MD schools with low MCAT averages include Mercer (502 for its Class of 2030), the University of Texas at Tyler (503) and San Juan Bautista (499). DO schools such as Burrell (500) and Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine (501) report similar figures. The lowest published MD minimum is 492, against a 506.3 national applicant mean (AAMC, 2025).
Medical schools accepting low MCAT scores include MD and DO programs that publish lower class averages and schools that set specific minimum scores. Whether you should apply depends on what each school’s figure means, your full academic record and whether your score meets every stated screening requirement.
A published minimum tells you when a school may consider your application, while an average describes a particular entering class or the score the school considers competitive. Neither figure guarantees an interview or admission. Compare your score with the correct type of figure, confirm the current school policy and decide whether applying now or retesting is the better choice for you.
Lower MCAT Scores and Medical School at a Glance
- There is no single score that every medical school defines as low. School-specific minimums, entering-class averages and current percentile ranks provide more useful comparisons.
- The listed MD schools publish class averages from 499 to 506, while the listed DO schools publish averages or competitive figures from 500 to 505. Marshall, once in that range, reports a 512 average for its 2026 entering class.
- Published minimums serve different purposes. Some determine whether a school considers an application, sends a secondary or offers interview eligibility.
- Published MD minimums start at 492 (San Juan Bautista and the University of Oklahoma), and several DO schools set floors from 490 to 499.
- A high GPA can strengthen an academic profile, but national group data does not show that a particular GPA will offset a particular MCAT score for an individual applicant.
What Counts as a Low MCAT Score
There is no single MCAT cutoff used by every medical school. A score can be below a national applicant or matriculant mean but still meet the published minimum at a particular school. It can also meet a school’s minimum without being close to that school’s entering-class average or competitive figure.
According to the AAMC, applicants to U.S. MD-granting schools in 2025-2026 had a mean total MCAT score of 506.3, with a standard deviation of 10. Matriculants had a mean of 512.1, with a standard deviation of 6.5 (AAMC FACTS Table A-16, 2025). Our guide to what counts as a good MCAT score provides more context for comparing your result with these national figures. These are means for defined groups, not universal admissions requirements.
Percentile ranks offer another comparison. A percentile rank is the percentage of test takers who earned the same or a lower score. In the ranks effective from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, a 492 is at the 25th percentile, a 494 is at the 31st, a 495 is at the 33rd, a 496 is at the 36th and a 497 is at the 39th. A 500 is at the 48th percentile and a 502 is at the 55th (AAMC percentile ranks, 2026). These ranks are based on people who tested in 2023, 2024 and 2025. See our guide to MCAT percentiles for the broader score distribution.
The AAMC also explains that the MCAT is scaled and equated rather than graded on a curve (AAMC, 2026). A score is intended to have the same meaning regardless of your test date or the people who tested alongside you. When assessing a lower result, compare it with current school policies and the relevant national data instead of assuming that one label applies everywhere.
The mean for every MCAT test taker sits lower than the applicant mean. Across the 305,494 results behind the current percentile ranks, the mean total score was 500.6 with a standard deviation of 11.2 (AAMC percentile ranks, 2026). A score near 500 is therefore close to the middle of all test takers, even though it falls below the typical MD applicant.
Is a 502 MCAT Score Good Enough for Medical School?
A 502 MCAT score sits at the 55th percentile of all test takers and meets the published minimum at many MD and DO schools, but it is below the 506.3 MD applicant mean (AAMC, 2025). Applicants to U.S. MD schools with a 502-505 score had a 35.4% acceptance rate across the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 cycles (AAMC FACTS Table A-23, 2025).
Several schools publish averages at or near 502. Mercer reports a 502 average for its Class of 2030, and A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona reports a 502 average for its 2025 entering class. At other schools, a 502 is exactly the line: Case Western Reserve, Saint Louis University and Nova Southeastern’s MD program each list 502 as a minimum or secondary-application threshold, so a 502 clears the bar there without being close to their entering-class averages.
What Is the Lowest MCAT Score a Medical School Will Consider?
Among published policies, the lowest figure is a 490 MCAT, which the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine lists as part of its supplemental application screen, with 498 described as competitive (WVSOM, 2026). For MD programs, San Juan Bautista and the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine both list 492, and Oklahoma states that a 492 is not considered competitive.
