What is a good MCAT score? Discover the exact GPA and MCAT score to aim for to become a competitive applicant, plus MCAT percentiles
What is a good MCAT score? Find out what you need to achieve to get into medical school.
(Note: This resource also appears in our MCAT Ultimate Guide.)
What You'll Learn
What is a good MCAT score?
How admissions committees evaluate your results through a holistic review process alongside factors like your GPA, extracurricular achievements, personal statement, essays, and letters of recommendation.
MCAT percentiles: What percentile is your score?
How percentiles work across total and sub-section performance to indicate how your results stack up against other test-takers nationwide.
What MCAT score should you aim for?
How to set realistic target goals by balancing your undergraduate GPA with the specific admissions benchmarks of the medical programs you plan to apply to.
How is the MCAT scored?
How raw performance across the four exam sections is converted into a scaled score that accounts for question difficulty and evaluates your true subject mastery.
Where to apply based on your MCAT score: MD vs. DO mix
How to strategically construct a balanced school list of allopathic and osteopathic programs categorized into reach, target, and safety tiers based on your metrics.
Should you retake or void your MCAT?
How to decide whether to void your test at the test center or retake the exam based on your target schools, practice exam trends, and ability to improve your score.
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Introduction to MCAT scores
The thought of taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) unsurprisingly sends chills down premed spines.
After all, despite admissions committees’ constant reminders that the MCAT is just one piece of your overall application, it seems that the results of this one exam can make or break your chances of getting into medical school.
You may be worried that years of academic effort and nonstop extracurriculars for medical school may be shoved aside if you don’t do well on the MCAT. Or even if you think you did well, you may be wondering whether your scores are high enough to help you get into a top-10 or top-20 program. (Check out our list of the average GPA and MCAT score of matriculants at every U.S. medical school.)
Naturally, then, you’d like to know: What is a good MCAT score? What MCAT score do you need to get into medical school? How about to get into the medical schools you actually want to attend?
In this guide, we’re going to dive deep into how the MCAT is structured, what your scores mean, what score you need to achieve to effectively solidify your chances of getting into medical school, and how you should develop your school list based on your MCAT score.
MCAT score overview
A good MCAT score is 511 or higher, which is around the 82nd percentile and near the 512.1 average for students who enrolled in MD programs in 2025–2026. For top-20 schools, aim for 518+ (95th percentile). For DO programs, a score of about 505 is competitive. MCAT scores range from 472 to 528.
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MCAT score quick facts
| MCAT Score Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Score Range | |
| Section Range | |
| Highest Score | |
| 50th Percentile | |
| Average Applicant | |
| Average MD Matriculant |
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What is a good MCAT score?
In general, a good MCAT score is 511 or higher, which is around the 82nd percentile and close to the 512.1 average for students who enrolled in MD programs in 2025–2026. However, what counts as "good" for you depends on where you're applying. About 505 is competitive for many DO programs, and top-20 MD programs typically expect 518 or higher.
Admissions committees practice “holistic review” when evaluating applicants, which means that they consider all of your medical school requirements when deciding whether or not to invite you for a medical school interview. These include:
Grades (including the undergraduate institution you attended)
Extracurricular activities and achievements (i.e., your AMCAS Work and Activities section)
Journey to medicine (via your personal statement)
Fit (via your secondary application essays)
And your MCAT scores
Moreover, each medical school receives applications from candidates with varying degrees of grades, MCAT scores, and experiences. Therefore, MCAT scores that may be competitive for one school may not be competitive at another school.
For example, depending on your GPA, a 514 MCAT score might be sufficient for, say, University of Florida College of Medicine (515 average MCAT score) and other medical schools in Florida, but not for NYU Medical School (523 average MCAT score).
Collectively, then, a “good MCAT score” will depend on the strength of the other pieces of your application, as well as the schools to which you intend to apply (e.g., top-25 only vs. top-50; MD only vs. DO only vs. MD and DO).
Good MCAT scores by goal: DO, MD, and top-20 program
| Goal | ||
|---|---|---|
| DO programs | ||
| MD programs | ||
| Top-20 MD programs |
Is a 505, 510, 511, 515, or 520 a good MCAT score?
*AAMC acceptance rates for all MD applicants, 2023–2024 through 2025–2026. Your odds shift with your GPA (see the full table below).
