Curious about MCAT scores and whether you got a good score? We review everything score related in our complete guide below.
Use the information below to learn about MCAT scores, analyze your score, and determine if your score is what you need to get into the school of your choice.
Summary: Learn about the MCAT score below. If you need to study for your exam, use our reviews of the best MCAT courses.
What is a Good MCAT Score?
This is a question a lot of students ask. A “good” score on the MCAT would be anything above 511. This would put you in the 80th percentile (we review MCAT score percentiles below).
Being in the 80th percentile would make you competitive for a ton of medical schools and give you a great chance at getting into a program.
With that being said, a good MCAT score is different for everyone. Students who want to get into a top program will need a higher MCAT score versus someone who just wants to get into any medical school.
| Average Score Acceptable to Few Medical Schools | Average Score Acceptable for Most Medical Schools | Average Score Acceptable for Top Medical Schools | |
| Description | Average score | Good score | High score |
| Percentile rank | 50th percentile | 80th percentile | 95th percentile |
| Total MCAT Score | 501 | 511 | 518 |
It is important to remember that when applying to medical school, these schools are looking at you holistically. While your scores will be important, they are not everything. Some other things medical schools consider are GPA, personal statements, letters of recommendation, and your overall resume.
How is the MCAT Scored?
In simple terms, your MCAT score will be based on the number of correct answers you choose on the MCAT. The number of correct answers you achieve are then converted to a scale of 118 – 132.
Each section of the exam receives its own score between 118 and 132. It is important to note that the MCAT is not graded on a curve and there is no penalty for wrong/unanswered questions, so guess away. You can learn more about the exam with our guide to what is on the MCAT.
To arrive at your final total score, each section is added up.
To see how you would do if you took the test today, use our MCAT practice questions to get a baseline.
MCAT Score Range
The MCAT score range is 472–528. There are 2 MCAT score ranges students should be concerned with:
- Section Score Range – Ranges between 118 and 132. This is the score you will be given on each of the 4 sections of the exam.
- Total MCAT Score Range – Adds up each section score and gives you a total score. The total MCAT score range is 472 to 528.
Highest MCAT Score
The highest score you can get on the MCAT is 528. In order to achieve this score, you would need to score 132 in each of the 4 sections.
Average MCAT Score
The average MCAT score over a 4-year span was 506.
Understanding the average MCAT score will allow you to gauge how competitive you will be in the admissions process. If you have yet to take the exam, it will give you a better idea of what you need to achieve.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) release data on MCAT scores every year. View the table below to learn about the average MCAT score and how it has changed throughout the years.
| Section | 2018-2019 Average Scores | 2019-2020 Average Scores | 2020-2021 Average Scores | 2021-2022 Average Scores |
| CPBS | 126.3 | 126.4 | 126.5 | 126.3 |
| CARS | 125.9 | 125.9 | 125.9 | 125.7 |
| BBLS | 126.6 | 126.7 | 126.8 | 126.7 |
| PSBB | 126.8 | 127.1 | 127.2 | 127.3 |
| Total Score | 505.6 | 506.1 | 506.4 | 505.9 |
| GPA | 3.47 | 3.48 | 3.49 | 3.48 |
MCAT Score Percentiles
MCAT score percentiles are used to compare applicants to each other based on their scores. The MCAT score percentile is calculated against the scores of everyone what has taken the MCAT in the last 3 years.
The percentile ranking represents the percentage of test-takers who scored lower than you. For example, if you were in the 80th percentile, this means that you scored better than 80% of other testers.
We have listed the MCAT score percentiles below. If you want some more motivation to do well on this exam, check out how much doctors make.
| Total Score | Percentile Rank |
| 472 | <1 |
| 474 | <1 |
| 476 | 1 |
| 478 | 1 |
| 480 | 3 |
| 482 | 4 |
| 484 | 7 |
| 486 | 9 |
| 488 | 13 |
| 490 | 17 |
| 492 | 21 |
| 494 | 27 |
| 496 | 32 |
| 498 | 38 |
| Total Score | Percentile Rank |
| 500 | 45 |
| 502 | 52 |
| 504 | 58 |
| 506 | 65 |
| 508 | 72 |
| 510 | 78 |
| 512 | 84 |
| 514 | 88 |
| 516 | 92 |
| 518 | 95 |
| 520 | 97 |
| 522 | 99 |
| 524 | 100 |
| 526 | 100 |
| 528 | 100 |
MCAT Score Report
Every student will receive a score report after taking their exam. The score report will include the following:
- Section Scores
- Total Score
- Confidence Band
- Percentile Rank of Score
- Score Profile
- Notes
(click on image to enlarge)
Acceptances Rates and MCAT Scores
To further assist us in answering our question of what a good MCAT score is, let’s look at some data and statistics and try to help you figure out what score you need to get into medical school.
The table below shows scores and acceptance rates into medical school, reported by the AAMC.
| Score | Percent Accepted |
| Less than 486 | .5% |
| 486-489 | 1.1% |
| 490-493 | 3.2% |
| 494-497 | 10% |
| 498-501 | 20% |
| 502-505 | 32% |
| 506-509 | 46.4% |
| 510-513 | 61.4% |
| 514-517 | 72.8% |
| 517+ | 82.5% |
As expected, the higher scores you have, the better your chance at getting into medical school.
Top Medical School Score Examples
If you are interested in attending one of the top medical schools in the country, review the table below to get a better idea of what to expect.
| School | Rank | Average MCAT | Average GPA | Acceptance Rate |
| Harvard University | 1 | 519 | 3.92 | 3.3% |
| Johns Hopkins University | 2 | 519 | 3.91 | 6.0% |
| University of Pennsylvania (Perelman) | 3 | 521 | 3.90 | 4.4% |
| New York University (Grossman) | 4 | 522 | 3.93 | 2.5% |
| Stanford University | 5 | 519 | 3.86 | 2.3% |
| Columbia University | 6 | 521 | 3.88 | 3.5% |
| Mayo Clinic School of Medicine (Alix) | 7 | 520 | 3.92 | 2.4% |
| University of California - Los Angeles (Geffen) | 8 | 517 | 3.84 | 2.4% |
| University of California - San Francisco | 9 | 517 | 3.83 | 3.8% |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 10 | 522 | 3.89 | 8.2% |
| Cornell University (Weill) | 11 | 518 | 3.87 | 5.1% |
| Duke University | 12 | 519 | 3.86 | 4.0% |
| University of Washington | 13 | 510 | 3.72 | 4.1% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 14 | 517 | 3.78 | 4.5% |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 15 | 514 | 3.80 | 5.0% |
| Yale University | 16 | 521 | 3.90 | 5.5% |
| University of Chicago (Pritzker) | 17 | 520 | 3.87 | 4.3% |
| Northwestern University (Feinberg) | 18 | 520 | 3.90 | 6.4% |
| Vanderbilt University | 19 | 519 | 3.90 | 5.3% |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | 20 | 518 | 3.86 | 5.7% |
MCAT Score FAQs
