How To Get Into Feinberg School Of Medicine

Read our guide on how to get into Northwestern University, The Feinberg School of Medicine (Feinberg) for expert tips, insights, and more.

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Feinberg School of Medicine Acceptance Rate: 1.72%

The acceptance rate at Feinberg School of Medicine is 1.72%. In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, Feinberg received 8,138 verified applicants, and 140 students matriculated. That means your odds of matriculating to Feinberg are fewer than 2 in 100.

The table below depicts Feinberg’s acceptance rates over the past four admissions cycles, according to archived data from the AAMC.

Over the past four admissions cycles, the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University has maintained an acceptance rate consistently below 2%, underscoring the highly competitive nature of admission.

From 2021 to 2022, through 2024 to 2025, Feinberg received an average of 8,062 applications per year, while admitting approximately 149 students annually. This translates to an average acceptance rate of 1.84%, meaning fewer than 2 applicants out of every 100 secure a spot.

However, this means about 98.16% of applicants are rejected each cycle, underlining Feinberg’s status as one of the most selective medical schools in the country.

The number of applications has remained relatively steady, ranging between 7,836 and 8,202 per year, while the number of admitted students has decreased gradually, from 160 in 2021–2022 to 140 in 2024–2025. 

The decline in class size and stable application numbers make Feinberg’s admissions process even more competitive. On average, around 54 applicants compete for every available seat at Feinberg.

Feinberg’s admissions data make it clear that standing out requires much more than strong academics. Applicants must possess exceptional clinical, research, and service experiences and a compelling narrative to secure one of the limited seats available.

How Hard Is It to Get Into Feinberg School of Medicine?

It is extremely difficult to get into Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. The average matriculation rate across the past four admissions cycles is 1.84%, signifying an average rejection rate of 98.16%.

We created the Feinberg School of Medicine Admissions Difficulty Scale by comparing acceptance rates and overall selectivity across all accredited US medical schools.

What is the Feinberg School of Medicine’s Acceptance Rate for In-State Applicants?

The approximate acceptance rate for in-state applicants at Feinberg School of Medicine is 5.34%. In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, Feinberg received 880 verified in-state applications, and 47 students matriculated. That means about 5 in 100 in-state applicants were admitted.

In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, in-state students comprised approximately 10.81% of the applicant pool, indicating that while Illinois residents apply in significant numbers, most of Feinberg’s applicants come from outside the state.

What is the Feinberg School of Medicine’s Acceptance Rate for Out-of-State Applicants?

In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, the approximate acceptance rate for out-of-state applicants at Feinberg School of Medicine was approximately 1.34%. In this admissions cycle, Feinberg received 6,884 out-of-state applications, with 92 matriculants. That translates to just over 1 in 75 applicants earning admission.

Out-of-state applicants represent the vast majority of Feinberg’s pool at 84.59%, which reflects the school’s strong national reputation for research and medical education.

What is the Feinberg School of Medicine’s Acceptance Rate for International Students?

In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, the approximate acceptance rate for international students at Feinberg was only about 0.27%. In this admissions cycle, out of 374 international applicants, just 1 student matriculated. International applicants make up about 4.60% of the total applicant pool, showing the extreme competitiveness for non-U.S. applicants, with fewer than 1 in 300 securing a seat.

How Many People Apply to the Feinberg School of Medicine Every Year?

Feinberg School of Medicine received an average of 8,062 in the last four admissions cycles. In the most recent cycle, 8,138 students applied, but only 140 matriculated. With such a large applicant pool and limited seats, the acceptance rate has remained consistently under 2% in the last four years.

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Into Feinberg School of Medicine

Follow these expert tips and insights to improve your chances of getting into the Feinberg School of Medicine.

1. Present a Research or Scholarly Idea in Your Interviews

Every Feinberg student has to complete a mentored research project and write a thesis or paper through the Area of Scholarly Concentration (AOSC). It proves you've thought ahead if you can outline a potential research interest like pediatrics at Lurie Children’s or rehab science at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. 

Rather than giving a vague answer about “liking research,” present a thoughtful idea you could see yourself pursuing. For instance, if you’re interested in pediatrics, you might reference potential projects connected to Lurie Children’s Hospital, one of the nation’s top pediatric research centers. 

If your interests lean toward rehabilitation or neuroscience, you could highlight the work at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, where Feinberg students often collaborate with clinicians and scientists to improve recovery outcomes.

