The Best Pre-Med Undergrad Programs

Calling all future doctors! If you are interested in pursuing a career in the medical field, you may consider becoming a pre-med student. 

Being “pre-med” simply means that you are thinking about applying to medical school after earning your bachelor’s degree. However, note that “pre-med” is a track - not a major - and there is often no formal pre-med program for undergraduate students at certain universities; you will have to check with the specifics at the school you choose to attend. Pre-med students often major in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics, but anyone can fulfill the requirements and apply to medical school with or without the pre-med notation on their college transcripts.

When choosing a university that will set you up for medical school, it’s important to consider a few factors. First, be sure the university offers an array of rigorous science courses⁠. Having a strong foundation in these areas will help you to succeed on the MCAT (the test you must take to be admitted to medical school) and will set you up to succeed in medical school as well. Additionally, consider the opportunities the university offers for undergraduates to conduct scientific research. Not only do many medical schools emphasize research and look for this experience in their applicants, but this practice as an undergraduate can also equip you with critical thinking skills, provide you with an opportunity to find mentorship and connections, and help you engage with original scientific literature that you will be working with as a physician. Lastly, you’ll want to assess the percentage of pre-med students from that university who enroll in medical school upon graduation. This is a good indicator of the supports they offer their pre-med students and what your future could look like as well.

With these tips in mind, explore the universities below that PathIvy believes have the best opportunities for pre-med students. Each listing below has a top medical school that we have highlighted in the summary, but the statistics listed are relevant for each university’s undergraduate admissions specifically.

  ● Harvard University: “Established in 1782, the School has produced generations of physicians whose life's work is to care for patients with skill, compassion and integrity. HMS graduates also embrace opportunities to have a broader impact on biomedicine. Some alumni, for example, bring new insights to disease through research while others champion solutions to seemingly intractable policy problems. The emphasis on leadership development extends to the School’s graduate programs, which foster profound discovery through classroom and laboratory instruction.”

○ Location: Cambridge, MA

○ SAT/ACT Range: 1460–1570, 33-35

○ Acceptance Rate: 4%

○ General Highlights: The oldest institution of higher learning in the US; Opportunities to engage with faculty outside classes; Located in a big city: diverse experiences outside of academia; Has produced 8 U.S. Presidents

● Johns Hopkins University: “The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's very best in education. These numbers are important, but we're more than numbers - we're a community of seekers and dreamers. Using the latest tools and teachings available to scientists and doctors, we become healers, caregivers, discoverers and inventors.”

○ Location: Baltimore, MD

○ SAT/ACT Range: 1460–1560, 33-36

○ Acceptance Rate: 11%

○ General Highlights: Impressive professional schools of medicine and public health; Renowned hospital; Excellent lacrosse teams

● Stanford University: “With close ties to Stanford University and a world-class medical center, Stanford University School of Medicine sets the training ground for the next generation of biomedical leaders and pioneers. All of the resources of our campus - extraordinary faculty and peers, state-of-the-art facilities and a diverse campus life – will provide you limitless opportunities to interact with a community of scholars who will support your educational endeavors and make you feel at home.”

○ Location: Stanford, CA

○ SAT/ACT Range: 1440–1570

○ Acceptance Rate: 4%

○ General Highlights: Values leadership; Higher weight on the short essays in its application; Incredible athletics: for 44 consecutive years, a Stanford team has claimed a national championship, the longest streak in the nation

● University of Pennsylvania: “As the nation's first medical school and home to the first teaching hospital, the Perelman School of Medicine has a long tradition of academic excellence and scientific discovery. Building on this tradition, our innovative, interdisciplinary research programs continue today to pave the way for a future of new paradigms in cutting-edge science. As an internationally renowned community of scientists and physicians, we are dedicated to both advancing knowledge and fostering a culture of excellence in training the next generation of scientific leaders. Our faculty are at the forefront of the biomedical revolution, and we are committed to sustaining a vibrant intellectual environment, with the ultimate goal of translating ground-breaking discoveries into medical therapies that will eradicate disease and improve health care around the world.”

