Kaplan Survey Finds 94% of US Medical Schools Expect Admissions Competition to Stay Intense

• Survey finds 94% of U.S. medical schools expect 2026-2027 admissions to be at least as competitive as the previous cycle.
• U.S. MD-granting medical school applicants rose 5.3% to 54,699 for 2025-2026, reversing three consecutive years of declines.
• DO-granting medical school applicants increased 4.6% to 23,114 during the same period.
• Fewer than half of applicants matriculate across U.S. medical schools; some highly selective institutions enroll fewer than 5% of applicants.
• Low MCAT scores were the biggest application deal breaker for 44% of admissions officers; 98% considered scores important when evaluating candidates.

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