Going above about 515 improves your odds less than you might expect. Applicants with a 3.8+ GPA who scored 518 or higher were accepted only about 6 percentage points more often than those who scored 514–517.
What is a good MCAT section score?
A good MCAT section score is 128 or higher, which corresponds to a total score of about 512. For top-20 programs, aim for 130 or higher in each section. Admissions committees focus mainly on your total, but a single section at 124 or below can raise concerns even when your total is strong. CARS is the section where this most often happens.
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Average (mean) MCAT total score among all medical school applicants and matriculants
| Academic Year | Medical School Applicants | Medical School Matriculants |
|---|---|---|
| 2016–2017 | 501.8 | 508.7 |
| 2017–2018 | 504.7 | 510.4 |
| 2018–2019 | 505.6 | 511.2 |
| 2019–2020 | 506.1 | 511.5 |
| 2020–2021 | 506.4 | 511.5 |
| 2021–2022 | 505.9 | 511.9 |
| 2022–2023 | 506.5 | 511.9 |
| 2023–2024 | 506.3 | 511.7 |
| 2024–2025 | 506.1 | 511.8 |
| 2025–2026 | 506.3 | 512.1 |
There are very important conclusions we can make based on this data. Although the mean total MCAT score among all applicants is 506.3, successful MD applicants typically achieve an MCAT total score at or above the 74th percentile (i.e., 508+). Moreover, the average (i.e., mean) total MCAT score among successful applicants lands around the 84th percentile (512.1).
Why has there been an upward trend in MCAT scores?
The data above paints a picture of ever-increasing MCAT scores among matriculants. Although there was a slight dip in 2021–2022, the overall trend has been toward higher scores. What accounts for this situation and what does it mean when determining what is a good MCAT score?
A few factors may contribute to the gradual increase of the average MCAT score among successful med school hopefuls. For one, the total number of applicants each year has gone up a bit since 2014. There hasn’t been a dramatic increase but even a small uptick in the number of applicants means more competition for the limited number of seats at medical schools. The number of students medical schools can accommodate doesn’t rise as quickly as the applicant pool.
More MCAT prep materials and tutoring opportunities are available now than in 2014, which could also account for this trend as students are taking the exam better prepared than before.
Also, the MCAT has changed somewhat with the addition of the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section in 2015. It’s possible this could have a small impact by testing a different set of skills and knowledge which could result in higher scores for some students.
Whatever the reasons, this trend looks likely to continue, meaning a higher score may be required to remain competitive.
Now, that doesn’t mean your application to MD programs is doomed if you don’t achieve a 511–512+, or that success is guaranteed if you achieve, say, a 516+. Remember: your MCAT score will be evaluated in the context of your other achievements when making admissions decisions. Therefore, we must understand how various MCAT scores predict admissions success in the context of other variables, most notably GPA.
Let’s study the AAMC’s numbers:
U.S. medical school acceptance rates, 2023–2024 through 2025–2026
| Total MCAT Score | |||||||||||
| Total GPA | 472–485 | 486–489 | 490–493 | 494–497 | 498–501 | 502–505 | 506–509 | 510–513 | 514–517 | 518–528 | All Applicants |
| 3.80–4.00 | 2.8% | 3.4% | 8.0% | 18.5% | 30.6% | 44.9% | 57.1% | 70.5% | 77.2% | 83.3% | 63.7% |
| 3.60–3.79 | 1.6% | 2.8% | 4.4% | 11.8% | 22.3% | 34.7% | 45.4% | 60.0% | 66.7% | 71.3% | 42.4% |
| 3.40–3.59 | 0.5% | 0.8% | 4.4% | 9.7% | 20.0% | 30.3% | 36.7% | 48.7% | 56.5% | 66.4% | 29.7% |
| 3.20–3.39 | 0.3% | 1.7% | 2.8% | 7.8% | 17.5% | 24.7% | 31.8% | 42.3% | 45.5% | 60.7% | 20.8% |
| 3.00–3.19 | 0.4% | 1.7% | 2.3% | 6.5% | 15.4% | 23.2% | 28.4% | 37.4% | 43.3% | 46.5% | 15.9% |
| 2.80–2.99 | 0.3% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 5.6% | 10.8% | 23.3% | 27.7% | 39.0% | 36.4% | 41.7% | 11.5% |
| 2.60–2.79 | 0.2% | 1.7% | 1.9% | 4.5% | 10.4% | 17.9% | 22.1% | 33.8% | 32.0% | 35.7% | 8.4% |
| 2.40–2.59 | 0.5% | 0.0% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 12.5% | 17.9% | 21.4% | 37.5% | 53.8% | - | 6.1% |
| 2.20–2.39 | 0.0% | 3.4% | 1.6% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.3% | 14.3% | 9.1% | - | - | 2.6% |
| 2.00–2.19 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5.0% | 11.8% | 21.4% | - | - | - | - | 4.8% |
| 0.00–1.99 | 0.0% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.3% |
| All Applicants | 0.6% | 1.8% | 4.0% | 11.1% | 22.2% | 35.4% | 47.1% | 62.4% | 71.2% | 79.9% | 45.1% |
This data allows us to make additional important (though somewhat unsurprising) conclusions about the relation of GPA to MCAT scores, as well as how these numbers collectively predict admissions success to MD programs, including:
GPA is positively associated with MCAT scores. In other words, students with a higher GPA tend to score higher on the MCAT, and students with a lower GPA tend to score lower on the MCAT.