However, you don’t need a polished research proposal at the interview stage. You just need to demonstrate intellectual curiosity. A candidate who says, “I’d love to explore how early childhood interventions affect long-term developmental outcomes at Lurie,” or “I could see myself working on brain-computer interface research at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab,” signals to Feinberg that they will not only thrive in the classroom but also contribute meaningfully to the school’s broader scholarly mission.

Additionally, only 1% of students within the last four admissions cycles applied without research experience, so having significant research experience on your application is imperative.

2. Prove You Can Learn Through Cases and Simulations in Your Essays

Feinberg offers week-long Synthesis and Application Modules (SAMs), where students pause their regular classes to tackle cases, labs, and simulations that synthesize all the material. 

If you can share times you learned best by solving problems with others or in hands-on settings, you’ll stand out because SAMs are a signature part of Feinberg’s curriculum.

Maybe you shadowed a physician who walked you through real patient cases, and you found yourself learning much more by piecing together symptoms and lab results than you ever did by simply reading about them in a textbook. If you conducted lab research or struggled in your shadowing experience, you likely hit roadblocks, such as an experiment failing or data that didn’t fit your hypothesis.

Also, if you’ve participated in CPR certification, EMT training, nursing assistant clinicals, or even mock code simulations, you can highlight how those high-pressure, hands-on sessions helped you understand physiology, decision-making, and teamwork better than lectures alone.

3. Seek Impactful Letters of Recommendations

One way to prove that you’d make a great Feinberg student is by seeking impactful letters of recommendation from professors who can attest to your character and diverse learning style. 

In a recent webinar with Inspira Advantage, Giovanni Perrotino, a Feinberg School of Medicine graduate, spoke about the importance of recommendation letters. He said:

“You want a letter writer who knows you the best, not necessarily the one with the biggest name. The strongest letters come from people who can really speak to your growth and character.”

Perrotino highlights that your recommender should be able to prove your ability to learn through cases and simulations, providing concrete examples of your work in their class. If your professor can only speak loosely about your character and growth, you should choose someone else for a recommendation.

4. Describe How the Rotation at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is Linked to Your Previous Clinical Experience

All Feinberg students rotate at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, the number 1 rehab hospital in the country. If you’re drawn to neuro, rehab, or innovative patient recovery, connect your previous clinical experience to this rotation. 

Since the rotation is mandatory, highlighting how it shapes your medical career shows Feinberg that you’ve studied their curriculum closely and are excited about opportunities other schools can’t offer.

5. Connect Your Experiences to Feinberg’s Four Curricular Themes

Feinberg’s curriculum is intentionally organized into four longitudinal threads: 

• Science in Medicine
• Clinical Medicine
• Professional Development
• Health & Society

When you connect your background to these pillars, you show that you understand how Feinberg teaches medicine and that you’re prepared to contribute to their model.

For example, you could frame your research as a natural fit for Science in Medicine, whether you studied molecular biology, engineered a new lab technique, or contributed to data analysis in a clinical trial. 

For Clinical Medicine, think about experiences where you interacted with patients or observed care delivery, like shadowing physicians, working as an EMT, or volunteering in a hospital, which all give you concrete examples to draw from. 

Professional Development can come through leadership or mentorship roles: maybe you trained new volunteers, organized a student organization, or took initiative on a community project that required accountability and communication. 

Finally, Health & Society is your chance to show how you’ve engaged with broader determinants of health, such as volunteering at a free clinic, advocating for underserved populations, or conducting outreach that addressed barriers like language or cost.

Framing your personal statement this way highlights the breadth of your preparation and mirrors Feinberg’s own language. 

By structuring your answers with these four core themes, you make it easy for interviewers to see how you’ll fit into the curriculum they’ve designed. Instead of sounding generic, you’ll come across as someone who’s already thinking like a Feinberg student and future physician.

6. Integrate Your Passion for Community Health in Chicago in Your Application Narrative

Feinberg students work on community health projects, such as the Keep Your Heart Healthy program, in local neighborhoods. If you’ve run health fairs, volunteered in underserved areas, or worked on mobile clinics, tie that into your personal statement or essays. 

Feinberg’s admissions statistics reveal that while about 10% of applicants submitted applications without any community service experience, those students were far less likely to be admitted. Community engagement is deeply ingrained in Feinberg’s culture, evidenced by its various student programs.

Feinberg emphasizes “Health & Society” as one of its four curricular pillars, which means admissions officers actively seek applicants who will bring a track record of service to their program. 

Show how your volunteer work reflects a commitment to health equity, teamwork, and empathy, and how you’ll continue that work as a Feinberg student.