Acceptance Rates for Lower MCAT Score Ranges
AAMC FACTS Table A-23 reports combined data for applicants and acceptees to U.S. MD-granting medical schools across the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 application cycles (AAMC FACTS Table A-23, 2025). Across all GPA ranges, the acceptance rate was 0.6% for scores below 486, 1.8% for 486-489 and 4% for 490-493. The rate was 11.1% for 494-497, 22.2% for 498-501 and 35.4% for 502-505. Across applicants with all MCAT scores and GPAs, the rate was 45.1%.
These percentages describe the outcomes of national groups rather than your personal probability of admission. Each score band combines applicants with different GPAs and other application circumstances. The figures also concern U.S. MD-granting schools, so you should not apply them to an individual MD school, a DO school or another application route.
Use the ranges to understand how outcomes changed across large groups, not to identify a guaranteed score. School-specific requirements remain the first screen when building your list. After checking those requirements, compare your academic profile with the most relevant GPA and MCAT cells rather than relying only on the all-GPA rate.
The GPA cells show how much the picture shifts inside one score band. In the 498-501 band, applicants with a GPA above 3.79 had a 30.6% acceptance rate, compared with 22.3% for a 3.60-3.79 GPA and 20% for a 3.40-3.59 GPA. In the 502-505 band, the same three GPA groups had rates of 44.9%, 34.7% and 30.3% (AAMC FACTS Table A-23, 2025). In total, 3,466 applicants with a 498-501 score and 7,449 with a 502-505 score were accepted across the three cycles.
MD Schools That Publish Lower Average MCAT Scores
Some MD schools publish an average for a named entering class. An average describes that class and should not be read as the lowest score the school accepted. It also does not show that an applicant with the same score will receive an interview.
Morehouse School of Medicine
The Morehouse School of Medicine fact sheet reports an average MCAT score of 505.6 and an average GPA of 3.64 for the group it labels the Class of 2025 (Morehouse School of Medicine, 2025). That class matriculated 110 students. The class year matters because a later class may have a different profile.
Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
The Marshall University admissions criteria page reports an average MCAT score of 512 for the 2026 entering class, up from 506 for 2025 and 504 for 2024 (Marshall University, 2026). The 2026 class averaged a 3.84 overall GPA. Marshall also states that a minimum MCAT score of 505 is required for consideration, so a score below 505 does not meet its published condition even though earlier classes averaged near that level.
Mercer University School of Medicine
The Mercer University School of Medicine MD application page reports an average MCAT score of 502 in its Class of 2030 profile, with a 3.65 average overall GPA and a 3.55 average BCPM GPA (Mercer University, 2026). The previous Class of 2029 profile reported a 503. Use that figure to understand the published profile of this class, then review the school’s current requirements before applying.
University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine
The UT Tyler School of Medicine admissions statistics report an average MCAT of 503 and an average GPA of 3.81 for entering year 2025 (UT Tyler, 2025). The averages were 506 for entering year 2023 and 505 for 2024, so the school’s published figure has moved down across three classes.
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
The University of New Mexico School of Medicine admissions page reports that its 2026 entering class had an average MCAT composite of 506 and an average cumulative GPA of 3.77 (UNM, 2026). The same page lists minimums of a 3.0 GPA and a 494 MCAT, a gap that shows how far a class average can sit above a school’s floor.
Osteopathic Medical Schools That Publish Their MCAT Averages
The listed DO schools publish their own averages or competitive figures. These figures do not establish a national range for DO admission, although the national mean for students entering DO schools in 2025 was 502.95 (AACOM, 2025). Before adding one to your list, understand the degree pathway as well as the score information. Our MD vs DO guide explains the distinction between the two medical degrees.
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine data report gives a mean MCAT score of 500 and a mean GPA of 3.47 for the 2025 entrance year across its Las Cruces and Melbourne campuses (Burrell, 2025). Because the figure covers both campuses, it should not be presented as a separate campus average.
Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine
The Campbell University student profile reports an average MCAT score of 505, a 3.60 cumulative GPA and a 3.52 science GPA for its most recent matriculated class (Campbell University, 2026). The school describes the figure as its most recent class rather than naming a class year.