Higher GPA and MCAT scores independently and collectively predict higher acceptance rates. In other words, students with higher GPAs and MCAT scores have a better chance of getting into medical school. On the other hand, it’s really difficult to get into medical school with a low GPA.
The lower the GPA, the higher the MCAT score needed to get into medical school, and vice-versa.
While these conclusions provide great information about your admissions odds based on numbers alone, there are two additional questions that we need to answer:
Where should you apply based on your numbers?
How should your stats impact the number of MD vs. DO programs you apply to?
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MCAT percentiles (2026–2027): What percentile is your score?
MCAT total score percentile chart (472–528)
| Total Score | Percentile Rank | Total Score | Percentile Rank | Total Score | Percentile Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 472 | <1 | 491 | 23 | 510 | 79 |
| 473 | <1 | 492 | 25 | 511 | 82 |
| 474 | <1 | 493 | 28 | 512 | 84 |
| 475 | 1 | 494 | 31 | 513 | 86 |
| 476 | 1 | 495 | 33 | 514 | 89 |
| 477 | 2 | 496 | 36 | 515 | 91 |
| 478 | 2 | 497 | 39 | 516 | 92 |
| 479 | 3 | 498 | 42 | 517 | 94 |
| 480 | 4 | 499 | 45 | 518 | 95 |
| 481 | 5 | 500 | 48 | 519 | 96 |
| 482 | 6 | 501 | 52 | 520 | 97 |
| 483 | 8 | 502 | 55 | 521 | 98 |
| 484 | 9 | 503 | 58 | 522 | 99 |
| 485 | 11 | 504 | 61 | 523 | 99 |
| 486 | 12 | 505 | 64 | 524 | 99 |
| 487 | 14 | 506 | 67 | 525 | 100 |
| 488 | 16 | 507 | 71 | 526 | 100 |
| 489 | 18 | 508 | 74 | 527 | 100 |
| 490 | 20 | 509 | 76 | 528 | 100 |
MCAT section score percentiles (118–132)
| Section Score | Chem/Phys Percentile | CARS Percentile | Bio/Biochem Percentile | Psych/Soc Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 119 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 120 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| 121 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 10 |
| 122 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 17 |
| 123 | 35 | 37 | 32 | 25 |
| 124 | 46 | 50 | 43 | 34 |
| 125 | 56 | 62 | 53 | 44 |
| 126 | 67 | 74 | 64 | 54 |
| 127 | 77 | 84 | 75 | 65 |
| 128 | 85 | 90 | 84 | 76 |
| 129 | 91 | 95 | 90 | 85 |
| 130 | 96 | 98 | 96 | 92 |
| 131 | 99 | 99 | 98 | 97 |
| 132 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
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What MCAT score should you aim for?
528! Why aim lower?
We're only half joking—it’s obviously more complicated than that! When figuring out what score to aim for, you have to understand two things: the requirements of the schools you’re looking at, as well as the relationship between your undergraduate GPA and your MCAT score.
Obviously, having a strong MCAT score will benefit you wherever you apply. But different institutions have different requirements. When you’re creating a school list, look at the data from a school’s incoming class. That will give you a good idea of what to aim for on your MCAT. Ideally, you’ll want a score in the 75th percentile of a given school’s admitted class—but to be in the ballpark, you’ll want a score no lower than the 50th percentile.
