• 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.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Graham Holdings Company published the original content used to generate this news brief via Business Wire (Ref. ID: 20261027102022) on October 27, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.