2016-03-29



Check out our statistical snapshot of applicant volume, average MCAT scores, quality of matriculants, and more.

With the medical school acceptance season wrapping up and MCAT testing season jumping into gear, it’s time to reflect on some very important numbers moving forward. Of course, you already know some big numbers—such as Avogadro’s number (6.02x 10^23)—that are important for the MCAT. But there’s some other, equally important quantitative information you may not know about.

In fact, getting into medical school is becoming more competitive by the year. To help you keep up, we’ve rounded up some key facts and figures related to MCAT and medical school admissions to share with you.

Medical school by the numbers

Number of 2015 medical school applicants: 52,550

Number of 2015 medical school matriculants: 20,631

Average 2015 acceptance rate: 39.3%

Total enrollment in medical school (all four years): 86,746

Men in medical school: 46,108

Women in medical school: 40,634

Average GPA of applicants vs. matriculants: 3.55 vs. 3.70

Average science GPA of applicants vs. matriculants: 3.45 vs. 3.64

Average non-science GPA of applicants vs. matriculants: 3.68 vs. 3.77

MCAT administration by the numbers

Total 2015 MCAT exams administered (Apr. – Sept.): 64,504

Repeat rate (Apr. – Sept.): 7%

Unique 2015 MCAT test-takers (Apr. – Sept.): 59,996

MCAT content by the numbers

Number of sections: 4

Section types: 3 science-based sections; 1 critical reading section

Science sections: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, Chemical and Physical Foundations of Living Systems, and Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior

Maximum points available per section: 132

Minimum points available per section: 118

Average section score: 125

Number of questions per section: 59 for the science sections and 53 for the Critical Analysis and Reading skills (CARS) section

Minutes per section: 95 for the science sections and 90 for CARS

Passages per section: 10 for science and 9 for CARS

Discrete questions per science section: 15

Words per CARS passage: 500–600

MCAT totals

Total MCAT time length (without breaks): 6 hours and 15 minutes

Total “Seated” time length: 7 hours and 30 minutes

Total questions: 230

Average MCAT total score: 500 (with a standard deviation of 10.6)

91st percentile score cutoff: 514

Looking to boost your own application numbers? Visit Kaptest.com/MCAT to view our upcoming class schedules.

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