The Best Premed Majors to Get Into Medical School (2024)
/Learn about medical school acceptance rates by major and how you should approach your decision
Some premed majors are associated with Increased admissions odds
Introduction
Getting into medical school is notoriously difficult. Therefore, it makes sense that so many premed students are looking to gain an edge on the competition, such as:
Attending a prestigious university whose students enjoy high medical school acceptance rates
Developing relationships with various admissions committees in hopes of having an insider connection when they apply
Choosing the right prep course to maximize their MCAT scores
Writing their medical school personal statement about a unique topic
In addition, students looking for an advantage routinely ask us questions like: “What is the best major for premed?” and “What are the best premed majors to prepare for medical school?”
When we probe further, it becomes clear that what these students really want to know is how medical school acceptance rates vary by major and what majors medical schools prefer. If this knowledge were available, students would presumably reconsider majors with lower acceptance rates and opt for majors that would help them get in more easily.
There’s long been a rumor that English and other humanities majors do best on the MCAT and enjoy the highest admissions odds. Other rumors also surely exist. Our goal for this guide is to explore known rumors and other important questions so that you can make an informed decision and choose the best major for you.
Medical school acceptance rates by major 2023–2024
AAMC publishes data each year on acceptance rates to U.S. medical schools by primary major. Here’s what the most recent data look like:
| Major | |||||||||
| Biological Sciences | |||||||||
| Humanities | |||||||||
| Math and Statistics | |||||||||
| Other | |||||||||
| Physical Sciences | |||||||||
| Social Sciences | |||||||||
| Specialized Health Sciences | |||||||||
| All Majors | |||||||||
According to this data, there are three major groups—humanities, math and statistics, and physical sciences—that enjoy higher admissions rates than others. In fact, these are the only three groups that get into medical school at a rate greater than 45 percent.
However, we can also see that the fewest applicants come from these three groups, along with a fourth group: specialized health sciences.
We performed statistical analyses to determine whether there are statistically significant differences between majors with regard to med school acceptance rates. Without going into the details, it turns out there are.
Now, before you switch from a biology major to a math major, or from psychology to physics, we’ll want to dig deeper and explore associations between undergraduate major and GPA and MCAT scores. After all, the reason that students with certain majors get into med school at high rates may be due to higher stats rather than chosen major.
MCAT scores by major
Here’s the data AAMC publishes on average MCAT scores by undergraduate major:
| Major | ||||||||||
| Biological Sciences | ||||||||||
| Humanities | ||||||||||
| Math and Statistics | ||||||||||
| Other | ||||||||||
| Physical Sciences | ||||||||||
| Social Sciences | ||||||||||
| Specialized HS | ||||||||||
| All Majors | ||||||||||
It turns out that students in humanities, math and statistics, and physical sciences—the groups with the highest admissions rates—tend to achieve the highest total MCAT scores. This trend is true whether we focus on applicant or matriculant scores.
At first glance, it appears that there may indeed be majors that best prepare you for the MCAT. However, we know that MCAT scores are strongly correlated with GPA. Therefore, our next step will be to review associations between GPA and major.
GPA by major
This section focuses on the AAMC GPA data presented here:
| Major | ||||||
| Biological Sciences | ||||||
| Humanities | ||||||
| Math and Statistics | ||||||
| Other | ||||||
| Physical Sciences | ||||||
| Social Sciences | ||||||
| Specialized Health Sciences | ||||||
| All Majors | ||||||
The top five major groups among applicants with regard to science GPA are:
Math and statistics (3.66)
Physical sciences (3.61)
Biological sciences (3.56)
Humanities (3.52); other (3.52)
Specialized health sciences (3.49)
The top five major groups among applicants with regard to cumulative GPA are essentially the same:
Math and statistics (3.69)
Physical sciences (3.67)
Humanities (3.65); biological sciences (3.65)
Other (3.64)
Specialized health sciences (3.62)
Based on the GPA and MCAT data, students who major in math and statistics or physical sciences may be higher academic achievers in general. These achievement differences may explain to some extent their higher admissions rates.
However, if you’re reading this while majoring in the biological sciences, you might be upset that students with humanities majors are getting into med school at higher rates despite applying with lower science GPAs. This data may seem to reinforce a previously held belief that humanities majors have it easier or that med school admissions unfairly favors students with certain academic backgrounds than others.
If that’s the case, keep the following in mind:
Humanities majors are, on average, applying to medical schools with over 2.5 additional total MCAT points relative to biological sciences majors—509 vs. 506.3.
Moreover, humanities majors who matriculate into medical school are achieving higher average total MCAT scores (513.1) vs. their biological sciences peers (511.5).
In addition, biological sciences and humanities students who get into medical school have very similar cumulative GPAs—3.78 and 3.76, respectively.
What do medical school admissions committees weigh more heavily: GPA or MCAT?
The data we’ve explored above necessitates asking this question.
