If you are asking what MCAT score do you need to get into medical school, there is no single score that works for every MD or DO program. A useful target reflects the published results for the type of program you plan to pursue, the schools on your list and the rest of your academic record.
National applicant and matriculant data can give you a realistic reference point without turning an average into a minimum. You can use those figures to compare MD and DO pathways, assess your practice results and decide whether your current target fits the schools you are considering.
MCAT Score Targets at a Glance
- No national MCAT cutoff determines whether you are competitive for every medical school.
- Recent MD matriculants had a higher national mean MCAT score than MD applicants, while AACOM publishes separate means for students entering DO programs.
- Acceptance rates rise across MCAT ranges in the AAMC data, but those group results do not predict an individual applicant’s outcome.
- Set your target by comparing national data with the published averages and policies of the schools you may apply to.
Is There a Minimum MCAT Score for Medical School?
There is no single national minimum MCAT score for medical school. The AAMC guidance on MCAT score myths says it is a myth that one particular score makes an applicant competitive. Students are accepted with a wide range of scores, and high MCAT scores and GPAs do not guarantee admission.
Admissions officers consider MCAT results alongside experiences, attributes, demographics and transcripts. That means you should treat a target score as one part of your application plan rather than as an admission threshold. A result above a national mean can strengthen your academic profile, but it cannot establish how a specific school will evaluate your full application.
The MCAT total score ranges from 472 to 528, with a midpoint of 500. Each of the four sections ranges from 118 to 132, with a midpoint of 125. These scale limits explain where a score falls on the exam, but they do not create a universal minimum for admission.
MCAT Scores for MD Programs
For U.S. MD-granting medical schools, the AAMC reports that 2025-2026 applicants had a mean 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. These figures cover 54,699 applicants and 23,440 matriculants. If you want more context for interpreting these numbers, IMA’s guide to what counts as a good MCAT score examines that question in detail.
The section means also provide useful comparison points. Applicants averaged 126.4 in Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, 125.8 in Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, 126.7 in Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems and 127.5 in Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior. Matriculants averaged 128, 127, 128.2 and 129 in those sections, respectively.
The same AAMC table reports a mean total GPA of 3.67 for applicants and 3.81 for matriculants. Mean science GPAs were 3.57 and 3.75, respectively. These are national means, not admission requirements, and they should not be used to claim that one MCAT score automatically compensates for a particular GPA.
About 2% of individuals apply each year without MCAT scores and are excluded from the MCAT means. Beginning with the 2025-2026 data, the AAMC figures include exam scores through August. Those notes matter when you compare the national results with data from another year or population.
Acceptance Rates by MCAT Score Range for MD Applicants
AAMC FACTS Table A-23 shows how acceptance rates differed across MCAT ranges for applicants to U.S. MD-granting medical schools, combining the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 application cycles. Across all GPA categories, the overall acceptance rate was 45.1%, representing 70,289 acceptees among 155,940 applicants.
The rate was 22.2% for applicants with scores from 498 to 501 and 35.4% for those from 502 to 505. It increased to 47.1% for scores from 506 to 509, 62.4% for scores from 510 to 513 and 71.2% for scores from 514 to 517. For scores above 517, the rate was 79.9%.
These percentages describe groups of applicants across every GPA category. They are not your personal probability of acceptance. GPA changes the context substantially, so use IMA’s MCAT GPA grid when you want to examine the two academic measures together rather than interpreting an MCAT range by itself.
MCAT Scores for DO Programs
For students entering U.S. osteopathic medical schools in 2025, AACOM reports a mean total MCAT score of 502.95. The mean section scores were 126.75 in Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior, 125.77 in Biological and Biochemical Foundations, 125.44 in Chemical and Physical Foundations and 124.98 in Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills.
AACOM also reports 2025 entering-student mean GPAs of 3.53 for science coursework, 3.73 for non-science coursework and 3.62 overall. As with the MD figures, these averages describe a national population. They are not minimum scores or promises about an individual school’s decision.
In the AACOM Applicant and Matriculant Average MCAT report, the 2024 mean was 502.43 for applicants and 502.97 for matriculants. In 2016, the corresponding means were 500.14 and 502.07. AACOM found that the 2024 means for both applicants and matriculants were lower than in 2023 but higher than in 2016.
For 2024, applicants and matriculants recorded their highest mean section scores in Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior, at 126.64 and 126.80. Their lowest means were in Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, at 124.90 and 124.99.
AACOM’s 2016-2024 averages use each applicant’s most recent attempt, include verified applicants and exclude schools that use the Texas application service. Keep those population limits in mind when comparing the figures with other reports.
The published MD and DO means are different, but you should not turn that comparison into a rule that every DO school accepts a particular lower score. The AAMC also says MCAT preparation does not differ for people applying to MD-granting and DO-granting schools. IMA’s MD vs DO guide can help you consider the degree paths separately from your score target.
What MCAT Score Should You Aim For by Goal?
Your target should reflect the programs you are seriously considering rather than a universal score label. Begin with the appropriate national mean, review your section results and then compare your position with information published for your target schools.
Aiming for MD Programs
Use the 2025-2026 MD matriculant mean of 512.1 as a national reference point, not as a required score. Compare your total result with the applicant and matriculant means, then review how your section scores compare with the national section profiles. A balanced review can reveal whether your overall result is being shaped by one section, even though the national figures do not establish how a particular school weighs each section.
