Best Medical Universities in USA 2024 - Tuition Fee, How to Apply, Documents Required

Best Medical Universities in USA - Medical science courses related to healthcare, nursing, pharmacy, and public health are popular choices in the USA. The USA offers advanced and cutting-edge programmes in these fields. For international students, one can pursue the best medical programmes in the US, which provide unmatched opportunities to practice in their chosen field.

This Story also Contains

1. Harvard University
2. Stanford University
3. Yale University
4. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
5. Columbia University
6. University of Pennsylvania (Perelman)
7. Cornell University
8. The University of California, Los Angeles
9. Duke University
10. University of California, San Francisco
11. Cost of studying medicine in the USA

After completing 4 years of theoretical and practical training in medical science, students are awarded an MD degree to practice medicine in a clinical setting as doctors from the best medical universities in the USA. Medical degrees from countries like the USA, China and the UK are widely considered among the best countries for MBBS worldwide.

Candidates must have completed 12th grade with a minimum of 50% in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology to apply to the best medical colleges in USA. In the USA, MBBS is not a bachelor's degree; unlike in India, it is a postgraduate programme (MD).

The MBBS degree in the USA covers a vast area that is considered equivalent to the Doctor of Medicine (MD). Although Indian students need to pass the MCAT exam (Medical College Admission Test) with good scores along with the NEET. Along with that, top medical schools in the USA also require English language test scores, which include TOEFL or IELTS exams, as a compulsory requirement.

Many of the best medical universities in the US use the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) as their primary application method for first-year courses.

International students must have studied for at least one academic year at an accredited college or university in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom before applying for admission to some of the best medical programmes in the US. Aspirants can check out the article on the best medical schools in the US to know more details on colleges, the admission process, the documents required and more.

Best Medical Universities in USA

The universities are ranked for overall performance, which includes the number of intakes, facilities, academics and many more. A subject-specific ranking is also done to place universities from best to good according to the subjects. For medical, the ranking on QS is for life sciences and medicine, whereas in THE ranking it is calculated for clinical, Pre-clinical and health. Here is the list of the best MBBS colleges in the USA; check for references.

Best Medical Universities in USA

Advantages of studying medical courses in the USA

There are plenty of advantages to studying medical courses in the USA, such as the short course duration, excellent facilities, and level of degree. The following are some of the advantages:

• High academic standards: The USA is popular for its quality of education and research. In medical science, the USA has worked well and provides various practical courses and classroom experience.

• Career Opportunities: Graduates from universities in the USA have great opportunities across the globe.

• Practical Experience: Students studying in the USA for medical courses can get experience handling different healthcare equipment and challenges in their training before completing the course.

Harvard University

Harvard University is a prominent private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is one of the top med schools in the USA. It is renowned for its excellent academic performance and world-class research faculties.

Candidates applying to Harvard University Medical School need to have a minimum GPA of 3.9. International students must have studied for at least one academic year at an accredited college or university in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom before applying to university.

Applicants applying at Harvard University for the Medical Science courses are required to submit documents such as academic records, applicant essays, a minimum MCAT test score of 520.59, letters of evaluation, extracurricular activities, summer occupations, life experiences, experience in the health field, and research or community work.

The application for the medical science course will be submitted through AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) with a non-refundable application fee of Rs. 8.3 K (USD 100).

The tuition cost at the university is approximately Rs. 57.5 L (USD 69,300) for medical courses. International students are eligible to apply for need-based financial institutional scholarships and loans.

Stanford University

Stanford University is a private university located in Stanford, USA. The university is the second-leading institution in the world and one of the top 10 public universities in the US Stanford University's acceptance rate is 4%

International students must have studied for at least one academic year at an accredited college or university in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom.

The quarterly tuition cost at the university is Rs. 18.1 L (USD 21,781) for the medical courses. International students can also avail of scholarships, funds and loans to ease the burden of their tuition costs. Some of the scholarships are Private (non-federal) loans from the Office of Global Scholarships and Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Applicants applying to Stanford University Medicine for the Medical Science courses are required to submit documents such as academic records, applicant essays, MCAT scores, letters of evaluation, extracurricular activities, life experiences, experience in the health field, and research or community work. The round 2 application deadline at Stanford Medicine is January 12, 2024.

Yale University

Yale University is a private research university established in 1701 in New Haven, Connecticut, and is renowned for its rich history and academic excellence. The Yale School of Medicine provides programmes related to medical science.

Consistently, the acceptance rate at Yale University is going down, which makes it difficult to enrol in the university. The university’s acceptance rate is approximately 4.5%.

The Yale School of Medicine tuition cost for the academic year 2023-2024 is Rs. 58.2 L (USD 70,184), and the fee will be Rs. 49.8 K (USD 600).

All the applicants applying at Yale University must have strong academics and need to provide academic scores and MCAT exam results, along with LOR, essays, and interviews. The university may also ask for the NEET scores if needed.

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Johns Hopkins is an esteemed university in the world and the US. As per the 2024 review, the university is considered a good medical college in the US. The university offers the best medical course in its school of medicine, which helps several students achieve their goals.

All the applicants need to apply through the AMCAS portal for the medical science course at the university.

For the upcoming academic year, the financial requirement for international students is Rs. 63.6 L (USD 76,744). The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is required for acceptance, along with academic records and a letter of recommendation.

For first-year students, the tuition cost of medical science is Rs. 52.1 L (USD 62,850).

Columbia University

Columbia University is a popular university that caters to various programmes and degree courses. For the medical science course, the university has the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons department, which is among the best medical colleges in America.

Applicants must submit the AMCAS and VP&S secondary applications to be considered for the entering class. A non-refundable secondary application fee of Rs. 9.2 K (USD 110) is required at the time of submission.

