6 of the Best Medical Schools in California

Medical Schools in California – Overview

Thousands of aspiring doctors seek admission into a medical school in California. This is unsurprising, as the state offers some of the most highly-ranked medical programs. Besides this, medical schools in California are 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 which school is best for you, we have ranked these schools based on their variety of medical programs and 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:

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 a for-profit medical school located in Elk Grove, California, renowned for offering various programs, such as degrees in social sciences, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, behavioral sciences, immunology, and foreign languages.

Admission criteria such as minimum MCAT scores and GPAs can vary significantly; applicants should consult the California Northstate University College of Medicine’s admissions page for the most current requirements. For more details, such as course prerequisites and the admission process at this medical college, please 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. The California University of Science and Medicine is a private, non-profit medical school.

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 learn more about the admission criteria and the admission process to this school of medicine, you can visit its official website at https://www.cusm.edu/.

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, advance biomedical research, and educate future physicians and scientists.

Keck Medical School is renowned for groundbreaking discoveries in basic science clinical research. It excels at educating academic clinicians and basic scientists and offers 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 3.8 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

Stanford University School of Medicine is a private institution renowned for its research-intensive medical education. 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 must have a minimum MCAT score of 519 and a minimum 3.89 GPA. To learn the program prerequisites and other details, visit the school’s official website at https://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. The University of California, Irvine School of Medicine is a public institution known for its contributions to medical research and education.

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 University of California, Riverside School of Medicine is a public medical school focused on addressing the health needs of Inland Southern California. Applicants seeking admission must have a minimum 506 MCAT score and a 3.6 GPA.

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

Conclusion

California Northstate University’s College of Medicine ranks as the top choice on our list of the best medical schools in California. Prospective applicants should consult each medical school’s official website for the most accurate and up-to-date admission criteria and program details.

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Current Version
April 5, 2024
Updated By
Andrea Morales G.
January 29, 2023
Written By
Shubham Grover

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