What is the highest MCAT score accepted into medical school?

The highest possible MCAT score is 528, achieved by scoring a perfect 132 on each of the four sections, and while this score guarantees consideration at the most competitive schools, scores in the 518-522 range are typical for top-tier programs, with many excellent applicants accepted below that, emphasizing a strong overall application.

What is a top 1% MCAT score?

A top 1% MCAT score generally falls around the 515-520+ range, though the exact score shifts slightly with each testing year's percentiles, with scores like 475-477 often representing the 1st percentile on the total score chart, but a 99th percentile is closer to 520+, requiring near-perfect section scores (131-132) for the highest ranks, with 528 being perfect. 

Is 512 a competitive MCAT score?

An MCAT of 512 or above makes you a competitive applicant for both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools assuming other aspects of your candidacy are also strong. An MCAT of 515, which will place you in the 91st percentile of all test takers in 2026, or above will make you a much more competitive applicant.

Has anyone gotten a 528 on the MCAT?

Yes, people have achieved a perfect score of 528 on the MCAT, the highest possible score, though it is extremely rare and represents the 100th percentile, making the test-taker a highly competitive applicant for any medical school. Many individuals who have scored a 528 share their strategies online, emphasizing rigorous study schedules, extensive practice with AAMC materials, building strong content knowledge, and developing critical thinking skills through tutoring or teaching. 

Is a 508 a good MCAT score?

in general terms, 508 is above the national average, which is usually around 501--502. It places you roughly in the 73rd--75th percentile, which is competitive at many US MD and DO schools.

What MCAT Score Range Do I Need For Top Medical Schools? - Med School Survival Guide

How rare is a 520 MCAT score?

A 520 MCAT score is extremely rare and highly competitive, placing you in the 97th percentile, meaning only about 3% of test-takers score that high or higher. It signifies an elite performance, often required for admission to the most selective medical schools, though success also depends on other application factors like GPA and experiences. 

What is the MCAT score for Harvard?

For Harvard Medical School (HMS), the average MCAT score for admitted students is extremely high, typically around 520-521, with most successful applicants scoring well above 512, often in the 515-528 range, though Harvard doesn't have a minimum score but expects exceptional academic performance, making scores like 520+ highly competitive. 

What's the hardest section on the MCAT?

Most test-takers find the CARS (Critical Analysis and Reading Skills) section the hardest MCAT section due to its focus on reasoning, inference, and reading comprehension of dense, non-scientific texts, rather than pure knowledge recall. However, some struggle with the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (Chem/Phys) section due to complex content like biochemistry pathways and physics concepts, while Behavioral Sciences (Bio/Psych) also presents unique challenges, making the "hardest" section highly individual.
 

What is the MCAT score for Yale?

Median GPA: 3.92. Median MCAT: 522. Median MCAT: 521 (class of 2028)

How rare is a 515 MCAT score?

Based on student performance, the average MCAT total score is 501 with a standard deviation of 11.2, while the 91st percentile score is 515. As of the 2025-2026 academic year, there are 44,998 men and 55,347 women in medical school, according to current data from the AAMC.

What is the average MCAT score for Albert Einstein?

Accepted students at Einstein have an average MCAT score of 516. The 10th-90th percentile range is 511-520.

Should I retake the MCAT with a 520?

Assuming a strong GPA and extracurricular profile, scoring a 518 or above will help you be competitive for the highest-tier schools, even if their average matriculant MCAT score is a 520 or 521. With scores at this level, an MCAT retake is not necessary because schools will consider you to be academically elite.

Is the MCAT harder than the SAT?

Yes, the MCAT is widely considered significantly harder than the SAT, as it's much longer (nearly 8 hours vs. ~3 hours), requires extensive, specialized science knowledge (biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, psychology, sociology), and tests advanced critical thinking in complex, passage-based scientific contexts, unlike the SAT's high school-level content. The MCAT demands hundreds of hours of dedicated study, making it a formidable challenge even for high-achievers who did well on the SAT.
 

What is an Ivy League MCAT score?

Dedicate enough time to preparing for the MCAT: Though your MCAT score isn't the only stat considered, the average MCAT score of Ivy League med school matriculants is 519 or higher.

Should I retake a 516 MCAT?

Bottom line: If you scored 498 or below, I definitely recommend retaking the MCAT. If you scored 499-505 your first time, you should probably retake the MCAT. If you scored 506-511, you may not need to retake, but you could if you know you'd score much higher — especially if you're applying to Ivy League schools.

What is a realistic MCAT score?

The average MCAT score for all applicants is currently between a 506 and 507. The average MCAT score for matriculants (those who've been accepted and have registered to attend a med school) is between a 511 and a 512.

What is the hardest med school to get into?

Stanford University School of Medicine

With an astonishingly low acceptance rate of about 1.4%, Stanford is the country's hardest medical school to get into.

Is Yale harder to get into than Brown?

Yale is generally considered slightly harder to get into than Brown based on recent acceptance rates, with Yale often hovering around 3.9-4% and Brown around 5-5.4%, making Yale more selective, though both are extremely competitive Ivies where admission is highly dependent on individual applicant strength and subjective factors. The difference in rates is small, and admission to either requires exceptional qualifications, so it's more about fit than a significant gap in difficulty. 

Which is harder, LSAT or MCAT?

Is the LSAT harder than the MCAT? Both tests can be tough, but they cover distinct topics and assess knowledge differently. The MCAT measures the science skills and knowledge required for medical school. The LSAT emphasizes logic, reasoning, and understanding skills, all of which are valued in law school.

What is the top 3 toughest exam in the world?

The three toughest exams globally often cited for their extreme difficulty, low pass rates, and high stakes are China's Gaokao (National College Entrance Exam) for its sheer scale and competitiveness, India's UPSC Civil Services Exam for its life-altering potential and minuscule selection, and India's IIT-JEE Advanced (Joint Entrance Exam) for its rigorous engineering entrance criteria, alongside prestigious UK fellowships like the All Souls Prize Exam, with difficulty varying by individual and goals. 

What is 90% correct on MCAT?

Getting 90% correct on the MCAT isn't a fixed score but roughly translates to a high 120s to low 130s per section, placing you in the 90th percentile (around 515 total score), making you a very strong candidate, though scores vary by section difficulty and question weighting, with 5-10 wrong often being a 128-130 range in practice tests. A 90% accuracy means around 5-10 wrong answers out of ~53 questions in a section, but precise conversions depend on the test's equating. 

Is it harder to get into law school or med school?

Getting into the top law schools, such as Stanford and Yale, is more difficult, where acceptance rates average 12.6%. The percentage of applicants accepted into medical schools has remained constant over time.

What is the average MCAT score for Vanderbilt?

Vanderbilt Medical School Admissions Statistics

Average MCAT: 521 (with a median of 521.2) Applications received: 6,873. Acceptance rate: ~1.5%