List of All U.S. Colleges with a Pre-Med Track

There are many different routes to med school for undergraduates. Some choose to pursue a biology or chemistry major. Others major in seemingly-unrelated studies like music or sociology. Some take a gap year or more before applying to medical school. All students, however, must take a specific set of courses to be eligible for medical school admissions. These courses include:

• 2 physics with lab
• 2 biology with lab
• 2 general chemistry with lab
• 1-2 organic chemistry with lab
• 1 biochemistry
• 2 math (calculus and/or statistics)
• 2 humanities (to demonstrate written proficiency in English)
• Sometimes social or behavioral sciences courses

Some medical schools may list more or fewer prerequisites, but this set of classes tends to be standard for most schools. As long as students fulfill these course requirements, they can major in whatever field they want.

Is There a Pre-Med Major?

Contrary to popular belief, there is no pre-med major. Most schools, however, offer a pre-med track that includes medical school advising. This advising often consists of regular meetings with the pre-med advisor to:

1. Ensure students are completing prerequisites; and
2. Engaging in meaningful activities to prepare them for a career in medicine, such as shadowing or working in health-related settings.

Some schools’ pre-health professions committees may even help students with their personal statements and practice interviewing with them.

Pre-med tracks are not formal programs, but rather more of an institutional support system for aspiring medical students.

Should Pre-Med Students Major in STEM?

Many students think that majoring in the sciences will increase their chances of getting into medical school. This isn’t necessarily true, as medical school admissions committees like to see students who are well-rounded and have developed some of the “softer” skills essential to becoming a doctor, such as articulate communication and flexibility. 

That said, majoring in a STEM field may give students a leg up in other ways. While the major listed on an applicant’s transcript is only one small detail to med school admissions committees, a student’s performance on the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) is one of the most important factors. A student that majors in a subject covered on the MCAT will have an advantage on that section of the exam. For example a chemistry major is likely to know more chemistry material than a non-chemistry major pre-med, so they will have to do less studying on that topic.

Another reason to major in STEM is to simplify one’s course load. There are usually at least 12 prerequisites, which is a lot of extra classes to fit in if a student is majoring in a different subject. That said, students should major in what they most enjoy studying, as long as they feel they can handle the extra workload. Students’ non-STEM passions can always fuse with their medical careers in unexpected ways. For example, a former music major may be able to study and incorporate the link between music and healing into their medical work.

How to Increase Your Chances of Getting In

Most pre-med tracks do not require special acceptance. If you want to be pre-med, you simply can. That said, you first have to gain admission to the college of your choice. To get into a great college with a strong medical school admissions track record, you’ll need to think strategically about your profile as an applicant. Here are some tips for getting started.

Take Classes that Highlight Your Strengths in STEM Fields. While AP classes don’t count in med school admissions, you can demonstrate your strength in the sciences by taking classes like AP Biology and AP Chemistry. Doing so could no only place you out of early introductory level classes, but could also highlight your interest and dedication to these fields of study.

Pursue Extracurriculars that Involve Service. A big part of the medical field is working with people and giving back to those around you. In addition to STEM-related projects, also choose activities that involve working with people and serving your community. Ultimately, medicine is just as much about serving others as it about science.

Build a Strong Admissions Team. Undergraduate schools that successfully send high percentages of their pre-med students to medical school are usually selective, so the earlier you can get started planning your admissions strategy, the better off you’ll be. This can be daunting if a student is only in ninth or tenth grade, but there are certainly some things they can get started on.

What Colleges Offer a Pre-Med Track?

Adelphi University

Agnes Scott College

Amherst College

Anderson University (South Carolina)

Appalachian State University

Arizona Christian University

Auburn University

Augsburg University

Augustana College

Ball State University | BSU

Bay Path University

Bethel University (Minnesota)

Bethel University (Tennessee)

Bismarck State College | BSC

Bluffton University

Boston University | BU

Brevard College

Brigham Young University–Idaho | BYU–Idaho

Caldwell University

California Northstate University | CNU

California State University, Bakersfield | CSU Bakersfield

Calvin College

Campbellsville University

Cardinal Stritch University

Centenary University

Central Michigan University | CMU

City College of New York | CCNY

Coker College

College of St. Benedict | CSB

Colorado Christian University | CCU

Colorado College

Concordia University Irvine

Corban University

Cornerstone University

Dakota Wesleyan University | DWU

Delta State University

Dominican University (Illinois)

