Average Cost of Medical School

Report Highlights. American medical schools have increased costs by an average of $1,511 every year since 2004.

• The class of 2025 paid* $228,959 to attend the average U.S. medical school.
• The average cost of medical school in the 2024-25 academic year (AY) was $59,720, up 3.52% year-over-year (YoY).
• Including the average tuition and fees to earn a Bachelor of Health Sciences, a typical new med school graduate paid $371,278 to obtain their degree.
• The class of 2030 can expect to pay $418,674 to obtain their medical degree, including undergrad tuition and fees.
• Among the 203 U.S. medical schools, the most expensive (Northeast Ohio Medical University) charged $100,245 in AY 2024-25.

*Including health insurance, average tuition and fees among public and private medical schools for resident and nonresident students. This report excludes additional costs of attendance, such as room and board, except where otherwise noted.

Related reports include Average Cost of Law School | Average Cost of a Master’s Degree | Average Cost of a Doctorate Degree | Average Cost of College| Average Cost of Community College

Average Cost of Medical School

Public medical schools are less expensive than private schools, and residents generally pay less than nonresidents.

• The average public medical school charged $41,869 to residents in the 2024-25 academic year (AY).
• Nonresidents paid $66,355 to attend the average public medical school in AY 2024-25.
• The average private medical school charged $67,145 to residents in the AY 2024-25.
• Nonresidents paid $68,767 to attend the average private medical school in AY 2024-25.

Historic Cost of Medical School

Graduates of medical school usually earn the credential of Medical Doctor (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.).

• The average cost of medical school had a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.70% over 20 years.
• Between AY 2004-05 and AY 2024-25, medical school tuition increased 95.0% (up from an average $30,628). 
• Medical school tuition and fees increased 67.6% between AY 1995-96 and AY 2004-05 (up from an average $18,278).

Average Cost of a Medical Degree

A medical school degree typically takes 4 years to complete (excluding undergraduate study).

• Graduates in 2025 paid $161,222 for a medical degree from an in-state public institution.
• Nonresidents in the class of 2025 paid $259,203 for a medical degree from the average public institution.
• 2025 resident graduates from the average private school paid $255,497 for their medical degree.
• Nonresidents of the class of 2025 paid $259,358 for a degree from the average private medical school.

Historic Cost of a Medical Degree

The class of 2025 paid over twice as much for medical school than the class of 2005 did.

• The largest annual increase in the 21st century (9.45%) was between AYs 2003-04 and 2004-05.
• Ultimately, 2025 medical school graduates paid (110% more) than the class of 2005 paid an average of $109,000 for four (4) years of tuition and fees.
• The average cost of medical school had a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.70% over 20 years.
• Between AY 2004-05 and AY 2024-25, medical school tuition increased 95.0% (up from an average $30,628). 
• Medical school tuition and fees increased 67.6% between AY 1995-96 and AY 2004-05 (up from an average $18,278).

Medical School Cost Projections

If current trends continue, students can expect tuition costs to increase at an average annual rate of $1,324.

• By AY 2029-30, medical students will pay $66,339 at the average med school.
• The average cost of medical school has a projected CAGR of (2.12%) between AYs 2024-25 and 2029-30.
• Medical school alone will cost the class of 2030 an estimated $257,182 excluding the cost of an undergraduate degree.

Cost by School

Among the accredited medical school programs in the U.S., 159 are allopathic (M.D.) and 44 are osteopathic (D.O.).

• The New York University Grossman Long Island School of Medicine has the lowest** annual cost of attendance at $4,350 for residents and nonresidents alike.
• Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine has the most expensive in-state tuition at $83,031.
• At Northeast Ohio Medical University, out-of-state students pay $45,393 more than in-state students (who pay $54,852).

**Some schools, such as the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, offer full or partial tuition waivers.

^†Excludes costs that are effectively zero thanks to general scholarships or tuition waivers.

^‡Some schools have multiple campuses and/or multiple programs.

Schools With Waived Costs

Certain medical school programs are tuition-free or offer tuition waivers. In such cases, the student’s financial responsibilities usually include administrative costs and living expenses.

• New York University Grossman School of Medicine offers a scholarship that covers the full cost of their tuition ($64,250 for AY 2025-26).
• A former professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine donated $1 billion to effectively eliminate tuition for all income students starting in fall 2024.
• Students whose family incomes fall below $300,000 receive free tuition at Johns Hopkins University Medical School thanks to a $1 billion donation.
• Other medical schools that offer generous financial aid packages include (but are not limited to):
  • Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine charged no tuition to first-year students in AY 2024-25.
  • Cornell University’s Weill Cornell Medicine offers debt-free need based financial aid that includes full-ride grants.
  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine is always tuition-free.

Additional Costs

Including the cost of living while in medical school, there are additional costs such as entrance exams and applications for aspiring students, as well as licensing and residency interviews for upcoming and new graduates. Most medical students leave school with some educational debt.

• Registration for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), which is a medical school application requirement, costs $345 for 2025 testing dates.
• Most schools use the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®), which costs $175 for the first school and $47 for each additional school in 2026.
• Aspiring medical students applied to an average of 18.6 schools for the 2024-25 academic year.
• Federal loan fees for AY 2025-26 total $1,200 for Graduate PLUS and $400 for Stafford loans.
• The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), which medical school students take in their 2nd and 4th years, costs $695 per one section in 2026.

Sources

1. Association of American Medical Colleges, Data & Reports
2. Med School Insiders, How Many Medical Schools Are in the United States?
3. National Bureau of Economic Research, The Costs of and Net Returns to College Major
4. National Center for Education Data Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics
5. New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Cost of Attendance
6. Georgetown University Office of Advancement, The Feed
7. Weill Cornell Medical College, Costs & Aid
8. Uniformed Services University F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, MD FAQ
9. University of Illinois College of Medicine, Cost of Attendance
10. National Board of Medical Examiners, Taking The United States Medical Licensing Examination®