If you are asking, “is my GPA good enough for med school,” the AAMC and AACOM publish GPA averages and group acceptance data, not a single national GPA cutoff. You should compare your total and science GPAs with current applicant and matriculant data, consider your MCAT score alongside your GPA and review how the application service will calculate your academic record.
A GPA near or below a published mean does not decide whether you will be admitted. The figures below describe groups of MD or DO applicants, matriculants and acceptees during specified periods. They provide context for evaluating your record, not a personal admission probability or a substitute for each school’s admissions criteria.
Medical School GPA Benchmarks at a Glance
- For U.S. MD programs, compare your total, science and non-science GPAs with separate applicant and matriculant means from the 2025-2026 academic year.
- AAMC acceptance rates by GPA range describe combined groups across three application cycles. They do not establish a cutoff or predict an individual result.
- GPA and MCAT data are more informative when read together, but neither metric guarantees admission or automatically offsets the other.
- AMCAS and AACOMAS include all attempts at repeated courses and report coursework by academic level, allowing schools to see more than one cumulative figure.
Is There a Minimum GPA for Medical School?
The AAMC and AACOM data in this guide report averages and group acceptance rates, not a national minimum GPA for medical school. Individualized review considers more than one academic figure. AAMC Mission-Aligned Selection considers experiences, attributes and academic metrics, including grades, test scores and applicant context.
That does not make GPA unimportant. AAMC research finds that undergraduate GPA and MCAT scores together predict performance in medical school and on licensure exams better than either metric alone. This finding concerns future academic performance, not whether an admissions committee will accept a particular applicant.
You should therefore treat GPA as one significant part of your academic profile rather than search for a universal number that guarantees eligibility. A school may apply its own criteria, but no school-specific cutoff should be inferred from national means or acceptance-rate ranges.
Average GPA of MD Applicants and Matriculants
The AAMC FACTS Table A-16 reports that applicants to U.S. MD-granting medical schools in 2025-2026 had a mean total GPA of 3.67, while matriculants had a mean of 3.81. The figures cover 54,699 applicants and 23,440 matriculants, and the GPA means are calculated from applicants with available GPA data.
Science GPA means were 3.57 for applicants and 3.75 for matriculants. Non-science GPA means were 3.8 and 3.88, respectively. To understand what belongs in the science calculation, read IMA’s guide to science GPA vs overall GPA.
The AAMC data also show a change over time. Mean total GPA rose from 3.6 in 2020-2021 to 3.67 in 2025-2026 for applicants. For matriculants, it rose from 3.73 to 3.81 over the same period. These are group means, not minimum requirements. Being above or below one of them does not determine your result.
MD Acceptance Rates by GPA Range
AAMC FACTS Table A-23 combines applicants and acceptees to U.S. MD-granting medical schools across the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 application cycles. Across all GPAs and MCAT scores, 70,289 of 155,940 applicants were accepted, an overall group rate of 45.1%. IMA’s MCAT GPA grid provides the full GPA and MCAT comparison.
Across all MCAT scores, the acceptance rate was 63.7% for GPAs above 3.79, 42.4% for 3.60-3.79, 29.7% for 3.40-3.59, 20.8% for 3.20-3.39 and 15.9% for 3.00-3.19. It was 11.5% for 2.80-2.99, 8.4% for 2.60-2.79, 6.1% for 2.40-2.59, 2.6% for 2.20-2.39, 4.8% for 2.00-2.19 and 2.3% for GPAs below 2.00.
The rates do not decrease at every step. The 2.00-2.19 group had a higher rate than the 2.20-2.39 group, for example. The table also combines three application years, and its dashed cells represent groups with fewer than 10 applicants. These details are reminders that each percentage describes a defined group. It is not your personal likelihood of admission.
How Do MCAT Scores Change the Picture?
MCAT results add important context to a GPA range. In the same three-cycle AAMC table, applicants with a 3.60-3.79 GPA and a 506-509 MCAT had a 45.4% acceptance rate. The rate was 48.7% for applicants with a 3.40-3.59 GPA and a 510-513 MCAT, and 45.5% for those with a 3.20-3.39 GPA and a 514-517 MCAT.