Earlham College

East Texas Baptist University | ETBU

Eastern Illinois University | EIU

Eastern Nazarene College | ENC

Eastern New Mexico University | ENMU

Edgewood College

Elizabeth City State University | ECSU

Ferris State University

Florida A&M University | FAMU

Florida College

Gardner–Webb University

Grand Valley State University | GVSU

Hanover College

Hardin–Simmons University | HSU

Harris–Stowe State University

Hawaii Pacific University | HPU

Illinois State University | ISU

Indiana State University | ISU

Indiana University of Pennsylvania | IUP

Ithaca College

Jackson College

Keiser University

Kent State University

Knox College

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | KU

La Sierra University | LSU

Lake Erie College

Lake Forest College

Lake Superior State University | LSSU

Lebanon Valley College | LVC

Lincoln Memorial University | LMU

Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University New Orleans

Lubbock Christian University | LCU

MacMurray College

Manchester University

Marshall University

Maryville University

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | MCPHS

Michigan State University

Middle Tennessee State University | MTSU

Midland University

Millikin University

Mount Aloysius College

Mount Mary University

Mount St. Joseph University

Murray State University | MSU

National American University | NAU

Nazareth College

Nebraska Wesleyan University | NWU

Neumann University

Nevada State College | NSC

New York City College of Technology | CUNY City Tech

North Carolina A&T State University | N.C. A&T

North Carolina Central University | NCCU

North Carolina Wesleyan College

Northern Arizona University | NAU

Northwest Missouri State University

Notre Dame of Maryland University | NDMU

Oklahoma Christian University | OC

Oregon Institute of Technology | Oregon Tech

Palm Beach Atlantic University | PBA

Peninsula College

Pennsylvania State University | PSU

Pensacola State College

Pepperdine University

Peru State College

Pittsburg State University | PSU

Point Park University

Portland State University | PSU

Providence College

Purdue University Fort Wayne | PFW

Queens College, City University of New York | CUNY QC

Quincy University

Rider University

Robert Morris University | RMU (Pennsylvania)

Rochester College

Rutgers University–New Brunswick | Rutgers

Saint Francis University | SFU

Samford University

Seattle Pacific University | SPU

Seattle University

Shawnee State University | SSU

South Florida State College | SFSC

South Texas College | STC

Southern Illinois University Carbondale | SIU

Southern Methodist University | SMU

Southern Wesleyan University

Southwest Baptist University | SBU

Southwest Minnesota State University | SMSU

Southwestern Adventist University

Southwestern Oklahoma State University | SWOSU

Spalding University

St. Catherine University

St. Cloud State University | SCSU

St. Thomas Aquinas College | STAC

State University of New York at Cortland | SUNY Cortland

State University of New York at Delhi | SUNY Delhi

Stetson University

Stevenson University

Sullivan University

Tennessee State University | TSU

The State University of New York at Albany | SUNY Albany

Thomas Jefferson University

Touro College

Tusculum University

University of Charleston

University of Colorado Denver | CU Denver

University of Dayton

University of Georgia

University of Hartford

University of Hawaii at Hilo | UH Hilo

University of Jamestown

University of Kansas

University of Kentucky

University of Maine

University of Mary Hardin–Baylor | UMHB

University of Massachusetts Amherst | UMass Amherst

University of Memphis

University of Michigan–Dearborn | UM-D

University of Michigan–Flint | UofM-Flint

University of Mississippi | Ole Miss

University of Mount Union

University of Nebraska–Lincoln | UNL

University of North Alabama | UNA

University of Redlands

University of Saint Mary | USM

University of Scranton

University of South Alabama | South

University of South Carolina | USC

University of South Carolina Aiken | USC Aiken

University of South Dakota | USD

University of South Florida | USF

University of St. Francis | USF

University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)

University of St. Thomas (Texas)

University of Texas at Arlington | UT Arlington

University of Texas at El Paso | UTEP

University of the Cumberlands

University of the Pacific

University of the Southwest

University of Wisconsin–La Crosse | UW–La Crosse

Walsh University

Washburn University

Washington College

Waynesburg University

Webster University

Welch College

Wesley College

West Chester University | WCUPA

West Liberty University

Western Carolina University | WCU

Western Kentucky University | WKU

Western New Mexico University

Western State Colorado University

Westfield State University

Whitworth University

Wichita State University | WSU

Wilkes University

Worcester Polytechnic Institute | WPI

Xavier University

As you consider all the pre-med tracks out there, also take a good look at your own profile as an applicant and your own priorities in choosing a school. Too many students get wound up in big name schools rather than thoughtfully considering their own priorities, and ultimately you should be most interested in the schools that are the best fit for you personally. Looking at things like admissions statistics, the freshman class profile, and things like geographic location, cost, and student resources can help you to refine your college list.

Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!