Name: Best Medical Schools in California (2026)
Creator: AdmitBase
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Question 1

How many LCME-accredited medical schools are in California?

Accepted Answer

There are 13 LCME-accredited medical schools in California that AdmitBase tracks, including Stanford University School of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine and UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Each is listed below with its MCAT median, GPA median, acceptance rate, and tuition.

Question 2

What are the best medical schools in California?

Accepted Answer

By admissions selectivity and outcomes, the highest-ranked medical schools in California are Stanford University School of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine and UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Rankings are based on AAMC and published school admissions data, not opinion surveys — see the full California table below.

Question 3

What MCAT score and GPA do you need for medical schools in California?

Accepted Answer

Across California medical schools, admitted students have a median MCAT of about 514 and a median GPA of about 3.70. Selective programs sit well above this; regional programs admit below it. Compare your own numbers school-by-school using the AdmitBase match calculator.

Question 4

How hard is it to get into medical schools in California?

Accepted Answer

The median acceptance rate among California medical schools is about 4.5%, ranging from roughly 2.1% at the most selective to 9.5% at the least. Your individual odds depend on your MCAT and GPA versus each school's medians.

Question 5

Is it easier to get into a medical school as a California resident?

Accepted Answer

At public medical schools in California, in-state residents often pay substantially lower tuition and, for some programs, face a more favorable applicant pool. Private programs generally apply one tuition rate and evaluate residents and non-residents the same way. Residency advantage varies by school — check each California listing below.

#	School	MCAT	GPA	Accept %	Tuition
5	Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, CA	518	3.94	2.2%	$69,663
14	UCSF School of Medicine San Francisco, CA	517	3.80	3.3%	$40,698
19	UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine Los Angeles, CA	517	3.79	2.5%	$13,140
27	UC San Diego School of Medicine La Jolla, CA	514	3.83	2.1%	$43,503
33	USC Keck School of Medicine Los Angeles, CA	516	3.67	5.1%	$74,480
44	UC Davis School of Medicine Sacramento, CA	512	3.70	3.5%	$45,084
45	UC Irvine School of Medicine Irvine, CA	514	3.73	4.5%	$40,710
105	Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine Pasadena, CA	514	3.74	3.1%	—
117	Loma Linda University School of Medicine Loma Linda, CA	506	3.60	9.5%	$51,500
135	University of California Riverside School of Medicine Riverside, CA	505	3.58	4.5%	$13,140
136	Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Los Angeles, CA	502	3.52	5.8%	$42,000
147	California University of Science and Medicine School of Medicine Colton, CA	506	3.55	4.5%	$70,000
155	California Northstate University College of Medicine Elk Grove, CA	507	3.58	5.5%	$60,000

Best Medical Schools in California (2026)

Medical Schools in California, Ranked

Medical Schools in California: FAQ

How many LCME-accredited medical schools are in California?

What are the best medical schools in California?

What MCAT score and GPA do you need for medical schools in California?

How hard is it to get into medical schools in California?

Is it easier to get into a medical school as a California resident?

See Your Match at California Medical Schools