6 of the Best Medical Schools in California

Medical Schools in California – Overview

Thousands of aspiring doctors seek to get admission into a medical school in California. This is not surprising as the state offers some of the most highly-ranked medical programs. Besides this, medical schools in California are also considered to offer medical programs at reduced rates at public institutions, besides offering a unique cultural diversity.

As a result, California medical schools also find it extremely difficult to get admission with the competitive stats, large state population, and incredibly high number of applications every program receives each year. However, if you have the right attitude, skills, and training, then you may automatically fill some of the most common admission criteria for medical schools in California.

To help you decide the best-suited school, we have ranked these schools based on the variety of medical programs and the comparatively affordable cost of education.

6 Best Medical Schools in California – 2023

Here is our list of the best medical schools in California for 2023:

Best medical schools in California for 2023

1 – California Northstate University College of Medicine

The California Northstate University College of Medicine aims to advance the art and sciences of medicine through education, service, scholarship, and social accountability. It is located in Elk Grove, California, and is the leading prestigious private medical college in the state. It is renowned for offering various programs, such as degrees in social sciences, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, behavioral sciences, immunology, and foreign languages.

The minimum accepted MCAT score required for admission into the California Northstate University College of Medicine is 497, and the minimum accepted GPA should be 2.8 and over. For more details, such as course prerequisites and the admission process at this medical college, feel free to visit their official website at https://medicine.cnsu.edu/admissions/.

2 – California University of Science and Medicine – School of Medicine

The California University of Science and Medicine’s School of Medicine ranks second on our list of the best medical schools in California. The medical school aims to advance the art and science of medicine through innovative medical education, research, and compassionate healthcare delivery in an inclusive environment. It also aims to advocate critical thinking, integrity, creativity, and professionalism in its alumni. The medical school is located in San Bernardino, Southern California. It is one of the leading private medical schools in the state.

To get admission into the California University of Science and Medicine’s School of Medicine, applicants need to score a minimum of 504 on the MCAT and have a GPA of 3.0 or over. To know more about the admission criteria and process into this school of medicine, you can visit its official website at https://www.cusm.org/.

3 – Keck School of Medicine (University of Southern California)

The University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine ranks third on the list of the top medical schools in California. It is dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals and society by promoting health. It aims to prevent and cure disease, besides advancing biomedical research and educating future physicians and scientists.

Keck Medical School is renowned for making groundbreaking discoveries in basic science clinical research. It offers excellence in educating academic clinicians and basic scientists, besides offering advanced university-level patient care with innovations that fundamentally change the practice of medicine. Keck School of Medicine is located in Los Angeles, California, and is one of the city’s most prestigious private medical schools.

The school has no prerequisites for courses, but it does demand applicants to have a minimum 517 score on the MCAT and a minimum 3.81 GPA. To know the details of the medical programs and admission process into Keck School of Medicine, you can browse their official website at https://keck.usc.edu/education/md-program/admissions/.

4 – Stanford University School of Medicine

The Stanford University School of Medicine is a premier research-intensive medical school. It aims to improve healthcare through diversity, leadership, and a collaborative approach to discovery and innovation in patient care, research and education. The medical school is located in Stanford, California and ranks among the state’s most sought-after private medical schools.

To get admission into Stanford University’s School of Medicine, applicants need to have a minimum score of 519 on the MCAT and a minimum 3.89 GPA. To find out the program prerequisites and other details, you can visit their official website at http://med.stanford.edu/md-admissions.html.

5 – Irvine School of Medicine (University of California)

The University of California’s Irvine School of Medicine is dedicated to advancing medical knowledge and clinical practice. It aims to do this by offering students a rich educational environment. In addition, it nurtures the overall development of medical students, resident physicians, and scholars, especially in the basic and clinical sciences fields. This prestigious medical school is located in Irvine, California, and is a high-ranking public medical school.

The admission requirements for applicants to get into Irvine School of Medicine are a minimum score of 514 on the MCAT and at least a 3.78 GPA. To find more details of courses offered, course prerequisites and the admission process, you can browse their official website at https://www.meded.uci.edu/admissions/.

6 – Riverside School of Medicine (University of California)

The University of California’s Riverside School of Medicine aims to improve the health of the state population, especially Inland Southern California, by training a diverse workforce of physicians. It also aims to develop innovative research initiatives and healthcare delivery programs that improve the health of the medically under-served and become models throughout the state and country.

The Riverside School of Medicine is located in Riverside, Southern California and is one of the region’s most renowned public medical schools. Applicants seeking admission into the University of California’s Riverside School of Medicine need to have a minimum 506 score on the MCAT and at least a 3.6 GPA score.

For more details, such as admission criteria, courses offered and admission process, feel free to visit the medical school’s official website at https://somsa.ucr.edu/admission-medical-school.

Conclusion

The California Northstate University’s College of Medicine ranks as the top choice on our list of the best medical schools in California. Make sure to check the listed school’s official websites for more details on admission eligibility criteria and other details before deciding to apply.

Shubham Grover

I am a dedicated healthcare researcher and an enthusiast specializing in medical grants, medical education and research. Through my articles, I aim to empower healthcare professionals and researchers with valuable insights and resources to navigate these critical aspects effectively.

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