Aiming for DO Programs
Use AACOM’s 2025 entering-student mean of 502.95 as the corresponding national reference for DO programs. Do not assume that reaching the mean guarantees admission or that every program follows it as a cutoff. Your school list should determine whether that reference point fits your plans.
Checking Your Target Schools
Compare your result with the published average GPA and MCAT scores by medical school. An average describes a group and is not necessarily a minimum. Check the correct school and campus, confirm the year represented and look for any stated score policy before deciding that your target is suitable.
Using Percentiles as Additional Context
A percentile rank is the percentage of test takers who received the same or a lower score. In the ranks effective from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, a 500 corresponds to the 48th percentile, a 505 to the 64th, a 510 to the 79th, a 515 to the 91st and a 520 to the 97th. These ranks are based on people who tested in 2023, 2024 and 2025. IMA’s guide to MCAT percentiles provides the fuller score context without turning percentile position into an admission prediction.
What Should You Do If Your MCAT Score Is Below Your Target?
If your score is below your target, first compare the gap with the schools you may apply to rather than reacting to a national mean alone. IMA’s guide to medical schools that accept lower MCAT scores can help you review possible school-list options without treating one score as an automatic rejection.
If you are considering another attempt, remember that medical schools can see all of your scored MCAT exams. According to the AAMC, schools handle multiple scores in different ways. Some weigh all scores equally while noting improvement, some use the most recent result, some average the scores and some use the highest.
Medical schools do not receive a record of an exam you void or miss, but a void or no-show still counts toward testing limits. Review IMA’s guide to retaking the MCAT before deciding whether another attempt fits your timeline and preparation plan.
How Can You Build a Study Plan Around Your Target?
Turn your target into a study plan by identifying the difference between your current performance and the result you want. Use section-level practice to identify where that difference appears, then give your plan enough structure to address those areas while maintaining stronger sections.
IMA’s guide to how to study for the MCAT can help you organize that work. Your plan should connect each study period to a defined purpose, such as reviewing content, practicing passage analysis or checking whether an earlier weakness has improved.
How Can Practice Results Help You Reach Your Target?
Use full-length practice results to compare your present performance with the target you set. 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 tests with you.
An MCAT practice test can show whether your total and section results are moving toward your goal. Review more than one practice result when possible so that a single performance does not drive your entire decision.
If your practice resource provides raw results that need to be estimated on the MCAT scale, use IMA’s MCAT score calculator. Treat the result as an estimate for planning rather than as an official score, then use your remaining study time where the comparison shows the clearest need.
Setting Your Next MCAT Goal
Choose a target that reflects your intended MD or DO path, your target schools and your current practice performance. Revisit it as your school list or practice results change, and leave enough time to prepare before committing to an exam date. IMA’s guide to MCAT registration and test dates can help you plan the next step.
If you want individual help connecting your MCAT target with your broader application plan, you can also review IMA’s medical school admissions consulting. No score can guarantee admission, but a clearly supported target can help you make better decisions about preparation, timing and your school list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What MCAT Score Do You Need for Medical School?
There is no single MCAT score you need for every medical school. Use the appropriate MD or DO national data as a reference, then compare your result with the averages and policies of your target schools. The AAMC says students are accepted across a wide score range and that a high score does not guarantee admission.
Is There a Minimum MCAT Score for Medical School?
There is no national minimum MCAT score that applies to every medical school. A school may have its own policy, so confirm requirements directly for each program on your list instead of treating a national average as a cutoff.
What MCAT Score Do You Need for DO Schools?
No single score applies to every DO school. AACOM reports that students entering U.S. osteopathic medical schools in 2025 had a mean total MCAT score of 502.95, but that mean is a reference point rather than a universal minimum or guarantee.
What Is the Average MCAT Score of Accepted MD Students?
The 2025-2026 mean MCAT score for matriculants at U.S. MD-granting medical schools was 512.1, with a standard deviation of 6.5. This is a matriculant mean across a national population, not a required score for every MD program.
Is a 505 MCAT Score Enough for Medical School?
A 505 may be enough for some applicants and schools, but it does not establish your admission outcome. In the AAMC data combining the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 cycles, applicants across all GPAs with scores from 502 to 505 had a 35.4% acceptance rate at U.S. MD-granting schools. That group rate is not a personal probability.
Is a 510 MCAT Score Enough for Medical School?
A 510 can support an application, but it is not an admission guarantee or a universal cutoff. AAMC data for the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 cycles show a 62.4% acceptance rate across all GPAs for the 510 to 513 range at U.S. MD-granting schools. Your GPA, target schools and other application information still affect how that result should be interpreted.
Do Medical Schools Look at Section Scores?
Check each school’s policy because the national figures do not establish how every medical school weighs individual sections. Your MCAT result includes four section scores, and national applicant and matriculant data report those section means separately, so review both your total result and your section profile when assessing your target.
Do Medical Schools See All of Your MCAT Scores?
Yes, medical schools can see all of your scored MCAT exams. Schools use multiple results in different ways, including considering all scores, the most recent score, an average or the highest result. A voided or missed exam is not reported to schools, although it still counts toward testing limits.
