Oldest Medical Schools

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is the oldest medical school among these, founded in 1765. It currently enrolls 805 students. Over its long history the school has helped shape medical education in the United States by developing enduring curricula, establishing affiliated teaching hospitals, and contributing to clinical and translational research.

Columbia University Roy and Diana Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (founded in 1767) and Harvard Medical School (founded in 1782) are also among the earliest-founded institutions; together these schools illustrate the evolution of medical training from early apprenticeship models to the modern, research-driven academic centers that train physicians today.

Statistics for Oldest Medical Schools

The average tuition & fees of oldest medical schools are $64,856 for state residents and $76,441 for out-of-state students for the academic year 2026-2027. The average GPA of the schools is 3.88 and the average MCAT score is 517. The average acceptance rate is 2.13% for 2026 admission.

University of Maryland School of Medicine has the highest tuition & fees of $85,244 and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has the lowest tuition & fees of $58,435.
Columbia University Roy and Diana Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has the highest MCAT score of 522 and Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine has the lowest score of 511.
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has the highest GPA of 3.97 and University of Vermont College of Medicine has the lowest GPA of 3.75.
University of Vermont College of Medicine has the tightest (lowest) acceptance rate of 1.18% and Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine has the lowest rate of 5.24%.
Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine has the most enrolled first-year students of 179 and Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine has the least enrolled students of 96.

The table below compares tuition, acceptance rates, and admission statistics for Oldest Medical Schools. We note that the tuition data is for the academic year 2026-2027 and admission / score data is for 2026 admission.

Oldest Medical Schools Comparison Table
Rank	School Name	Founded	Tuition & Fees	Acceptance Rate	Average GPA	Average MCAT	Total Enrollment	Enrollment (First-Year Students)
1	Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Private \| Philadelphia, PA	1765	$80,511	2.16%	3.97	521	805	153
2	Columbia University Roy and Diana Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Private \| New York, NY	1767	$79,690	1.80%	3.95	522	644	138
3	Harvard Medical School Private \| Boston, MA	1782	$80,639	1.99%	3.90	521	829	165
4	Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine Private \| Hanover, NH	1797	$77,784	0.93%	3.82	516	430	96
5	University of Maryland School of Medicine Public \| Baltimore, MD	1807	$85,244 ($51,936)	2.38%	3.86	514	693	171
6	Yale School of Medicine Private \| New Haven, CT	1810	$79,350	1.41%	3.96	522	570	104
7	Alpert Medical School at Brown University Private \| Providence, RI	1811	$76,762	1.57%	3.87	517	636	144
8	University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Public \| Cincinnati, OH	1819	$58,435 ($38,069)	2.64%	3.81	514	779	175
9	University of Vermont College of Medicine Public \| Burlington, VT	1822	$75,675 ($42,611)	1.18%	3.75	512	519	122
10	Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine Public \| Charleston, SC	1823	$70,324 ($41,209)	5.24%	3.92	511	749	179

Oldest Medical Schools

$76,441

517.0

3.88

2.13%

Statistics for Oldest Medical Schools