Other cells show why you should read both metrics together. Applicants with a GPA above 3.79 and an MCAT above 517 had an 83.3% group acceptance rate. Those with a GPA above 3.79 and a 502-505 MCAT had a 44.9% rate. The figures still describe past groups, not what will happen to you.
For additional context, mean MCAT scores in 2025-2026 were 506.3 for MD applicants and 512.1 for matriculants. IMA’s guide to what MCAT score you need explains how to interpret that side of your profile. You can also use the MCAT score calculator when comparing a practice result with your GPA.
AAMC’s July 2024 validity report found that a higher undergraduate GPA could compensate for a more modest MCAT score, and sometimes the reverse, when predicting future performance in medical school. It also noted that transcripts, experiences and other application information add insight when the two metrics differ. This research does not establish that one number will compensate for another in an admissions decision.
GPAs at DO Medical Schools
The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine reports that students entering U.S. osteopathic medical schools in 2025 had mean GPAs of 3.53 for science, 3.73 for non-science and 3.62 overall. These figures are means for entering students, not national minimums for DO admission.
AACOM’s Applicants and Matriculants Average GPA report gives additional 2024 detail. The overall total GPA was 3.58 for applicants and 3.61 for matriculants, while the overall science GPA was 3.49 and 3.54. Mean undergraduate GPAs for applicants and matriculants were 3.68 and 3.71 for non-science, 3.56 and 3.59 for total, and 3.44 and 3.49 for science.
The report covers verified AACOMAS applicants and matriculants and excludes schools using the Texas application service, TMDAS. AACOM also reported that the mean undergraduate GPA in 2024 was higher than in 2016 by .11 for applicants and .05 for matriculants. For historical context, overall total GPA means in 2016 were 3.47 for applicants and 3.56 for matriculants.
These comparisons do not establish that DO schools are easier to enter or that they accept a particular GPA. If you are considering both degree paths, review the educational distinctions in IMA’s MD vs DO guide rather than choosing a path from GPA means alone.
How Do AMCAS and AACOMAS Show Your GPA Over Time?
AMCAS Reports Each Academic Status
AMCAS reports separate GPAs for high school, freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, postbaccalaureate and graduate academic statuses. A stronger junior or senior record is therefore visible by status, but these reporting rules do not tell you how a medical school will weigh that record. After processing, your printable AMCAS application shows your cumulative undergraduate and graduate GPAs.
AMCAS standardizes its GPAs so medical schools can compare records from different grading systems and academic calendars. The resulting figures almost always differ from the GPAs calculated by an applicant’s colleges. AMCAS also reports separate BCPM and all-other-coursework GPAs. Pass/fail, AP, CLEP and other test credit are generally excluded from GPA calculations, although their hours are reported as Supplemental Hours.
Postbaccalaureate and Graduate Coursework Remain Distinct
AMCAS includes postbaccalaureate coursework in your undergraduate total while also reporting a separate postbaccalaureate GPA. Postbaccalaureate status applies to undergraduate-level coursework completed after your first bachelor’s degree, or coursework taken during a graduate program when it is not applied to the graduate degree. Professional or graduate-level coursework not applied to an undergraduate degree receives graduate status.
AACOMAS calculates a GPA for each academic year. It combines freshman through senior work with postbaccalaureate coursework in a cumulative undergraduate GPA, then includes graduate coursework in an overall GPA. AACOM’s 2024 data reported postbaccalaureate total GPA means of 3.65 for DO applicants and 3.72 for matriculants. The 3.83 postbaccalaureate non-science mean was the highest GPA type reported for matriculants. If additional undergraduate study is part of your plan, learn how post-baccalaureate premedical programs fit different academic goals.
Repeated Courses Do Not Replace Earlier Grades
AMCAS counts every attempt at a repeated course, even when your college does not. Failed courses remain in the AMCAS calculation even if the transcript-issuing institution excludes them from its GPA. If your school applies academic forgiveness, you must still enter the original grade and attempted credits.
AACOMAS follows a similar rule. It does not recognize institutional forgiveness, academic renewal or grade replacement policies when calculating your AACOMAS GPA. All grades earned for repeated courses remain part of the calculation. Retaking a class can add another grade to your record, but it does not erase the earlier attempt under either application service.
Calculate the GPA Medical Schools Will See
Begin with your application-service GPA rather than relying only on the cumulative figure shown by your college. IMA’s AMCAS GPA calculator can help you estimate your AMCAS GPA before you compare your record with AAMC data.
