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Medical school chances with a 521 MCAT

The AAMC reports that 71.3% of applicants with an MCAT above 517 and a GPA of 3.60–3.79 were accepted to at least one US MD-granting school (1,842 of 2,582, 2023-24 to 2025-26 combined). A 521 MCAT is at or above the median MCAT on file at 159 of 161 US medical schools in AdmitBase's data, and within 3 points below it at 2 more. 131 of those 161 school medians are approximate, not read from the school's own class profile, and are marked.

159

medical schools where 521 is at or above the median

2

medical schools where 521 is 1 to 3 points under the median

0

medical schools where 521 is more than 3 points under

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Acceptance rate with an MCAT above 517, by GPA Published

Share of applicants accepted to at least one US MD-granting school, 2023-24 to 2025-26 combined. The AAMC groups scores into bands, so 521 shares these figures with every score in its band. This is a national total for the whole application list, not the rate at any one school.

GPAApplicantsAcceptedRate
above 3.7914,13811,77383.3%
3.60–3.792,5821,84271.3%
3.40–3.5986557466.4%
3.20–3.3935421560.7%
3.00–3.191296046.5%

Source: AAMC FACTS Table A-23. GPA bands with fewer than 50 applicants are not shown.

521 is at or above the median MCAT (159)

At these schools 521 is at or above the middle of the entering class. Highest medians first.

