Is my GPA good for medical school?
Numbers checked: October 2026 · Sources
A 3.7 or higher is competitive for MD schools. Below 3.4, your MCAT matters a lot.
Students who started at MD schools in 2025 averaged a 3.81 GPA and a 512.1 MCAT; DO students 3.62 and 502.95. Overall, 45.1% of MD applicants were accepted: 63.7% with a 3.80–4.00 GPA and 15.9% with 3.00–3.19. In every GPA group, applicants with higher MCAT scores got in more often.
Average MD student
3.81
started in 2025 · 3.75 science
Average MD applicant
3.67
applied for 2025 · 506.3 MCAT
Average DO student
3.62
started in 2025 · 3.53 science
Acceptance rate by GPA
AAMC reports GPAs in groups of 0.2, so a 3.4 and a 3.5 share one row. Pick your GPA to jump to its numbers.
Is a 3.0 or 3.1 GPA good for med school?
It's hard, but not impossible.
A 3.0 or 3.1 is under the average MD student (3.81) and the average DO student (3.62). 15.9% of applicants with a 3.00–3.19 GPA were accepted to an MD school (1,209 of 7,626). Common next steps: more upper-level science classes to show an upward trend, a strong MCAT, and applying to DO schools too.
A 3.0 and a 3.1 share AAMC's 3.00–3.19 group. Odds rise with GPA from one group to the next, so a 3.0 is likely a little below these numbers and a 3.1 a little above.
Acceptance rate with a 3.00–3.19 GPA, by MCAT score
46.5% of applicants with a 3.00–3.19 GPA and a >517 MCAT got in (60 of 129)
Show as a table
| MCAT | Accepted | Applied | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| <486 | 4 | 949 | 0.4% |
| 486–489 | 12 | 708 | 1.7% |
| 490–493 | 19 | 814 | 2.3% |
| 494–497 | 64 | 989 | 6.5% |
| 498–501 | 173 | 1,122 | 15.4% |
| 502–505 | 251 | 1,084 | 23.2% |
| 506–509 | 245 | 863 | 28.4% |
| 510–513 | 243 | 649 | 37.4% |
| 514–517 | 138 | 319 | 43.3% |
| >517 | 60 | 129 | 46.5% |
What MCAT do you need with a 3.0 or 3.1 GPA?
Fewer than half of applicants with a 3.00–3.19 GPA got in at any MCAT, even above 517 (46.5%). A higher MCAT still helped: 23.2% at 502–505 against 43.3% at 514–517.
Is a 3.2 or 3.3 GPA good for med school?
It's below average, so your MCAT matters a lot.
A 3.2 or 3.3 is under the average MD student (3.81) and the average DO student (3.62). 20.8% of applicants with a 3.20–3.39 GPA were accepted to an MD school (2,696 of 12,961).
A 3.2 and a 3.3 share AAMC's 3.20–3.39 group. Odds rise with GPA from one group to the next, so a 3.2 is likely a little below these numbers and a 3.3 a little above.
Acceptance rate with a 3.20–3.39 GPA, by MCAT score
60.7% of applicants with a 3.20–3.39 GPA and a >517 MCAT got in (215 of 354)
Show as a table
| MCAT | Accepted | Applied | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| <486 | 3 | 1,120 | 0.3% |
| 486–489 | 14 | 844 | 1.7% |
| 490–493 | 33 | 1,198 | 2.8% |
| 494–497 | 119 | 1,534 | 7.8% |
| 498–501 | 356 | 2,037 | 17.5% |
| 502–505 | 514 | 2,084 | 24.7% |
| 506–509 | 557 | 1,752 | 31.8% |
| 510–513 | 569 | 1,344 | 42.3% |
| 514–517 | 316 | 694 | 45.5% |
| >517 | 215 | 354 | 60.7% |
What MCAT do you need with a 3.2 or 3.3 GPA?
