Premed Undergraduate College Choice and Medical School Admissions (2025-2026)

High school students frequently ask us to recommend the best colleges if they want to be premed. Similarly, current undergraduates wonder whether their college choice will affect their medical school admissions outcomes. These questions reflect widespread uncertainty about how undergraduate education influences medical school admissions. Where you attend college will not determine your success in the medical school admissions process but you should be aware of some caveats.

Premed Undergraduate College Prestige and Medical School Admissions

There are certainly some undergraduate colleges that have a high percentage of students who attend prestigious medical schools. But, this has less to do with the college attended and more to do with how the student performs at that college and what they take advantage of while a student. As a general rule, the most “elite” colleges tend to admit very self-motivated, driven, and smart students; these qualities are what earn them acceptance to medical school rather than the undergraduate school’s prestige.

However, some undergraduate colleges that have a very high percentage of medical school applicants who are successful when applying to college. When I worked in admissions at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai we had a list of rigorous colleges that gave applicants extra “points.” There is no question that some undergraduate schools earn students instant respect in the eyes of admissions officers. That said, every year we work with students from a wide range of colleges who successfully gain admission to medical school and attending a prestigious undergraduate college is not necessary to be successful.

MCAT, GPA, and What Matters Most

What matters most when applying to medical school? How you performed as an undergraduate and what you accomplished in the years between high school and applying to medical school. Your MCAT and GPA are the two data points that are the most important to determine your foundational competitiveness for medical school. All medical school applicants, regardless of the undergraduate college, must be high achieving to be successful in this process.

Institutional Resources and Premedical Opportunities

When deciding where to attend college, it is important to consider the premedical community at the college as well as the resources and opportunities available to premeds. For example, Davidson College provides a foundation for the open environment in which students live and study. The pre-med and pre-law programs assist students in realizing their goals in the health and legal professions. Whether you are collaborating in the science lab or discussing economic policy, you will learn from professors committed to your intellectual growth and success.

Significant opportunities include:

• Through the Davidson Research Initiative (DRI), students can participate in collaborative research projects between faculty and students.
• 91% of students participate in at least one internship or supervised research experience and 65% participate in 2 or more.
• The Center for Career Development meets with over 80% of all students each year to help craft resumes, network with Davidson alumni, and secure internship and job opportunities.
• 80% of Davidson alumni attend graduate or professional school within 5 years of graduating.

Colleges with the Most Medical School Applicants

Reviewing the data for colleges with the highest and lowest number of medical school applicants can offer some insight into which schools have a vibrant premed population. In the 2024-2025 cycle, the colleges that supply the most medical school applicants according to the Association of American Medical Colleges include many large universities.