SchoolMCAT medianGPA median
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and SurgeonsNY≈5213.90
Harvard Medical SchoolMA≈5213.96
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNY≈5213.85
Mayo Clinic Alix School of MedicineMN5213.95
Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineIL5213.93
University of Chicago Pritzker School of MedicineIL≈5213.89
Vanderbilt University School of MedicineTN≈5213.88
Weill Cornell MedicineNY≈5213.87
Yale School of MedicineCT≈5213.88
Johns Hopkins School of MedicineMD≈5203.94
University of Virginia School of MedicineVA≈5203.91
USF Morsani College of MedicineFL≈5203.96
Washington University in St. Louis School of MedicineMO≈5203.92
Duke University School of MedicineNC≈5193.84
Baylor College of MedicineTX≈5183.86
Stanford University School of MedicineCA≈5183.94
UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineTX≈5183.86
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineMA5173.84
Brown University Warren Alpert Medical SchoolRI≈5173.81
Emory University School of MedicineGA≈5173.74
UCLA David Geffen School of MedicineCA≈5173.79
UCSF School of MedicineCA≈5173.80
University of Rochester School of Medicine and DentistryNY≈5173.80
Case Western Reserve University School of MedicineOH≈5163.78
Dartmouth Geisel School of MedicineNH≈5163.77
NYU Grossman Long Island School of MedicineNY≈5163.94
UC Irvine School of MedicineCA516—
University of Arizona College of Medicine – PhoenixAZ≈5163.78
University of Miami Miller School of MedicineFL5163.85
University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePA≈5163.91
USC Keck School of MedicineCA≈5163.67
UT Southwestern Medical SchoolTX5163.89
Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of MedicineFL5153.85
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health SciencesDC≈5153.88
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of MedicineCA5153.86
Rutgers New Jersey Medical SchoolNJ5153.70
Geisinger Commonwealth School of MedicinePA≈5143.87
Georgetown University School of MedicineDC5143.74
Stony Brook University Renaissance School of MedicineNY5143.89
Tufts University School of MedicineMA5143.84
UC San Diego School of MedicineCA≈5143.83
University of Central Florida College of MedicineFL5143.90
University of Cincinnati College of MedicineOH≈5143.86
University of Colorado School of MedicineCO≈5143.72
University of Florida College of MedicineFL≈5143.83
Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/NorthwellNY≈5143.74
California Northstate University College of MedicineCA≈5133.83
Carle Illinois College of MedicineIL≈5133.72
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of MedicineIL≈5133.86
Ohio State University College of MedicineOH5133.86
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolNJ5133.74
Saint Louis University School of MedicineMO≈5133.91
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPA≈5133.69
Albany Medical CollegeNY≈5123.82
Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCUTX≈5123.82
Creighton University School of MedicineNE≈5123.88
East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of MedicineTN≈5123.76
Indiana University School of MedicineIN5123.84
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta UniversityGA≈5123.80
NYU Long Island School of MedicineNY≈5123.68
SUNY Upstate Norton College of MedicineNY5123.74
University of Maryland School of MedicineMD5123.84
University of Minnesota Medical SchoolMN≈5123.77
University of North Carolina School of MedicineNC≈5123.72
University of Washington School of MedicineWA≈5123.72
UT Austin Dell Medical SchoolTX≈5123.78
UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical SchoolTX5123.84
VCU School of MedicineVA≈5123.79
Wayne State University School of MedicineMI5123.88
Albert Einstein College of MedicineNY≈5113.68
Medical College of WisconsinWI≈5113.70
MUSC College of MedicineSC≈5113.85
New York Medical CollegeNY≈5113.70
Northeast Ohio Medical University College of MedicineOH5113.75
Penn State College of MedicinePA≈5113.69
Temple University Lewis Katz School of MedicinePA≈5113.61
Tulane University School of MedicineLA≈5113.67
UC Davis School of MedicineCA5113.71
University of Connecticut School of MedicineCT≈5113.73
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolMA≈5113.78
University of Missouri-Columbia School of MedicineMO≈5113.84
University of Vermont Larner College of MedicineVT≈5113.68
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthWI5113.78
UNMC College of MedicineNE5113.84
Virginia Tech Carilion School of MedicineVA≈5113.66
Wake Forest University School of MedicineNC5113.81
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of MedicineFL5103.86
Hackensack Meridian School of MedicineNJ≈5103.64
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at University at BuffaloNY5103.70
Rush Medical CollegeIL≈5103.72
Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at University of UtahUT≈5103.67
University of Iowa Carver College of MedicineIA≈5103.77
University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life SciencesOH5103.81
Drexel University College of MedicinePA≈5093.64
Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLVNV≈5093.78
Oakland University William Beaumont School of MedicineMI≈5093.66
OHSU School of MedicineOR≈5093.66
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech El PasoTX≈5093.84
Quinnipiac University Frank H. Netter MD School of MedicineCT≈5093.62
Southern Illinois University School of MedicineIL≈5093.74
Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont UniversityTN≈5093.64
UAB Heersink School of MedicineAL≈5093.88
University of Arizona College of Medicine – TucsonAZ≈5093.68
University of Kansas School of MedicineKS≈5093.71
University of Missouri-Columbia School of MedicineMO≈5093.83
University of Tennessee College of MedicineTN≈5093.67
Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of MedicineWA≈5093.72
Wright State University Boonshoft School of MedicineOH509—
Texas A&M College of MedicineTX≈5083.75
Uniformed Services University F. Edward Hébert School of MedicineMD≈5083.60
University of Kentucky College of MedicineKY≈5083.84
University of Louisville School of MedicineKY≈5083.78
University of Oklahoma College of MedicineOK≈5083.72
University of South Carolina School of Medicine ColumbiaSC≈5083.65
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of MedicineMI≈5083.63
Cooper Medical School of Rowan UniversityNJ≈5073.61
Florida State University College of MedicineFL≈5073.64
LSU School of Medicine ShreveportLA≈5073.77
Michigan State University College of Human MedicineMI≈5073.63
SUNY Downstate College of MedicineNY≈5073.60
UAMS College of MedicineAR≈5073.85
University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of MedicineHI≈5073.63
University of Illinois College of MedicineIL≈5073.62
University of Texas Medical Branch School of MedicineTX≈5073.62
California University of Science and Medicine School of MedicineCA≈5063.55
East Carolina University Brody School of MedicineNC≈5063.62
Eastern Virginia Medical SchoolVA≈5063.59
Loma Linda University School of MedicineCA≈5063.60
The University of Texas at Tyler School of MedicineTX≈5063.73
University of Houston College of MedicineTX≈5063.60
University of New Mexico School of MedicineNM≈5063.77
University of South Carolina School of Medicine GreenvilleSC≈5063.60
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin UniversityIL≈5053.57
Howard University College of MedicineDC≈5053.52
Roseman University College of MedicineNV≈5053.55
University of California Riverside School of MedicineCA≈5053.58
University of Mississippi School of MedicineMS≈5053.61
University of Nevada Reno School of MedicineNV≈5053.64
West Virginia University School of MedicineWV≈5053.62
Central Michigan University College of MedicineMI≈5043.57
LSU School of Medicine New OrleansLA≈5043.60
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic MedicineFL≈5043.55
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of MedicineTX≈5043.60
University of South Dakota Sanford School of MedicineSD≈5043.64
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of MedicineTX≈5043.58
Mercer University School of MedicineGA≈5033.70
Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic MedicineTX≈5033.55
University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health SciencesND≈5033.60
University of Tennessee Graduate School of MedicineTN≈5033.56
Charles R. Drew University College of MedicineCA≈5023.52
Meharry Medical College School of MedicineTN≈5023.50
University of South Alabama College of MedicineAL≈5023.58
Morehouse School of MedicineGA≈5013.47
Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of MedicineWV≈5003.55
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of MedicineMO≈5003.55
University of Puerto Rico School of MedicinePR≈5003.60
San Juan Bautista School of MedicinePR≈4993.57
Universidad Central del Caribe School of MedicinePR≈4983.50
Ponce Health Sciences University School of MedicinePR≈4973.48