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine admissions FAQ lists 504 as its competitive average MCAT score, alongside a 3.45 undergraduate GPA and a 3.35 science GPA (ACOM, 2026). A competitive average is not the same as a minimum and does not promise a particular admissions result.
Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine admissions page reports a 501 average MCAT and a 3.63 average GPA for its Class of 2030 (OCOM, 2026). The school recommends a 500 MCAT and a 3.2 cumulative and science GPA, and it presents those figures as recommendations rather than fixed minimums.
A.T. Still University in Arizona and Missouri
A.T. Still University publishes program sheets for both of its osteopathic colleges. The School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona sheet reports a 502 average MCAT and 3.57 average GPA for the 2025 entering class, and the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine sheet reports a 503 average MCAT and 3.69 average GPA for the same year (A.T. Still University, 2025).
Marian University and Pacific Northwest University
The Marian University Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine profile reports a 503 average MCAT and 3.78 cumulative GPA for its Class of 2030 (Marian University, 2026). The Pacific Northwest University fast facts report a 503 average of matriculants’ highest MCAT scores and a 3.6 cumulative GPA for fall 2025 (PNWU, 2025).
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine lists a 503 average MCAT and a 3.60 average science GPA on its application requirements page, without naming a class year (WVSOM, 2026). Its supplemental application screen starts at a 490 MCAT and a 3.0 science GPA, with 498 described as a competitive MCAT.
Medical Schools With Published Minimum MCAT Scores
A published minimum can describe different stages of application review. Read the wording closely to determine whether it controls initial consideration, receipt of a secondary, file review or interview eligibility. Meeting a minimum means you have cleared that stated score condition. It does not mean your score is competitive or that the school will advance your application.
San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
The San Juan Bautista MD admission requirements state that the school will consider a minimum MCAT score of 492. Its separate student FAQ lists 495 as the minimum MCAT score to be considered for an interview. The two figures describe different points in the process, so they should not be treated as interchangeable.
The same FAQ reports an average MCAT of 499 and an average general GPA of 3.57 for the class admitted in 2021, the most recent class profile the school publishes (San Juan Bautista, 2021). That is the lowest published MD class average in this guide, but it describes a class that entered several cycles ago.
Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine
The Universidad Central del Caribe admission requirements state that the school considers only MCAT scores of 494 or above (UCC, 2026). An applicant below that level does not meet the published score condition.
Ponce Health Sciences University St. Louis Campus
The Ponce Health Sciences University St. Louis campus FAQ lists a minimum MCAT score of 494 for its MD program, along with a minimum cumulative and science GPA of 2.7 (PHSU, 2026). This figure belongs specifically to the St. Louis campus and should not be assigned to another Ponce campus.
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
The UTRGV School of Medicine requirements state that MCAT scores below 495 are not considered. The school also sends scores below the 50th percentile to a special admissions subcommittee, which is a separate policy from the 495 floor. The same page requires a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.2 science GPA (UTRGV, 2026).
University of South Alabama Whiddon College of Medicine
The University of South Alabama application page requires a minimum MCAT score of 495 to receive a secondary application for the 2027 cycle (University of South Alabama, 2026). This is a cycle-specific requirement tied to the secondary stage.
University of Mississippi School of Medicine
The University of Mississippi academic metrics policy requires a minimum total MCAT score of 496, with every section at 121 or higher, for file review and an interview invitation (UMMC, 2026). Looking only at the total could therefore miss a section-level requirement.
The school’s Class of 2030 welcome reports an average MCAT of 506 and an average BCPM GPA of 3.79 for that class (UMMC, 2026), ten points above the 496 floor.
Howard University College of Medicine
The Howard University admission information requires an MCAT score of 497 or above for interview eligibility beginning with the 2026-2027 application cycle. Applicants should distinguish this interview threshold from an entering-class average, which Howard gives as a 505 mean for its matriculating class without naming the year (Howard University, 2026).
LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine
The LSU Health Shreveport academic requirements do not set a minimum MCAT score. The absence of a published minimum does not identify the lowest score admitted or establish that every submitted score will be competitive. The same page reports that successful applicants in recent years averaged a 507 MCAT and a 3.7 to 3.8 GPA (LSU Health Shreveport, 2026).