Check both total and science GPA because the published MD and DO data report them separately. Compare your results with the applicant and matriculant means for the degree path you are considering. A mean is a reference point for a group, not a requirement you must meet.
National data cannot tell you how your GPA compares with every program on your list. Use IMA’s guide to average GPA and MCAT scores by medical school when you are ready to research individual schools.
Assess Your GPA in the Context of Your Full Profile
After calculating your GPA, locate its AAMC A-23 range and review the associated group rate. Then consider the MCAT range that applies to you. Do not convert either percentage into a prediction, because the table describes combined applicant groups from three cycles.
For a broader assessment, IMA Pathfinder helps you evaluate your competitiveness and identify best-fit medical schools. If your GPA is below the relevant applicant or matriculant means, IMA’s guide to standing out with a lower GPA provides a focused next resource.
Your comparison should end with a set of questions rather than a single verdict. Identify which degree path you are considering, whether your total and science GPAs tell similar stories, where your MCAT falls and how AMCAS or AACOMAS will classify later coursework. That gives you a clearer basis for deciding what to research next.
Turn the GPA Data Into Your Next Steps
Your GPA assessment should combine the correct application-service calculation, current MD or DO reference data and a careful reading of your MCAT context. Keep means, group acceptance rates and individual school criteria separate so that one number does not carry more meaning than the source supports.
If you want individualized help assessing your academic profile and planning your application, you can review IMA’s medical school admissions consulting. Bring your calculated total and science GPAs, coursework history and MCAT information so that the discussion starts with the full academic record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 3.5 GPA Good Enough for Medical School?
A 3.5 GPA falls within the AAMC’s 3.40-3.59 total undergraduate GPA range. Across all MCAT scores, that group had a 29.7% acceptance rate for U.S. MD programs over the combined 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 cycles. A 3.5 is below the 2025-2026 MD applicant mean of 3.67 and matriculant mean of 3.81, but those comparisons do not decide an individual result.
What Is the Average GPA for Medical School Matriculants?
For U.S. MD-granting medical schools in 2025-2026, matriculants had mean GPAs of 3.81 total, 3.75 science and 3.88 non-science. AACOM reported a 3.62 overall mean for students entering U.S. osteopathic medical schools in 2025. These MD and DO figures cover different populations and should not be treated as minimums.
Is a 3.00 GPA Too Low for Medical School?
A 3.00 GPA falls within the AAMC’s 3.00-3.19 range, but the data do not establish whether it is “too low” for every medical school. Applicants in that GPA range had a 15.9% acceptance rate across all MCAT scores for the combined 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 MD application cycles. That group result is not a personal probability.
What GPA Do DO Schools Accept?
AACOM publishes average GPAs for DO students rather than one GPA that all DO schools accept. For 2025 entering students, AACOM reported means of 3.62 overall, 3.53 science and 3.73 non-science. These are entering-student averages, not universal requirements or DO acceptance thresholds.
Does a High MCAT Score Make Up for a Low GPA?
A higher MCAT score can add context to a more modest GPA, but it does not automatically make up for it in admissions. AAMC research found that the metrics could sometimes compensate for each other when predicting future medical school performance. That finding does not state how an admissions committee will decide an application.
Do Medical Schools Look at Science GPA or Overall GPA?
Medical schools receive both science and broader GPA calculations through the application services. AMCAS reports a BCPM GPA and an all-other-coursework GPA, while AACOMAS calculates several GPAs that include academic-year, cumulative undergraduate and overall figures. Published AAMC and AACOM data also report total and science means separately.
Does Postbaccalaureate Coursework Raise My GPA for Medical School?
Postbaccalaureate coursework can change your cumulative undergraduate calculation, but its effect depends on the credits and grades involved. AMCAS includes this coursework in the undergraduate total and also reports a separate postbaccalaureate GPA. AACOMAS combines postbaccalaureate work with freshman through senior coursework in its cumulative undergraduate GPA.
Do Retaken Courses Replace Grades on AMCAS?
No. AMCAS includes the grades from every attempt at a repeated course, even when your college replaces or forgives the original grade. You must enter the original grade and attempted credits when an academic forgiveness policy applies. AACOMAS also factors all repeated-course grades into its GPA calculations.
