What Is a Good MCAT Score?

A good MCAT score is one that supports your goals when compared with current percentile ranks, national applicant and matriculant averages and the academic profiles relevant to the medical schools you are considering. There is no single score in the 472 to 528 range that is equally good for every applicant.

The most useful comparison depends on what you want to learn. Percentiles show how your result compares with other test takers, national means provide admissions benchmarks and acceptance-rate data shows historical outcomes for groups of U.S. MD applicants. None of these measures can determine your individual admissions result.

Good MCAT Score Benchmarks at a Glance

• The 2025-2026 mean was 506.3 for applicants and 512.1 for matriculants at U.S. MD-granting medical schools.
• A score should be read with its current percentile rank, which compares it with results from recent test takers.
• Historical acceptance rates rise across higher MCAT ranges, but the figures describe groups across all GPAs rather than personal admission odds.
• Section balance, GPA, school-specific benchmarks and your full application affect how useful a particular total score may be.

What Counts as a Good MCAT Score?

A good MCAT score is best understood through several comparisons rather than one universal cutoff. The MCAT total scale runs from 472 to 528, with a midpoint of 500. Each of the four sections is scored from 118 to 132, with a midpoint of 125. The AAMC scales and equates results so that a score carries the same meaning regardless of your test date or the people who tested with you.

For U.S. MD admissions, the national applicant and matriculant means provide more useful context than the scale midpoint alone. According to the AAMC, applicants had a mean total score of 506.3 in 2025-2026, while matriculants had a mean of 512.1. A score near the applicant mean therefore represents a different benchmark from a score near or above the matriculant mean.

Percentile rank adds another comparison. It represents the percentage of test takers who earned the same or a lower score. The AAMC updates ranks every May using results from the most recent three testing years. The ranks in effect from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027 use results from people who tested in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

You should not confuse the score-scale midpoint with the observed median result. The scale midpoint is 500, but the current table places 500 at the 48th percentile and 501 at the 52nd percentile. That makes 501 the observed median score in the current percentile table.

MCAT Scores Compared Score by Score

The score table below lets you compare selected totals using three different measures. The percentile column shows your standing among recent test takers. The applicant and matriculant columns place the score above or below the corresponding 2025-2026 mean. The acceptance-rate column reports the historical result for the score’s range across all GPAs, not a personal prediction.

The percentile ranks come from the AAMC MCAT percentile ranks in effect from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. The mean comparisons use AAMC FACTS Table A-16 for 2025-2026, while the range outcomes use FACTS Table A-23 for the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 application cycles combined.

Are Scores From 505 to 509 Good?

Scores from 505 to 509 can be useful results, but they do not occupy the same position against national benchmarks. A 505 is at the 64th percentile and sits below the 2025-2026 applicant mean. A 507, 508 or 509 is above that applicant mean, with percentile ranks of 71, 74 and 76 respectively. Each remains below the matriculant mean.

Are Scores From 510 to 513 Good?

Scores from 510 to 513 compare favorably with the national applicant mean. A 510 is at the 79th percentile, while 511 is the lowest score reaching at least the 80th percentile under the current ranks. A 512 is close to the matriculant mean and a 513 is above it. Use the table above to compare each result without treating the difference between neighboring scores as a final admissions decision.

Are Scores From 514 to 520 Good?

Scores from 514 through 520 are all above the 2025-2026 matriculant mean. A 515 is the lowest score reaching at least the 90th percentile, while 518 is the first score at the 95th percentile. A 520 ranks at the 97th percentile. These are strong national comparisons, but your school list and the rest of your academic record still determine how a score fits your application goals.

For a fuller explanation of how ranks work across the score scale, see IMA’s guide to MCAT percentiles.

Average MCAT Scores for Applicants and Matriculants

National means help you distinguish the average applicant profile from the average profile of someone who entered a U.S. MD-granting medical school. They are comparison points, not minimum scores that every school applies.

The AAMC FACTS Table A-16 reports the 2025-2026 MCAT and GPA means for 54,699 applicants and 23,440 matriculants to U.S. MD-granting medical schools.

The table shows a 506.3 mean total MCAT score for applicants and a 512.1 mean for matriculants. The corresponding standard deviations were 10 and 6.5. It also reports mean total GPAs of 3.67 for applicants and 3.81 for matriculants, along with mean science GPAs of 3.57 and 3.75. If you need more context for those academic measures, IMA’s guide can help you assess whether your GPA is competitive.

The six-year comparison shows relatively modest movement in the national MCAT means. The matriculant mean rose from 511.5 in 2020-2021 to 512.1 in 2025-2026. The applicant mean moved from 506.4 to 506.3 over the same period. These figures retain their actual academic years and should not be relabeled as current-year data after a later page edit.

The AAMC table includes two qualifications that matter when interpreting the results. About 2% of people apply each year without MCAT scores, so they are excluded from the MCAT means. Beginning with 2025-2026, the MCAT figures also include exam scores reported through August.

Acceptance Rates by MCAT Score Range

Acceptance rates by score range show how groups of applicants performed across recent application cycles. They can show broad patterns, but they cannot tell you the probability that you personally will receive an offer.

The AAMC FACTS Table A-23 reports applicants, acceptees and acceptance rates for U.S. MD-granting medical schools across all GPAs, combining the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 application cycles.

The table above shows higher group acceptance rates across progressively higher MCAT ranges. Its overall row covers 155,940 applicants and 70,289 acceptees, an acceptance rate of 45.1% across all included scores and GPAs. This does not mean an individual applicant had a 45.1% chance of acceptance.