7. Prepare for Feinberg’s Interview Style

Applicants participate in three separate virtual interviews—two with faculty members and one with a senior student. Practice a short personal pitch for the student interviewer and be prepared for more in-depth questions from the faculty. 

For the student interviewer, this is usually more conversational, so practice a 1–2 minute personal pitch that explains who you are, why you’re pursuing medicine, and what excites you about Feinberg. Keep it genuine and approachable. Think of it as explaining your journey to a peer rather than reciting a résumé.

For the faculty interviewers, they will often ask more deeply into your clinical experiences, motivations, ethics, or problem-solving skills. To prepare, review your application thoroughly and practice answering “why” questions (Why medicine? Why Feinberg? Why that activity?). 

Inspira’s admission consulting services provide mock interviews with expert advisors and former admissions officers. They use timed practice with common medical school interview questions to help you get comfortable delivering structured, reflective responses.

Feinberg expects you to adapt to both peer-level and professional conversations, so preparation demonstrates maturity and a good fit for the school.

Feinberg School of Medicine MD Programs Offered

Here are the seven MD programs offered at Feinberg School of Medicine.

Feinberg School of Medicine Tuition and Scholarships

Here are the tuition and fees for in-state and out-of-state students at Feinberg School of Medicine.

How Much Does the Feinberg School of Medicine Cost for 4 Years?

The estimated total cost of attendance for a four-year MD program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is $449,888. This estimate is based on annual costs of $112,191 for Year 1, $108,744 for Year 2, $111,566 for Year 3, and $117,387 for Year 4.

Scholarships

Feinberg provides ample financial aid options to help offset tuition and fees. Many students can reduce their total debt burden through a combination of need-based scholarships, merit-based awards, and institutional grants. 

According to Feinberg, 69% of medical students in the 2023–2024 academic year received scholarships, and all applicants are automatically considered for merit awards at the time of admission.

Additionally, Feinberg’s Office of Financial Aid works individually with students to create tailored aid packages, including need-based grants and low-interest federal loans. Feinberg offers merit-based and need-based scholarships, enabling strong academic performers and financially eligible students to receive support.

Here is a full breakdown of scholarships offered by the Feinberg School of Medicine.

Feinberg School of Medicine Application Timeline

Here is the 2025-2026 application timeline for Feinberg School of Medicine.

FAQs

1. Does Feinberg Have a Preference for In-State Applicants?

No, Feinberg does not give a formal admissions preference to Illinois residents. However, 5.34% of in-state applicants matriculated to Feinberg last year, compared to 1.34% of out-of-state applicants and 0.27% of international applicants.

2. What Clinical Opportunities Set Feinberg Apart?

One of the hallmarks of Feinberg’s curriculum is the Education-Centered Medical Home (ECMH), where students are embedded in the same primary-care clinic for all four years. Unlike most schools that rotate students between unrelated sites, Feinberg emphasizes continuity by having students follow the same patients and mentors over time. 

In addition, all students rotate through Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, ranked the #1 rehabilitation hospital in the U.S., which offers exposure to cutting-edge neuro and rehab medicine that’s not a standard part of most MD curricula.

3. Is Research Experience Required to Gain Admission to Feinberg?

Yes, adequate research experience is required to get into Feinberg.  Last year, only 1% of matriculants entered without prior research experience, underscoring how critical this background is for applicants.

4. What Kind of Community Engagement Does Feinberg Expect From Applicants?

Students must engage in community health initiatives during medical school, such as Keep Your Heart Healthy, a preventive cardiovascular program in Chicago neighborhoods. Applicants without community service experience are far less likely to be admitted. Feinberg especially values service that addresses health equity, underserved populations, or long-term commitments to community-based work.

5. What Makes Feinberg’s Curriculum Distinct From Other Top Med Schools?

Feinberg uses a module-based curriculum with regular Synthesis and Application Modules (SAMs), where normal classes pause for a week of case-based, team-driven learning. These modules integrate lab work, simulation, and clinical reasoning to mirror real medical practice.

Get Accepted to Feinberg School of Medicine With Inspira Advantage

Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine is among the most selective medical schools in the country, with an acceptance rate consistently below 2%. To earn one of the few available seats, applicants must present much more than excellent grades and test scores. 

Work with former admissions officers at Inspira Advantage to increase your odds of matriculation. We’ll help you stand out among thousands of other candidates with personalized application support and feedback.

With thoughtful preparation, strategic positioning, and a compelling application narrative, you can significantly improve your chances of joining the next class of Feinberg-trained physicians.