The True Cost of Medical School — What You Can Expect to Pay

When thinking about medical school and what it takes to be a physician, you should be aware of the costs and how to minimize the expense of medical school.According to Education Data Initiative, the average medical school debt is $216,659, not including pre-medical school debt.Although it’s alarming at first, consider this cost alongside the income potential of a medical career, which tends to be lucrative.Student loan repayment and forgiveness options (especially for federal loan borrowers) can also influence and reduce the cost of repayment.  Cost statistics for 2025-26 medical school (tuition, fees & health insurance) While income and repayment options influence medical school costs on the back end, how much you’ll ultimately need to borrow in student loans varies widely.

For example, school choice often has a six-figure impact on cost.  With 160 LCME accredited medical schools to choose from in the US, tuition, fees and (often mandatory) insurance have quite the spectrum.Varying price tags, cost of living differences, and options for funding/tuition assistance are just some of the primary factors that influence the cost and where you might apply.  Here’s a look at the averages and maximums this year.None of these costs reflect grants, scholarships or stipends.TypeResidence statusMaximum costAverage costAverage cost % change (from prior year)Participating schoolsPublicResident$67,597$43,0162.7%94PublicNonresident$102,657$68,0322.5%94PrivateResident$84,425$68,3421.8%66PrivateNonresident$84,425$69,7891.5%665Source: AAMC  No surprise, the least-expensive choices are generally public medical schools for residents who get in-state tuition benefits.

The cost of public schools isn’t as attractive for non-residents looking at out-of-state tuition.Schools like the University of Washington School of Medicine ($102,319) can even make the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine ($84,425) seem comparatively inexpensive, albeit being the highest-priced private medical school.Using the average cost of a four-year public school for in-state tuition ($43,016 x 4) = $172,064.The average four-year, out-of-state private cost would then equate to ($69,789x 4) = $279,156.

For private schools, it's generally a minor difference in cost whether you’re in-state or out-of-state.  Medical School Costs Ranking 2025-26 Here are this year’s five most and least expensive medical schools by category, according to the AAMC report.Costs reflect one-year tuition, fees and health insurance (if applicable) for non-residents.Private medical schools Most expensive Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine – $84,425 Weill Cornell Medicine – $84,386 Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons – $82,962 Tulane University School of Medicine – $82,790 Albert Einstein College of Medicine – $82,697 Least expensive Kaiser Permanente Bernard J.Tyson School of Medicine – $0 (applicable for all four years for incoming classes for Fall 2020 to Fall 2026) Alice L.

Walton School of Medicine – $2,390 New York University Long Island School of Medicine – $4,350 NYU Grossman School of Medicine – $4,350 Baylor College of Medicine – $42,793 Public (out-of-state) medical schools Most expensive Northeast Ohio Medical University – $102,657 University of Washington School of Medicine – $102,319 University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine – $97,328 Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah – $94,987 University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville – $92,954 Least expensive Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F.Edward Hebert School of Medicine – $0 Texas A&M University School of Medicine – $36,098 University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine – $37,186 McGovern Medical School at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston – $37,258 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine – $38,070 Public (in-state) medical schools Most expensive Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine – $67,597 University of Michigan Medical School – $62,934 Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine – $61,484 Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine – $59,642 University of Virginia School of Medicine – $59,154 Least expensive Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F.Edward Hebert School of Medicine – $0 University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine – $19,686 Texas A&M University School of Medicine – $22,998 University of New Mexico School of Medicine – $24,095 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine – $24,970 Although it’s different in each state, notably, Texas has many of the least expensive in-state and out-of-state public institutions.With NYU having an endowment which covers tuition and Kaiser Permanente waiving tuition and insurance for incoming classes through Fall 2026, both are excitingly low- to no-cost options for medical school.

Saving money on medical school costs School choice might be a six-figure influence on how much medical school costs.However, there are other upfront strategies, before and after school, that could mean considerable repayment savings.Upfront potential savings decisions The tuition of your desired school might not be the lowest, or you might just be eager to be financially prudent.Either way, consider your options for scholarships, grants, or other stipends.

Check out our guide for ways to pay for medical school without loans to learn more about programs like National Health Service Corps NHSC, or service-based scholarships, like the U.S Army, Navy, and Air Force HPSP Health Professions Scholarship Program.For other med school students, student loans are often the only option.Due to their many potential advantages and protections, borrowing federal student loans can be hugely advantageous compared to private funding.Federal loans, for instance, offer more options for income-driven repayment plans and forgiveness programs for healthcare workers.

Back-end potential savings strategies At Student Loan Planner, we’ve worked with physicians who have an immense student loan burden, often at $350,000 or more in student debt.  For some federal student loan borrowers, income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) offer tremendous savings compared to other types of loans that don’t qualify for forgiveness options programs.Given the duration of education and training before an attending salary is realized, these complex programs can be more rewarding for physicians to navigate.This is true, particularly when compared to other professionals who start art higher incomes and generally don’t have as many PSLF-eligible employment opportunities.With the varying price tags, repayment options, and slew of other decisions you can make surrounding your medical education and student debt, it’s hard to know what you’ll ultimately end up borrowing and paying.  Book a one-on-one consultation with our team of student debt experts for assistance with planning medical school debt, including choosing the best path forward when you enter repayment.