The phrase “across all GPAs” is an important limit. Applicants within the same MCAT band can have different GPAs, so the band-level result combines varied academic profiles. Use IMA’s MCAT GPA grid when you need to examine how the two measures correspond in the historical AAMC data.

These percentages are also aggregated across three application cycles. They describe the applicants and acceptees represented in that dataset, not a school-specific policy, an admissions requirement or a guarantee. Read them as context for building a realistic school list rather than as a prediction.

Good MCAT Scores by Application Goal

The right MCAT benchmark depends on the comparison you are trying to make. If you want to compare yourself with the national applicant pool, the AAMC’s 2025-2026 applicant mean of 506.3 is relevant. If you want to compare your result with students who entered U.S. MD programs that year, the matriculant mean of 512.1 provides a more selective reference point.

Your total score does not show whether performance was even across the exam. In the AAMC’s 2025-2026 data, matriculant section means were 128 in Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, 127 in Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, 128.2 in Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems and 129 in Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior. Applicant means were 126.4, 125.8, 126.7 and 127.5 in those sections.

Comparing your section results with these means can help you identify where your total came from. Two examinees can earn the same total through different combinations of section scores. That comparison does not establish how a particular school will evaluate the difference, but it gives you a clearer basis for reviewing balance.

National means cannot replace school-specific research. Use IMA’s guide to average GPA and MCAT scores by medical school when comparing your result with individual programs. Treat any reported average as a description of a group, not an automatic minimum for admission.

What to Do If Your MCAT Score Is Below Average

A score below a national mean should prompt a closer review of your goals, not an automatic conclusion that you cannot apply. First identify which benchmark you are below. A result can fall below the matriculant mean while remaining above the applicant mean or above most test takers by percentile rank.

Next, compare your score with the programs you are considering. IMA’s guide to medical schools that accept lower MCAT scores can help you begin that research without treating one national figure as a universal school cutoff.

If you are considering another attempt, remember that schools do not all handle multiple scores in the same way. The AAMC reports that some weigh every score equally while noting improvement, some use the most recent score, some average multiple results and some use the highest. Review the policies relevant to your intended programs before deciding whether retaking the MCAT serves your goals.

You should also understand the effect of voiding or missing an exam. Medical schools do not receive a record of an exam that you void or miss, but a void or no-show still counts toward MCAT testing limits. That makes the decision important even when no score reaches schools.

How to Raise Your MCAT Score

Improving your MCAT score starts with identifying why you missed questions and then checking whether your revised approach works under test conditions. Review content gaps, reasoning errors and pacing problems separately. A general feeling that a section went poorly is less useful than knowing which type of mistake recurred.

Use a full-length MCAT practice test to establish a comparison point. Afterward, review incorrect and unanswered questions rather than focusing only on the total. The AAMC scores wrong answers the same as unanswered questions, with no additional wrong-answer penalty, so you should respond to every question when time permits.

Once you have practice results, use IMA’s MCAT score calculator to estimate or convert a practice result for comparison with the benchmarks on this page. Treat the result as an estimate, not an official score. Use it to track whether your practice performance is moving toward the applicant, matriculant or percentile benchmark that fits your goal.

Do not interpret changes between practice forms as evidence that the MCAT is curved against a particular testing group. The AAMC states that the exam is scaled and equated, not graded on a curve. Your score is intended to retain the same meaning regardless of the date or the other examinees testing with you.

Deciding Whether Your MCAT Score Fits Your Goals

A good MCAT score is the one that fits the schools you plan to apply to and the rest of your application. Compare your result with national averages, percentile ranks and the averages at your target schools, then decide whether to apply now, adjust your school list or prepare for another attempt.

If you decide to test again, plan the timing so your new score arrives when you need it. IMA’s guide to MCAT registration and test dates can help you choose a date.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Good MCAT Score?

A good MCAT score compares well with the benchmark that matters for your goal. In 2025-2026, U.S. MD applicants had a mean of 506.3 and matriculants had a mean of 512.1, so a score can be above the applicant mean while remaining below the matriculant mean.

What Is a Good MCAT Score Range?

A useful good MCAT score range begins with the benchmark you want to meet rather than a universal cutoff. Scores near 506.3 align with the 2025-2026 applicant mean, while scores near 512.1 align with the matriculant mean for U.S. MD-granting schools.

Is 510 a Good MCAT Score?

Yes, 510 is above the 2025-2026 applicant mean and ranks at the 79th percentile under the ranks effective from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. It remains below the 512.1 matriculant mean, so its strength depends on your target programs and other academic measures.

Is 515 a Good MCAT Score?

Yes, 515 is a strong score against national benchmarks. It is above the 2025-2026 matriculant mean of 512.1 and is the lowest score that reaches at least the 90th percentile in the current AAMC ranks.

Is 505 a Good MCAT Score?

A 505 can be a useful score, but it is below the 2025-2026 applicant and matriculant means for U.S. MD-granting schools. It ranks at the 64th percentile under the current ranks, so compare it with the programs you are considering before deciding whether to apply or retest.

Is 520 a Good MCAT Score?

Yes, 520 is well above the national applicant and matriculant means. It ranks at the 97th percentile under the ranks effective from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, although no percentile or national average guarantees admission.

What Is the Average MCAT Score for Medical School Matriculants?

The average MCAT score for matriculants to U.S. MD-granting medical schools was 512.1 in 2025-2026. The AAMC reported a standard deviation of 6.5 for that matriculant mean.

Is the MCAT Graded on a Curve?

No, the MCAT is not graded on a curve. The AAMC scales and equates the exam so that scores have the same meaning regardless of when you test or who takes the exam with you.