The university has recorded nearly 140 total enrolments out of 7203 applications for the medical science programme in 2024. The average tuition cost is approximately Rs. 58.8 L (USD 70,884), whereas the tuition cost for the medical courses, along with the fee, is Rs. 64.7 L (USD 78,052).

Applicants applying to Columbia University Medicine for the Medical Science courses are required to submit documents such as academic records, MCAT scores, letters of recommendation and grades.

University of Pennsylvania (Perelman)

The University of Pennsylvania (Perelman) is a valuable university known for its high-quality research faculties and the growth rate of academics. The university has a wide range of programmes. The university offers a wide range of programmes in the field of medical science in its Perelman School of Medicine.

Applications to the Perelman School of Medicine can be made through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The deadline for the submission of the AMCAS application is October 15.

The tuition cost for the academic year 2023-2024 at the university for medical students is Rs. 54.7 L (USD 65,940), whereas the tuition and fee cost will be around Rs. 59.7 L (USD 71,935). The application fee is Rs. 8.3K (USD 100), which is non-refundable.

After that, the student will receive a supplemental application in their email, which they have to fill out and pay the non-refundable application fee there. Documents required at the University of Pennsylvania (Perelman) are letters of recommendation, MCAT scores, academic transcripts, and interviews.

Cornell University

Cornell University is one of the top research universities, providing a variety of programmes with research facilities. The university has its primary application through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Therefore, students applying to the medical course at Cornell University need to submit the form at AMCAs, after which the university will send a secondary application to the applicant's registered email for further processing.

The tuition cost at the university for the spring 2024 session in medical science is Rs. 28 L (USD 33,700).

Applicants need to provide documents such as 2-3 LORs, MCATs, work experience and more. The supplemental application fee is Rs. 8.3 K (USD 100) at Cornell University for the medical course.

The University of California, Los Angeles

The University of California, Los Angeles, is a top research university known for its academic excellence and practical approach to studies. The university is also considered the best medical school in the US.

The university offers fair medical courses for all of its students, along with practical experience in the field. International applicants applying for the medical courses need to apply through AMCAS.

The tuition cost for MBBS at this good medical college in the US for the first year is Rs. 55.9 L (USD 67,400).

The University of California is considered one of the best medical schools in the U.S. Applicants applying at the university need to provide certain documents and test scores, such as Undergraduate records, Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores, Letters of recommendation, Graduate records (where applicable), Life experiences (research), volunteerism, clinical work, leadership, publications, Admission interviews and AAMC Preview Exam scores (for Traditional MD programme Track applicants only)

Duke University

Duke University is a private research-based university situated in Durham, North Carolina, United States, founded in 1892. The university has maintained its value in academics and research faculties. Duke University is among the best medical schools in the US and offers an excellent range of medical science programmes in its school of medicine.

The university costs around Rs. 57.5 L (USD 68,147) for the medical scientist training programme (MD/Ph.D.). For the selection process, the university requires MCAT, academic scores, interviews, LORs and many other details that will be submitted during the second application submission. The primary application should be through the AMCAS portal.

University of California, San Francisco

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public research university and a part of the University of California system in San Francisco, California. The university is known for health science and life science; various research is conducted on medical science as well. The university is among the top 10 MBBS universities in the US.

The non-refundable application fee for international students applying for medical courses is Rs. 8.3K (USD 100).

The tuition cost for the medical courses at the university varies as per the programmes like medicine, nursing, Dentistry and more. Here is the list of tuition costs for the academic year 2023-2024 for international students.

Tuition Fee for Medical Science

Applicants applying for the medical science courses at the university need to have a good MCAT score along with all the related documents, such as LORs, academic and transcript records, Interview and more, as per the programme requirements.

How to Apply for MBBS in the US?

• Visit the official site of the university or AMCAS.

• Select the programme of choice.

• Select the international applicant section.

• Create an account with a registered email address.

• Log in with the credentials and fill out the application form.

• Then, apply.

• After applying, the university will share the acknowledgement along with the second application form.

• Fill out that form and pay the application fee (if applicable).

• Check the application status.

MBBS in US vs India

• MBBS in the US is not a bachelor’s degree; it is a graduate programme (MD).

• The MBBS tuition cost is expensive in the US compared with the average MBBS cost in India.

• MBBS in the US is highly valuable as it covers a vast area of study, both theoretical and practical.

• The course duration of medical science in the US is 4 years, whereas doing MBBS in India will take around 5 and a half years.

• Students can directly apply for MBBS after 112th grade in the US; they just need to study for at least one academic year at an accredited college or university along with good MCAT scores.

• After completing 4 years of MBBS in the US, students need to apply for a residence programme, which is more likely an internship.

Documents Required for MBBS in the US

• Academic and transcript records

• MCAT

• NEET scoreboard (if applicable)

• Letter of recommendation.

• Life experience.

• Interview (if applicable)

• The application should be submitted through AMCAS.

Cost of studying medicine in the USA

The cost of studying MBBS in the USA is significantly higher than the cost of studying in India. The average tuition cost at the cheapest MBBS college is nearly Rs. 14.9 L (USD 18,000). The cost of studying medicine depends on the university the student is applying to. Students applying for medicine courses in the USA have various financial aid options, such as loans, funds, scholarships and bursaries. Many of them can access those benefits from the university end as well.

The cost of studying may also require some additional charges, like book and supply fees, university fees, international student charges, lab charges, research fees or many more, apart from the tuition costs, depending on the departmental needs of the particular university. Therefore, it is recommended to the students that they check the full fee structure before applying.

Additionally, students also need to maintain financial support for living costs, personal expenses, transportation and so on.