More than half of applicants with a 3.20–3.39 GPA got in once their MCAT was above 517 (60.7%).
Is a 3.4 or 3.5 GPA good for med school?
It's workable, but below average for MD schools.
A 3.4 or 3.5 is under the average MD student (3.81) and the average DO student (3.62). 29.7% of applicants with a 3.40–3.59 GPA were accepted to an MD school (6,660 of 22,437).
A 3.4 and a 3.5 share AAMC's 3.40–3.59 group. Odds rise with GPA from one group to the next, so a 3.4 is likely a little below these numbers and a 3.5 a little above.
Acceptance rate with a 3.40–3.59 GPA, by MCAT score
56.5% of applicants with a 3.40–3.59 GPA and a 514–517 MCAT got in (1,046 of 1,851)
Show as a table
| MCAT | Accepted | Applied | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| <486 | 5 | 987 | 0.5% |
| 486–489 | 7 | 901 | 0.8% |
| 490–493 | 67 | 1,535 | 4.4% |
| 494–497 | 226 | 2,325 | 9.7% |
| 498–501 | 628 | 3,146 | 20% |
| 502–505 | 1,147 | 3,780 | 30.3% |
| 506–509 | 1,450 | 3,947 | 36.7% |
| 510–513 | 1,510 | 3,100 | 48.7% |
| 514–517 | 1,046 | 1,851 | 56.5% |
| >517 | 574 | 865 | 66.4% |
What MCAT do you need with a 3.4 or 3.5 GPA?
More than half of applicants with a 3.40–3.59 GPA got in once their MCAT was 514–517 (56.5%). Above 517 it was 66.4%.
Is a 3.6 or 3.7 GPA good for med school?
A 3.6 is workable, but below the MD average; a 3.7 is competitive.
A 3.6 is under the average MD student (3.81) and close to the average DO student (3.62). A 3.7 is above the average MD applicant (3.67) and the average DO student (3.62), and a little under the average MD student (3.81). 42.4% of applicants with a 3.60–3.79 GPA were accepted to an MD school (15,791 of 37,208).
A 3.6 and a 3.7 share AAMC's 3.60–3.79 group. Odds rise with GPA from one group to the next, so a 3.6 is likely a little below these numbers and a 3.7 a little above.
Acceptance rate with a 3.60–3.79 GPA, by MCAT score
60% of applicants with a 3.60–3.79 GPA and a 510–513 MCAT got in (4,167 of 6,940)
Show as a table
| MCAT | Accepted | Applied | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| <486 | 11 | 687 | 1.6% |
| 486–489 | 24 | 860 | 2.8% |
| 490–493 | 65 | 1,470 | 4.4% |
| 494–497 | 322 | 2,733 | 11.8% |
| 498–501 | 946 | 4,250 | 22.3% |
| 502–505 | 2,037 | 5,873 | 34.7% |
| 506–509 | 3,212 | 7,069 | 45.4% |
| 510–513 | 4,167 | 6,940 | 60% |
| 514–517 | 3,165 | 4,744 | 66.7% |
| >517 | 1,842 | 2,582 | 71.3% |
What MCAT do you need with a 3.6 or 3.7 GPA?
More than half of applicants with a 3.60–3.79 GPA got in once their MCAT was 510–513 (60%). Above 517 it was 71.3%.
Is a 3.8, 3.9 or 4.0 GPA good for med school?
A 3.8 is competitive; a 3.9 or 4.0 is strong.
A 3.8 is above the average MD applicant (3.67) and the average DO student (3.62), and a little under the average MD student (3.81). A 3.9 or 4.0 is at or above the average MD student (3.81). 63.7% of applicants with a 3.80–4.00 GPA were accepted to an MD school (43,215 of 67,816).
A 3.8, a 3.9 and a 4.0 all fall in AAMC's top group (3.80–4.00), which had the best odds of any GPA.