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
The LECOM entrance requirements describe an MCAT score at the 50th percentile or higher as competitive. LECOM may also use an Academic Index Score instead of MCAT scores. A percentile-based competitive standard and an alternative index are different from a fixed minimum total score.
LECOM’s 2025-2026 College of Medicine catalog adds a hard floor: a minimum MCAT of 497 on an exam taken within the past five years, or a minimum Academic Index Score of 110 for applicants using that route (LECOM, 2025). The entrance requirements page also lists a 2.7 minimum overall GPA.
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine catalog requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a minimum total MCAT of 492, and it states that these scores are not considered competitive (OU College of Medicine, 2026). The 492 matches San Juan Bautista as the lowest published MD minimum in this guide.
Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
The OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine requirements list a minimum MCAT of 492, a 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 2.75 pre-professional science GPA (OSU-COM, 2026). The page describes a competitive applicant as one with a 3.6 GPA and an MCAT of 500 or higher.
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine
The UMKC School of Medicine requirements set a minimum MCAT score of 495 with a 3.0 cumulative and BCPM GPA (UMKC, 2026). Out-of-state applicants from outside Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Illinois face a higher 3.5 GPA requirement.
University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine
The University of Utah MD requirements use a sliding scale instead of a single floor (University of Utah, 2026). An MCAT of 494-497 requires an undergraduate GPA of 3.80 or higher, a 498-499 requires 3.60 and a 500 requires 3.00. Read your score and GPA together against that grid.
Other Published Minimums Below 500
Several more schools publish MCAT floors under 500. Oregon Health & Science University lists a 497 MCAT and 2.80 GPA (OHSU, 2026), and the University of Kansas does not review applications with a 496 or below (KU School of Medicine, 2026). Carle Illinois (Carle Illinois, 2026), Southern Illinois University (SIU, 2026) and the University of Louisville (University of Louisville, 2026) each require a 498, and UNLV’s Kerkorian School of Medicine requires a 499 (UNLV, 2026).
Among DO programs, the Valley College of Osteopathic Medicine lists a 497 (Valley COM, 2026), the University of Northern Colorado College of Osteopathic Medicine a 498 with no section below 123 (UNC, 2026) and Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine a 499 (Liberty University, 2026). Each of these figures sets a floor, not a target, and each school reviews GPA and the rest of the application alongside it.
Published MCAT Figures at a Glance
The table below summarizes the school-published figures discussed above. Check the description column before comparing schools because the entries include class averages, a competitive average, minimums for different review stages and one school with no minimum.
| School | Type | Published MCAT figure | What the figure describes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morehouse School of Medicine | MD | 505.6 average | Class of 2025, as labeled on the fact sheet |
| Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine | MD | 512 average; 505 minimum | 2026 entering class; minimum required for consideration |
| Mercer University School of Medicine | MD | 502 average | Class of 2030 profile |
| University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine | MD | 503 average | Entering year 2025 |
| University of New Mexico School of Medicine | MD | 506 average; 494 minimum | 2026 entering class; current minimum |
| Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 500 mean | 2025 entrance year, both campuses |
| Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 505 average | Most recent class matriculated |
| Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 504 competitive average | School's stated competitive average |
| Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 501 average | Class of 2030 |
| A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona | DO | 502 average | 2025 entering class |
| A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 503 average | 2025 entering class |
| Marian University Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 503 average | Class of 2030 |
| Pacific Northwest University College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 503 average | Fall 2025 matriculants, highest MCAT |
| West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 503 average; 490 screen | Average with no class year; supplemental application screen |
| San Juan Bautista School of Medicine | MD | 492 minimum; 499 average | Minimum score considered; class admitted in 2021 |
| University of Oklahoma College of Medicine | MD | 492 minimum | Stated as not competitive |
| Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 492 minimum | Current admissions requirement |
| Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine | MD | 494 minimum | Only scores of 494 or above considered |
| Ponce Health Sciences University (St. Louis campus) | MD | 494 minimum | Minimum MCAT for the MD program |
| University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine | MD | 494 with a 3.80 GPA | Sliding scale; a 500 needs a 3.00 GPA |