Adcoms use the combination of your MCAT score and your GPA to measure your ability to perform academically. You can use this thinking to understand what MCAT score you need to get. If your GPA puts you in the 50th percentile (or lower), you definitely want to aim for an MCAT score in the 75th percentile. However, if you have a GPA in the 75th percentile, a lower MCAT score may not break you.
But, of course, getting a 528 means you don’t even have to ask the question. We encourage you to set the bar high for yourself so you can achieve success on the exam.
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How is the MCAT scored?
The MCAT is scored from 472 to 528. Each of its four sections is scored from 118 to 132, and the four section scores add up to your total. Your score is based only on how many questions you answer correctly, and there is no penalty for wrong answers. That means you should never leave a question blank.
The four MCAT sections
| Section | Questions | Time | Score Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems | 59 | 95 min | 118–132 |
| Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) | 53 | 90 min | 118–132 |
| Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems | 59 | 95 min | 118–132 |
| Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior | 59 | 95 min | 118–132 |
| Total | 230 | 6 hrs 15 min of testing (not including breaks) | 472–528 |
How raw scores become scaled scores
Your raw score for each section is simply the number of questions you got right. The AAMC then converts each raw score to a scaled score using a process called equating. Equating adjusts for small differences in difficulty among test forms, so a raw score on a slightly harder form may convert to a higher scaled score than the same raw score on an easier one. As a result, a given scaled score means the same thing no matter which test date or form you took.
Your score report includes your total and section scores, a percentile rank for each, and a confidence band. The confidence band is the range around each score within which your "true" ability most likely falls.
Do all four sections carry equal weight?
The answer to this question varies from school to school. For instance, HMS adcoms do not place more weight on any particular section. Instead, they review your performance holistically and in conjunction with the rest of your application.
However, other schools are believed to weigh a section like CARS more heavily than others. We recommend reviewing average MCAT scores on MSAR to understand the range of total and section scores that adcoms at individual schools expect.
When MCAT scores are released and how long they're valid
Scores are typically released 30–35 days after your test date. The AAMC publishes exact release dates for each test date on its website.
Each medical school decides how old an MCAT score it will accept. Most accept scores from within the past two to three years.
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Where to apply based on your MCAT score: MD vs. DO mix
In another guide, we covered how to develop your medical school list to maximize admissions odds in depth.
The primary purpose of this section, therefore, is to discuss the relative percentages of MD vs. DO programs to apply to based on your GPA and MCAT scores to ensure medical school admission success.
Assuming a good cumulative GPA (i.e., 3.5+) and well-written application essays, we suggest the following rough program breakdowns depending on your MCAT total score:
511+: 100% MD programs; 0% DO programs
506–510: 75% MD programs, 25% DO programs
500–505: 25–50% MD programs; 50–75% DO programs
Below 500: 0–25% MD programs; 75–100% DO programs
Of course, you should shift these percentages depending on your GPA. Specifically, if your cumulative GPA is at or above a 3.7, you should generally apply to a higher percentage of MD programs. On the other hand, if your cumulative GPA is at or below a 3.4, you should generally apply to a higher percentage of DO programs.
These suggestions assume that you prefer to attend an MD program. If that assumption does not hold true for you, please modify these percentages accordingly.
According to the most recent (2022) AACOMAS applicant and matriculant profile summary, the average MCAT score for DO matriculants is 504.77. That is about a 7-point difference in averages when compared to MD matriculants. In general, DO programs have lower acceptance rates than MD programs, but the data indicates that applicants need higher MCAT scores for acceptance into MD programs than they do for DO programs.
Moreover, while MD programs are generally more competitive than DO programs with regard to GPA and MCAT scores, certain DO programs may have higher stats requirements than certain MD programs. If that is the case for schools on your list, you should also modify these suggested percentages accordingly. In summary, you should adjust the competitiveness of your overall school list depending on how conservative you want to be.
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Should you retake or void your MCAT?
When retaking the MCAT makes sense
As with any well-constructed standardized test, the MCAT was developed to be reliable, meaning that scores from different administrations are unlikely to meaningfully vary under consistent conditions.
In other words, your scores from two different test dates will probably be pretty close to one another unless the conditions under which you took the test change.
