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The table below ranks the most affordable medical schools for in-state students. Tuition rates are sourced from each school’s official tuition and fees page. Acceptance rates come from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 2025 Facts Sheet. Median GPA and MCAT scores come from the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database.
Below is a list of the cheapest medical schools for out-of-state students and their admissions statistics, as reported in the AAMC 2025 Facts Sheet and by the MSAR.
Below is a list of the cheapest public medical schools for students, along with their important admissions data reported in the AAMC 2025 Facts Sheet and MSAR.
Here are the six cheapest private medical schools and their admissions data from the AAMC 2025 Facts Sheet and MSAR.
Below is a list of the cheapest DO medical schools for students, along with their average GPA and MCAT scores.
Please note that DO schools do not publish exact acceptance rates or median scores, so these are approximations.
To ensure you get into one of these medical schools, or for scholarship support to make your med journey more affordable, work with an Inspira Advantage admissions expert.
We identify the medical schools with the lowest tuition across every category: in-state, out-of-state, public, private, and DO programs. Separating these categories matters because the cost landscape looks completely different depending on your residency status and the type of program you pursue.
Beyond tuition, we also considered the general cost of attendance when evaluating overall affordability. All cost and tuition data is sourced directly from each medical school's published figures for the current academic year.
No, tuition price and education quality have almost no correlation in medical education. Every medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) must meet the same rigorous standards for curriculum, faculty qualifications, clinical training, and student outcomes. Accreditation is the quality floor, and it sits high regardless of what a school charges.
Several of the most affordable programs on our list match or outperform expensive private schools on USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 pass rates, residency match rates, and research output. UT Health San Antonio's Long School of Medicine reported a 100% match rate for its Class of 2025, with placements at programs like Yale and Vanderbilt.
Price reflects funding models and state subsidies, not quality. What actually determines your medical education quality comes down to clinical rotation variety, research mentorship access, and how well the school supports residency preparation.
You can evaluate all three of those factors independently of cost. Look at each program's affiliated hospital network, published match lists, and student-to-faculty ratios instead of assuming a higher price tag buys a better experience.
The cheapest medical schools in the US are the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, as these schools are tuition-free.
You can lower your medical school costs by attending a public medical school in your home state. In-state tuition is the single biggest cost reduction available, often saving $30,000 or more per year.
Beyond that, apply for merit- and need-based scholarships, file the FAFSA every year, and explore loan forgiveness programs like the National Health Service Corps or Public Service Loan Forgiveness if you plan to practice in underserved areas or public service.
A med school’s cost of attendance typically includes tuition, fees, health insurance, books, supplies, equipment, room and board, transportation, and personal living expenses. Schools calculate this figure to represent the total annual cost of being a full-time student. Use each school's published cost of attendance, not just tuition, when comparing affordability.
No, some of the most affordable programs are among the hardest to get into. NYU Grossman School of Medicine, which offers full-tuition scholarships to all students, has an acceptance rate of just 1.18%.
Many affordable state flagship schools also attract massive applicant pools because of their low in-state pricing, which drives acceptance rates down.
Dr. Jonathan Preminger was the original author of this article. Snippets of his work may remain.
Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Physician
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
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