| University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine | MD | 495 minimum | Scores below 495 not considered |
| University of South Alabama Whiddon College of Medicine | MD | 495 minimum | Needed to receive a secondary application |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine | MD | 495 minimum | Current admissions requirement |
| University of Mississippi School of Medicine | MD | 496 minimum; 506 average | For file review and interview, with every section at 121 or higher; Class of 2030 average |
| Howard University College of Medicine | MD | 497 minimum; 505 mean | For interview eligibility, starting with the 2026-2027 cycle; matriculating class mean |
| Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine | MD | 497 minimum | Minimum qualifier |
| University of Kansas School of Medicine | MD | 497 minimum | Scores of 496 or below not reviewed |
| Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 497 minimum | 2025-2026 catalog; 50th percentile described as competitive |
| Valley College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 497 minimum | Current admissions requirement |
| University of Louisville School of Medicine | MD | 498 minimum | Minimum academic threshold |
| University of Northern Colorado College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 498 minimum | No section below 123 |
| Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV | MD | 499 minimum | Required score |
| Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine | DO | 499 minimum | Current admissions requirement |
| LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine | MD | No minimum; 507 average | School does not require a minimum MCAT score; successful applicants in recent years |
Use the table to identify schools for closer review rather than treating every number as the same kind of admissions benchmark. Confirm that the figure applies to the correct school, campus, class or application cycle. For GPA and MCAT figures at every U.S. MD and DO school, see our chart of average GPA and MCAT scores by medical school.
Applying With a High GPA and a Low MCAT
A high GPA does not create a universal exchange in which a particular GPA cancels out a lower MCAT score. The AAMC grid can show how groups with different combinations performed, but it cannot determine what will happen to your application.
In the combined 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 data, applicants with a total GPA above 3.79 and an MCAT score of 494-497 had an 18.5% acceptance rate, representing 416 acceptees among 2,247 applicants. Applicants with a GPA from 3.60-3.79 and an MCAT score of 506-509 had a 45.4% rate, representing 3,212 acceptees among 7,069 applicants (AAMC FACTS Table A-23, 2025). Our guide to the MCAT GPA grid provides the broader context for reading these cells.
The comparison shows why you should consider GPA and MCAT together without assuming that either number controls the result alone. These are outcomes for aggregated groups of applicants to U.S. MD-granting schools. They are not school-specific thresholds or individual predictions.
Some schools write the trade-off into policy. The University of Utah’s sliding scale accepts a 494-497 MCAT only with a GPA of 3.80 or higher, and the University of Missouri requires out-of-state applicants with a 500-501 MCAT to hold at least a 3.60 GPA (University of Missouri, 2026). Where a school publishes a grid like this, it replaces general advice about GPA offsetting a score.
How to Respond to a Lower MCAT Score
Start by checking whether your score meets each school’s stated requirements, including any total-score, section-score or percentile conditions. Separate schools where you clear the published threshold from schools where you do not. Then compare your result with class averages and competitive figures without mislabeling those figures as minimums.
Review How Schools Use Multiple Scores
According to the AAMC, medical schools handle multiple MCAT scores differently (AAMC MCAT FAQ, 2026). Some weigh every score equally while noting improvement, some use the most recent score, some average the scores and some use the highest. The University of Mississippi, for example, uses the highest score for consideration but states that its committee reviews all scores. Do not assume that every school will focus only on your best result.
Decide Whether a Retest Fits Your Situation
Compare your current result with the requirements of the schools you are considering. If a higher score would bring additional schools within range, review our guide to retaking the MCAT. Before deciding, use a timed practice result and the MCAT score calculator to organize the score information available to you. Treat any estimated practice result as an estimate rather than an official MCAT score.
Understand Voids and Missed Exams
The AAMC states that medical schools have no record of exams you void or miss. However, voids and no-shows still count toward MCAT testing limits (AAMC MCAT FAQ, 2026). That distinction matters when considering another test date because an exam can affect your testing-limit record even when a medical school does not receive a score from it.
Strengthen the Rest of Your Application
The AAMC notes that admissions officers read MCAT scores alongside experiences, attributes, demographics and transcripts (AAMC, 2026). Supervised patient contact is one of the clearest ways to add to the experience side of that list. A pre-medicine internship gives applicants with lower scores direct clinical experience they can describe in essays and interviews while they prepare to retest or apply.