○ Location: Philadelphia, PA

○ SAT/ACT Range: 1450–1560, 32-35

○ Acceptance Rate: 8%

○ General Highlights: Founded by Benjamin Franklin; Less academically competitive than schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford; Active socially, with "work hard, play hard" attitude; Flexible curriculum

● Columbia University: “Become a physician with compassion, a sense of self, and true grit in all medical pursuits. The Columbia MD curriculum combines basic science and clinical medicine with humanism and professionalism. Choose a one-size-fits-you experience with research endeavors, university-wide electives, and the VP&S Club: the broadest student activities organization for the arts, athletics, and community outreach in American medical education.”

○ Location: New York, NY

○ SAT/ACT Range: 1440–1570, 32-35

○ Acceptance Rate: 5%

○ General Highlights: Home of the Pulitzer Prize; Located in NYC

● Duke University: “The Duke University School of Medicine comprises a community of scholars devoted to teaching, research, and patient care. Consistently ranked among the nation’s best, the School offers a wide range of health professions programs, certificate and training programs, and biomedical sciences PhD programs which are administered in partnership with Duke’s Graduate School.”

○ Location: Durham, NC

○ SAT/ACT Range: 1480–1570

○ Acceptance Rate: 8%

○ General Highlights: Top basketball program; 4+1 program allows engineering students to complete a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in as little as five years total; Large Greek life

● University of Washington: “The UW School of Medicine (UWSOM) is proud of the depth and breadth of our five-state school. From Foundations of Clinical Medicine through clinical education opportunities that exist throughout the WWAMI region, we are committed to excellence in medical education—it is fundamental to who we are. Successfully completing the MD program allows graduates to enter residency training, the next phase of physician training required for licensure. In Admissions, our goal is to select a regionally representative and inclusive student body that will one day care for an increasingly diverse public. We encourage students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine to apply.”

○ Location: Seattle, WA

○ SAT/ACT Range: 1220–1470, 27-33

○ Acceptance Rate: 52% (59% in-state, 51% out of state)

○ General Highlights: Largest student population on the West Coast; Runs on the quarter system; Financial commitment to excellent research facilities and faculty

● University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill: “Our mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education, and research. We strive to promote faculty, staff and learner development in a diverse, respectful environment where our colleagues demonstrate professionalism, enhance learning, and create personal and professional sustainability. We optimize our partnership with the UNC Health Care System through close collaboration and a commitment to service.”

○ Location: Chapel Hill, NC

○ SAT/ACT Range: 1310–1500, 27-33

○ Acceptance Rate: 23% (41% in-state, 13% out of state)

○ General Highlights: Only public university to award degrees during the 18th century; Emphasis on leadership; Top basketball program

● Cornell University: “Weill Cornell Medicine is committed to excellence in patient care, scientific discovery and the education of future physicians in New York City and around the world. Since 1898, our doctors and scientists have been engaged in world-class clinical care and cutting-edge research that connect patients to the latest treatment innovations and prevention strategies. Weill Cornell Medicine's powerful network of collaborators extends to its parent university Cornell University; to Qatar, where Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar offers a Cornell University medical degree; and to programs in Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey.”

○ Location: Ithaca, NY

○ SAT/ACT Range: 1400–1560, 32-35

○ Acceptance Rate: 11%

○ General Highlights: Known for more “relaxed” academic standards compared to other Ivy League schools; Students apply directly to one of Cornell’s schools or colleges

● Northwestern University: “Our medical school and affiliated hospitals uniformly rank highly in national surveys, based on quality of students and faculty/staff, as well as research and patient care. Every component of our program is intentional, has real-world applications and prepares our students for the field of medicine as it is practiced today and will be in the future.”

○ Location: Evanston, IL

○ SAT/ACT Range: 1440-1550, 33-35

○ Acceptance Rate: 9%

○ General Highlights: Chicago is a global economic and artistic hub; Great law school & medical school

Choosing the right university is the first major step to take when pursuing a career in medicine. If you're an aspiring pre-med student, you'll want to give yourself the best opportunities and support networks in college and beyond. 

Want to know what you should be doing right now to prepare for a pre-med program? Get in touch with a PathIvy counselor today to get personalized coaching in the best strategies for you!

Written by Dr. Jessica White, PathIvy Team