≈ approximate: not yet confirmed against the school's own published class profile.

521 is 1 to 3 points under the median (2)

Below the middle of the class, by a margin a strong GPA and application regularly cover. Closest first.

SchoolMCAT medianGPA median
NYU Grossman School of MedicineNY≈5223.93
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePA5223.98

≈ approximate: not yet confirmed against the school's own published class profile.

Questions about a 521 MCAT

What are my chances of getting into medical school with a 521 MCAT?

The AAMC publishes acceptance rates by MCAT and GPA band (AAMC FACTS Table A-23, 2023-24 to 2025-26 combined). For an MCAT above 517: 83.3% with a GPA above 3.79; 71.3% with a GPA of 3.60–3.79; 66.4% with a GPA of 3.40–3.59; 60.7% with a GPA of 3.20–3.39. Each figure is the share of applicants accepted to at least one US MD school, not the rate at any single school.

Is 521 a good MCAT score?

A 521 is at or above the median MCAT on file at 159 of 161 US medical schools in AdmitBase's data. In the AAMC's national data, 71.3% of applicants with an MCAT above 517 and a GPA of 3.60–3.79 were accepted to at least one MD school. GPA moves that figure a great deal, so read the score together with it.

Which medical schools have a median MCAT of 521 or lower?

AdmitBase has a median MCAT at or below 521 on file for 159 US medical schools. Among the medians confirmed against the school's own class profile, the highest are Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (521), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (521), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (517), UC Irvine School of Medicine (516) and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (516). Being at a school's median is not an acceptance: it means half of that entering class scored at or below this number.

520 MCATOpen the calculator with 521 522 MCAT

medical schools by MCAT score

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Medical School Acceptance RatesMedical School Admissions Guide

School medians are AdmitBase's catalog figures for the year shown; those marked ≈ are approximate and not yet confirmed against the school's own class profile. National rates are the AAMC's. Grouping a school by where one test score falls is a comparison of published numbers, not a prediction. AdmitBase is an independent admissions-data service and is not affiliated with any school, LSAC or the AAMC.