Acceptance rate with a 3.80–4.00 GPA, by MCAT score
57.1% of applicants with a 3.80–4.00 GPA and a 506–509 MCAT got in (6,173 of 10,817)
Show as a table
| MCAT | Accepted | Applied | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| <486 | 9 | 320 | 2.8% |
| 486–489 | 15 | 439 | 3.4% |
| 490–493 | 79 | 990 | 8% |
| 494–497 | 416 | 2,247 | 18.5% |
| 498–501 | 1,264 | 4,125 | 30.6% |
| 502–505 | 3,333 | 7,428 | 44.9% |
| 506–509 | 6,173 | 10,817 | 57.1% |
| 510–513 | 9,798 | 13,906 | 70.5% |
| 514–517 | 10,355 | 13,406 | 77.2% |
| >517 | 11,773 | 14,138 | 83.3% |
What MCAT do you need with a 3.8, 3.9 or 4.0 GPA?
More than half of applicants with a 3.80–4.00 GPA got in once their MCAT was 506–509 (57.1%). Above 517 it was 83.3%.
Applying to DO schools? AACOMAS GPA calculator. Just your college GPA? College GPA calculator.
Questions
What GPA do you need for medical school?
There's no single cutoff: each school sets its own. Students who started at MD schools in 2025 averaged a 3.81 GPA (3.75 in science), and DO students 3.62. Those are averages, not minimums: across three application cycles, 27,074 accepted MD applicants had a GPA under 3.80.
Is my GPA good enough for DO schools?
Students who started at DO schools in 2025 averaged a 3.62 GPA (3.53 in science), per AACOM. A 3.7 or higher is above that average, a 3.6 is about the same and a 3.5 or lower is below it. AACOM doesn't publish acceptance rates by GPA, so the rates on this page are for MD schools.
What MCAT do I need with my GPA?
In AAMC's data, more than half of applicants got in once their MCAT was 506–509 (3.80–4.00 GPA), 510–513 (3.60–3.79 GPA), 514–517 (3.40–3.59 GPA) or above 517 (3.20–3.39 GPA). With a 3.00–3.19 GPA, fewer than half got in at any MCAT. The average MD student who started in 2025 scored 512.1 (84th percentile).
Why do a 3.4 and a 3.5 share the same numbers?
AAMC reports acceptance by GPA group in steps of 0.2 (3.40–3.59, for example), not for each GPA. Odds rise with GPA from one group to the next, so a 3.4 is likely a little below its group's numbers and a 3.5 a little above.
What if my GPA is under 3.0?
It's harder, but people do get in: 11.5% of applicants with a 2.80–2.99 GPA were accepted to an MD school (459 of 4,001). Common next steps: more upper-level science classes to show an upward trend, a strong MCAT, and applying to DO schools too.
Do med schools look at my science GPA too?
Yes. AMCAS reports a science (BCPM) GPA next to your total GPA. MD students who started in 2025 averaged 3.75 in science. Our free BCPM calculator works yours out.
Where do these numbers come from?
AAMC FACTS Table A-23 (155,940 MD applicants from three cycles) and Table A-16, plus AACOM for DO schools. Links are at the bottom of this page.
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Sources
- AAMC FACTS Table A-23: MCAT and GPA Grid for Applicants and Acceptees to U.S. MD-Granting Medical Schools, 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 (Aggregated)
- AAMC FACTS Table A-16: MCAT Scores and GPAs for Applicants and Matriculants to U.S. MD-Granting Medical Schools, 2020-2021 through 2025-2026
- AACOM, Admissions Requirements: 2025 entering students (mean MCAT and GPA)
Acceptance rate = share of applicants accepted to at least one U.S. MD school. AAMC combines three application cycles (fall 2023, 2024 and 2025: 155,940 applicants). AAMC hides groups with fewer than 10 applicants (shown as —). The numbers are AAMC's and AACOM's; the charts and text are ours.