Our best answer is: “It depends.” Some schools may weigh GPA more heavily than MCAT (given that a GPA usually reflects four years of academic work), whereas others may prioritize MCAT over GPA (given that the MCAT is a standardized test).
Regardless, a lower GPA necessitates a higher MCAT score and a lower MCAT score necessitates a higher GPA. Your goal should be to do your best on both.
(Suggested reading: Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School)
What is the best premed major?
Based on the AAMC data we’ve explored, major choice does not appear to influence medical school admissions rates over and above GPA and MCAT scores.
In other words, whereas GPA and MCAT scores predict admissions success, differential acceptance rates among students with various majors are confounded with students in certain majors achieving higher stats. When stats are similar, major choice seems to have little to no impact on admissions decisions.
Therefore, you should select a primary major that highly interests you and one that will allow you to achieve at a high level academically. Don’t select a certain tough major simply because it will “look good” on your applications.
Many students bet on admissions committees giving them additional credit for taking on extra challenges. If you choose a tough major and excel, you may get some “bonus points” from adcoms. However, if your scores end up on the lower end, you won’t be able to count on adcom sympathy. You’re competing against far too many students with stellar stats.
What if I start as an undeclared major?
If you enter college not having officially declared your major, this shouldn’t be a pressing concern to you, as it’s not a concern for adcoms.
It’s quite common for undergraduates to delay declaring their major until the end of their sophomore year. While this is the deadline to declare a major at most schools, it may vary based on your particular school or program of study. Remember, college will have you adjusting to new life experiences in a new environment as well as being exposed to new academic interests. Waiting to declare your major until you’ve acclimated to the new circumstances and explored a few new interests could benefit you by being more confident in your decision later.
If you know you want to become a doctor and you want to stick to a timeline, you can still take premed classes while your major is undeclared. If you make sure your general education credits are out of the way during the time you’re undeclared, you should still be on track to graduate and matriculate in 4 years.
Is switching majors viewed negatively by adcoms?
The short answer is no, however, there are a few considerations.
Let’s say you began as an English major and decided to switch to Biology. You already knew you wanted to be a doctor but you also loved literature, so you wanted to start with something you love and that you’re good at (for a high GPA).
Now, after taking some Biology classes as part of your premed track, you find it endlessly fascinating and want to delve deeper into the subject so you take the leap and switch. An adcom seeing this on your transcript will think this is perfectly normal.
But what if it’s the other way around? What if you majored in Biology thinking it was a great major for a premed and decided to switch to English? As long as there’s no drop in your grades due to the demands of the Biology major, this also shouldn’t be a problem. There’s no specific major you are required to take to get into med school and one doesn’t make you more competitive than another. What’s more important is that you excel in all of your classes, especially the premed ones.
What if I change majors multiple times?
When it comes to multiple changes of major, every individual’s situation is different. You may change your major because you discover a gripping new interest or you’re just trying out something new. Perhaps the first decision still wasn’t the right one and you make the switch again.
Again, this is not an issue for adcoms as your undergraduate years are meant to be a time of investigating what you love.
However, if you change your major more than twice, you may be coming across as a bit indecisive. This could also push back your timeline for applying to medical school due to the new requirements for the major.
Is there a benefit to double majoring or adding a minor?
From the perspective of adcoms, there’s no direct benefit to double majoring or adding a minor. What’s most important is that you maintain high grades in all your classes. Adcoms will certainly be taking your GPA into account when deciding whether to offer you a place.
That being said, there’s nothing wrong with double majoring if you have the time and ambition. Keep in mind that it’s important to manage your time wisely and think about how you can put the best foot forward on your applications. Since what you major in is not a deciding factor for adcoms, it may be more beneficial to spend your time engaging in extracurricular activities that show your well-rounded interests or commitment to medicine.
Should my extracurriculars line up with my major or medical interests?
There’s nothing wrong with your extracurriculars being related to your major in some way, and for many premeds, this will naturally be the case. For instance, if you major in biology and you volunteer at a free clinic, there’s a connection there.
Having a direct line of connection between your major and extracurriculars, however, is not 100% necessary. Adcoms want to see a full picture of you as a person, so having some extracurriculars that don’t seem related to your major could be beneficial, especially if they showcase talents or passions the committee didn’t know you had and lines up with their values. For example, volunteering at a soup kitchen can display your humanity and being active in student organizations can show your leadership.
Final Thoughts
As demonstrated in this guide, your choice of premed major will not have a significant impact on your admission into medical school. Your GPA and MCAT scores will have a significant impact, though, and your choice of major may affect these for better or worse. Additionally, your premed major may open doors to various extracurriculars that can bolster your application. Majoring in English, for instance, may provide the opportunity to get involved with your school’s literary journal, while majoring in biological sciences could allow you to conduct research or publish a scientific article. Your premed major may also be relevant when it comes to forming relationships with teachers who may write your letters of recommendation. Each major offers different opportunities, and it is up to you to maximize these opportunities in order to make the strongest case for your admission to medical school.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
