10 Best Non-Ivy League Schools for Pre-Med
What’s Covered:
You may be surprised to learn that many of the best pre-med programs for med school hopefuls are not limited to schools within the Ivy League. In fact, some of the best pre-med programs in the country can be found at liberal arts colleges! Today, we’ll be discussing the best pre-med programs and what makes these programs so fantastic.
How We Put This List Together
Before we get into the list, it is important to realize that pre-med is a track rather than a major. Pre-med students take a set of prerequisite classes to be eligible to apply for medical school. However, this is not the same as a college major. Students on pre-med tracks are able to major in anything—even so, majoring in the sciences remains the most common major for pre-meds.
Rankings on this list are determined by several factors, including medical school acceptance rates, GPA, MCAT prep, patient care experience, and research experience. BS/MD programs are not included on this list, but there are several options for students interested in that path.
Best Non-Ivy League Schools for Pre-Med
7 out of the 10 best schools for pre-med are non-Ivy League. The top 10 include:
- Harvard University*
- Duke University
- University of Pennsylvania | UPenn*
- Washington University in St. Louis | WashU
- Rice University
- Stanford University
- Northwestern University
- Brown University*
- Amherst College
- Case Western Reserve University
(*) denotes Ivy League.
To avoid redundancy, we’ll be continuing the list of the best pre-med schools starting with the 11th best school on this list.
1. Georgetown University
Location: Washington, D.C.
Acceptance Rate: 12%
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: SAT 1460-1560 / ACT 32-35
Undergraduate Enrollment: 7,800
Georgetown University offers a wide array of research opportunities through the Georgetown University Research Opportunities Program (GUROP), where students can conduct research alongside faculty members. Many opportunities can also be found at the Georgetown University Medical Center.
Students can gain clinical experience through volunteering at the Georgetown University Hospital, joining the Georgetown EMS (GERMS), and working at several partner clinics around D.C.
Learn more about Georgetown University and what it takes to get accepted.
2. Emory University
Location: Atlanta, GA
Acceptance Rate: 10%
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: SAT 1500-1560 / ACT 33-35
Undergraduate Enrollment: 8,300
Emory’s pre-health advising supports students through workshops, events and small sessions to prepare students for the medical school application process. The university offers many research opportunities and even allows students to get course credit for research.
In order to teach students the fundamentals of research, some research opportunities at Emory require students to also enroll in a course while conducting research. The university also offers a fall and spring research symposium where students can present their work to peers and mentors.
Learn more about Emory University and what it takes to get accepted.
3. Swarthmore College
Location: Swarthmore, PA
Acceptance Rate: 7%
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: SAT 1490-1560 / ACT 33-35
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,600
Swarthmore College offers robust one-on-one advising with pre-med students. The college partners with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Jefferson University Hospital, and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to offer volunteer experience for students. If students are interested in research, the college offers many opportunities to work alongside faculty and even summer research grants.
Learn more about Swarthmore College and what it takes to get accepted.
4. Johns Hopkins University
Location: Baltimore, MD
Acceptance Rate: 6%
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: SAT 1530-1570 / ACT 34-36
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,600
Johns Hopkins has an entire “pre-professional” office dedicated to helping students pursue graduate opportunities of all types. Besides many strong undergraduate research programs, Johns Hopkins provides many opportunities for clinical experience through volunteer work across Baltimore.
Additionally, the university has many student organizations dedicated to learning about the health profession including a chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta, Hopkins Organization for Pre-Health Education, and the Women’s Pre-Health Leadership Society (WPHLS). Many of these organizations allow students to network with physicians at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Learn more about Johns Hopkins University and what it takes to get accepted.
5. Vanderbilt University
Location: Nashville, TN
Acceptance Rate: 7%
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: SAT 1510-1560 / ACT 34-35
Undergraduate Enrollment: 7,200
Vanderbilt offers solid pre-med advising and, like many research universities, has a robust research program. The Vanderbilt Undergraduate Clinical Research Internship Program, for example, is a unique program that allows undergraduates to conduct research with a professor and while also working at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The university also offers many undergraduate pre-med organizations and clubs that are geared towards certain STEM majors. The proximity of the Vanderbilt University Hospital to the university allows students to form connections with physicians as well.
Learn more about Vanderbilt University and what it takes to get accepted.
6. Tulane University
Location: New Orleans, LA
Acceptance Rate: 14%
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: SAT 1430-1500 / ACT 32-34
Undergraduate Enrollment: 8,600
Tulane University leads the country in groundbreaking medical research, and the university encourages students to become as involved as possible. Many students are involved in research in the Cell and Molecular Biology department and are eligible to apply for prestigious summer fellowships to continue research.
The university also has 11 pre-med societies with different focuses, ranging from autism awareness to international health, and from public health to the university-wide student-run EMS.
Learn more about Tulane University and what it takes to get accepted.
7. Bowdoin College
Location: Brunswick, ME
Acceptance Rate: 7%
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: SAT 1470-1530 / ACT 33-35
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,800
Bowdoin College has an impressive medical school admissions rate. Generally, the annual acceptance rate is between 87% and 91%. Students who conduct research with professors are eligible to apply for a fall research award, and the college also provides smaller awards of up to $1,000 monthly for student research.
Learn more about Bowdoin College and what it takes to get accepted.
8. Miami University
Location: Oxford, OH
Acceptance Rate: 70%
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: SAT 1220-1390 / ACT 25-31
Undergraduate Enrollment: 16,500
Miami University has a unique pre-med program because it actually offers pre-medical studies as a “co-major.” This means that students in this major take classes to explore careers in medicine and learn all about the pre-health application process through coursework. Students are also offered special advising to find research opportunities that suit their interests. The university also offers many independent research opportunities and 16 pre-health student organizations.
Learn more about Miami University and what it takes to get accepted.
9. Bates College
Location: Lewiston, ME
Acceptance Rate: 15%
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: SAT 1430-1510 / ACT 32-34
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,800
Bates College encourages pre-health students to conduct research and offers many opportunities for students to do so. Research can occur through a senior thesis, an honors thesis, independent research, or through many of the seminars or specific research courses that Bates offers.
Learn more about Bates College and what it takes to get accepted.
10. Williams College
Location: Williamstown, MA
Acceptance Rate: 8%
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: SAT 1500-1560 / ACT 34-35
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,000
Williams College has many unique pre-med programs only for Williams students. For example, the college has an alumni-sponsored internship program where students can work in a field of their choice. Additionally, over 200 students conduct summer research at Williams, and students can apply for internships at the Whitehead Institute, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and Marine Biology Laboratory.
Learn more about Williams College and what it takes to get accepted.
If you want to learn more, check out our complete list of all of the best pre-med schools!
For More Information
With these schools in mind, you may have found a college that aligns with your future med school goals. At CollegeVine, we’re committed to making college guidance accessible to all who want it. That’s why, on our college applications guidance platform, you can use our free chancing engine, build a best-fit school list, and learn how to improve your profile—all for free.
Sign up for a CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your journey to a college as a pre-med. Also check out Sage, our AI tutor and advisor, who can improve your chances of acceptance to your dream school by helping you show what you have to offer beyond the numbers!