How to Build a More Focused School List
Build your list from current, school-specific information. Record whether each published figure is an average, competitive score or minimum, then note the class, cycle or campus attached to it. Remove any school where your score does not meet a stated floor. Where no minimum appears, do not invent one from an average or from another website.
You can also review our guide to medical schools that do not require the MCAT and our resource on average GPA and MCAT scores by medical school. Check every school’s own admissions page before making a final decision because the type and period of each figure determine how you should use it.
Residency can matter as much as the score itself. Several public schools publish different floors for in-state and out-of-state applicants. The Medical University of South Carolina, for example, lists a 500 MCAT minimum for South Carolina residents and a 511 for out-of-state applicants (MUSC, 2026), so a lower score usually fits best at public schools in your own state.
Your Next Steps With a Lower MCAT Score
A lower MCAT score calls for a careful comparison, not an automatic decision to apply everywhere or abandon your plans. Identify the schools where you meet every published condition, distinguish minimums from averages and review how each school treats multiple attempts.
If you are considering another exam, begin with an MCAT practice test and a realistic review of your target schools. Use the result to decide what needs further preparation, then reassess your school list before submitting applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Considered a Low MCAT Score?
There is no single MCAT score that every medical school defines as low. For context, U.S. MD applicants in 2025-2026 had a mean of 506.3 and matriculants had a mean of 512.1, but these national means are not school minimums. Compare your score with each school’s published requirements, averages and competitive figures.
Which Medical Schools Accept Low MCAT Scores?
Several MD and DO schools publish averages near 500 or minimums in the 490s. Examples in this guide include Mercer (502), UT Tyler (503), Morehouse (505.6), Burrell (500), Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine (501) and Campbell (505), along with schools that publish minimums from 492 to 499. A published figure does not establish the lowest score admitted or guarantee acceptance.
What Is the Lowest MCAT Score Accepted Into Medical School?
No universal lowest accepted MCAT score is established by the school records in this guide. San Juan Bautista and the University of Oklahoma list a 492 minimum for MD applicants, and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine uses a 490 supplemental screen. A consideration threshold does not prove that any student was admitted with that score.
Do DO Schools Accept Lower MCAT Scores?
Some DO schools publish averages near 500, but the available school figures do not support a universal DO score range. Burrell reports a mean of 500 for its 2025 entrance year, Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine reports a 501 average for its Class of 2030 and ACOM lists 504 as its competitive average. The national DO matriculant mean for 2025 was 502.95.
Can a High GPA Make Up for a Low MCAT Score?
A high GPA can strengthen your academic profile, but it does not guarantee that a school will overlook a lower MCAT score. In the AAMC’s aggregated grid, applicants with a GPA above 3.79 and an MCAT of 494-497 had an 18.5% acceptance rate. That group result is not a prediction for an individual applicant.
Is a 500 MCAT Score Low?
A 500 can be considered lower in some admissions comparisons, but its meaning depends on the school. It is at the 48th percentile in the ranks effective from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. Burrell also reports a mean of 500 for its 2025 entrance year, showing why a percentile and a school-specific figure answer different questions.
Should I Retake the MCAT If My Score Is Low?
Consider a retake if your current score falls below the requirements of schools you would otherwise pursue or if a higher result would materially change your school list. First check how each school treats multiple attempts because schools may use all scores, the most recent, an average or the highest score.
Do Medical Schools See All of Your MCAT Scores?
Schools can review multiple reported MCAT scores, but they use them in different ways. Some weigh every score, some use the most recent, some average the results and some use the highest. Schools have no record of an exam you void or miss, although a void or no-show still counts toward testing limits.
Is a 502 MCAT Score Good?
A 502 is at the 55th percentile of all MCAT test takers but below the 506.3 mean for MD applicants. U.S. MD applicants scoring 502-505 had a 35.4% acceptance rate across three recent cycles. Mercer reports a 502 average for its Class of 2030, and several schools use 502 as a minimum.
Which MD Schools Have the Lowest Average MCAT?
Among MD schools that publish class figures, San Juan Bautista reports a 499 average for its class admitted in 2021, Mercer a 502 for its Class of 2030 and UT Tyler a 503 for entering year 2025. Morehouse reports 505.6, and the University of Mississippi and University of New Mexico each report 506.