Some conditions that may meaningfully impact scores across different MCAT test dates include:
Barely studying for your first attempt but studying hard for 3 months for your second attempt
Experiencing a significant illness, panic attack, etc. during your first attempt but feeling healthy during your second attempt
Another consideration is significant variability in your section scores. Specifically, if you achieved a 129+ in three sections but a 124 or less in one section, you may want to retake your MCAT. However, if your practice test scores were about the same as the official exam’s 124 section, you may want to hold off.
How many MCAT attempts are too many?
The right question to ask is not whether there is a certain number of attempts that is considered to be too many, but rather at what point you should stop retaking the MCAT.
Assuming you dedicated your best studying effort each time you took the test, it’s advisable to stop taking the MCAT if your scores did not change by more than 2–3 points across multiple administrations.
Should you void your MCAT score?
At the end of your MCAT, you'll face another stress-inducing decision. Should you score or void your exam? Voiding means your score will not be reported to med schools and it will appear as if you never attempted the exam, in the schools’ eyes.
When to consider voiding:
You experienced a significant disruption (illness, panic attack, technical issues)
You left multiple passages completely blank or randomly guessed on large sections
You felt completely unprepared despite adequate study time
When you should probably score your exam:
You felt "okay" or "decent" about the test (this feeling is normal!)
Your practice scores were in your target range and nothing catastrophic happened
You're unsure but completed all questions with reasonable effort
Remember, the "post-MCAT blues" are real. Almost everyone walks out feeling like they bombed the test, even those who score 520+. The exam is designed to be challenging and push you to your limits.
Unless something truly went wrong, your actual score is probably closer to your practice average than you think. The MCAT is standardized precisely to minimize the impact of "bad days." Trust your preparation and avoid voiding unless you have a compelling reason.
You’ll only have one chance to score or void your exam immediately after completing the test. Voiding or scoring cannot be reversed after the exam. There is no "cooling off" period or score preview option. You must decide on the spot.
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MCAT score FAQs
Is there a passing MCAT score?
No. The MCAT has no pass/fail cutoff, so any score from 472 to 528 is reported to medical schools. What matters is how your score compares to the averages at the schools where you apply. According to AAMC data, MD applicants scoring 498–501 were accepted 22.2% of the time, and applicants scoring 510–513 were accepted 62.4% of the time.
What is the highest MCAT score?
528 is the highest MCAT score possible, which corresponds to the 100th percentile. A score in the range of 525–527 is also a 100th percentile score, and one in the 522–524 range is a 99th percentile score.
Is 500 a good MCAT score?
A 500 is around the 48th percentile, which is slightly below average for all test takers and well below the 512.1 average for MD matriculants. It can be competitive for some DO programs, where matriculant averages are in the low-to-mid 500s. If you're aiming for MD programs, a strong GPA and a retake to reach 508+ would meaningfully improve your odds.
What MCAT score do you need for MD-PhD programs?
Aim for 515 or higher. MD-PhD matriculants average roughly 516–517 (about the 92nd–94th percentile), which is several points above the average for MD-only matriculants. Research experience weighs heavily in MD-PhD admissions, but a score below about 512 makes admission difficult at most programs.
Can I get MCAT accommodations, and will they affect how schools view my scores?
If you have a documented disability, you can absolutely request testing accommodations through the AAMC. Common accommodations include extended time (typically 25% or 50% additional time), separate testing rooms, frequent breaks, or assistive technology.
Accommodated scores look identical to standard scores on your application. There's no special marking or notation that indicates you received accommodations. Your 515 with extended time appears exactly the same as someone else's 515 taken under standard conditions.
The accommodation process can take several weeks to approve, so start early. You'll need documentation from a qualified professional that meets the AAMC's specific requirements. Don't let concerns about stigma prevent you from seeking accommodations you legitimately need. Accommodations are designed to level the playing field, not give you an unfair advantage.
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Final thoughts
Your MCAT score is a foundational piece of your medical school applications.
However, while higher MCAT scores are associated with higher rates of medical school admissions success, they are evaluated in the context of your GPA, extracurricular achievements, letters of recommendation, and essays when determining whether or not to invite you for an interview.
Still, understanding your admissions odds based on your MCAT score and taking an empirical approach to developing your school list is critical to maximizing your odds of getting in.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For over 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
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