.
• AAMC, FACTS Table A-1 (2025-2026), Tuition and Student Fees Report (2025-2026, data as of November 2025) and Medical Student Education: Debt, Costs, and Loan Repayment Fact Card (October 2025).
• AACOM, 2023-24 Osteopathic Medical College Cost of Attendance report.
• NIH RePORT, awards by organization type, fiscal year 2025.