On average, students entering Yale Med score 518 points on the MCAT. The scores tend to break down to a 130 on the chemical and physical sciences section, a 129 on the critical thinking section, a 130 on the biological and biochemical section, and a 130 on the psychological section.
Yale Medical School – Acceptance Rate, Ranking, and More
As one of the Ivy League schools, Yale University has earned its spot among the greatest and most respected institutions of higher learning in the entire world.
It comes as no surprise that the Yale School of Medicine is equally renowned.
Founded in 1810, the Medical Institution of Yale College, Yale Med is one of the nation’s oldest and most prominent medical schools. That reputation was built thanks to the work of the school’s unparalleled faculty.
Over the years, teachers at Yale Med have included 47 members of the National Academy of Medicine, 70 members of the National Academy of Sciences, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators.
The school uses a ground-breaking method known as the “Yale System.”
According to this approach, the school does not grade or rank its first- and second-year students, allowing them to pursue knowledge without falling into regimented or restricted learning styles.
Before moving on to third-year education, students must participate in seminars and pass qualifying examinations.
Yale Med is equally famous for its facilities. Students gain most of their hands-on training through the Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut.
A level-1 adult and pediatric trauma center, Yale New Haven Hospital offers 1,546 total beds, including those in their pediatric and cancer wards.
With these resources, students at Yale Med can work with a wide range of patients. Combined with the school’s famous research facilities and award-winning faculty, it’s no wonder that the Yale School of Medicine is considered to be one of the best in the world.
Yale Medical School Acceptance Rate
The acceptance rate at Yale Medical School is approximately 5%.
Everybody knows that Yale University is one of the best schools globally, famous for its research and outstanding faculty. The Yale School of Medicine is no exception. And as such, it is a very popular school for future doctors.
In 2020, Yale Med received 4,700 applications. Out of that group, only 5.72% were accepted.
To be sure, that’s a very low number. But potential applicants should take heart because it’s not as low as many of Yale’s peers.
For example, the Stanford School of Medicine received 6,800 applications in 2021 and accepted only 153, for a rate of 2.2%. The Baylor College of Medicine accepts 5.3% of its applicants, taking in only 12 of the 402 people who applied in 2021.
When looked at in that light, Yale Med’s rates don’t seem so bad. That’s especially true when you consider the other advantages. 5.72% of 4,700 is 269 students. So while the large majority of those who apply to study at Yale Med will be rejected, hundreds will be accepted into the program.
When put in perspective, one realizes that while admission certainly isn’t a given, it isn’t impossible either. Those who meet the admission requirements (which we’ll discuss shortly) and who make an impression on the acceptance committees will surely get the chance to study at one of the best schools in the world.
Yale Medical School Tuition
Nobody expects medical school to be cheap. To get the extensive training necessary to work on the human body and address the most pressing diseases of our time, students need access to experienced faculty and state-of-the-art resources.
And those things don’t come cheap.
All of those expectations should be doubled for an elite institution like Yale Med. Because it offers the best faculty and resources, it will likely be more expensive than nearly every other medical school.
According to information provided by the school, students studying at Yale Med should plan to pay $72,148 their first year of study, $73,471 in their second year, and $24,841 in their third year.
Without question, that’s a lot of money, but it isn’t out of line for a school of this quality. For example, the Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles tells its students to plan for $83,182 in total expenses. At the Stanford School of Medicine, students pay over $62,000 each year.
As expensive as that is, it’s important to remember that these numbers are estimates for the total cost of living.
Tuition at Yale Med is only $42,120 for the first two years (after which it drops to only $14,040). Students can take actions that will lower the overall costs, such as getting a roommate or carpooling to campus.
Yale Medical School Requirements
Although Yale Med does accept hundreds of students every year, it rejects far more. Thousands of students have their applications rejected each year.
While there is nothing anyone can do to guarantee acceptance, there is one thing to do to ensure rejection. And that is this: fail to follow the application requirements.
Every application to Yale Med must include scores from the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). They are designed to assess a student’s readiness for medical school by testing them in subjects that they study in their undergraduate years.
The test features sections devoted to the foundations of behavior, biochemistry, analytical and reasoning skills, and biological systems.
On average, students entering Yale Med score 518 points on the MCAT. The scores tend to break down to a 130 on the chemical and physical sciences section, a 129 on the critical thinking section, a 130 on the biological and biochemical section, and a 130 on the psychological section.
Students must also complete two applications, the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) and the Yale Secondary education. The AMCAS application is required by most medical schools in the country, but the Yale secondary application is unique to the university. In it, students will answer essay questions about diversity and patient care.
Finally, students must also submit letters of recommendation. These letters will help the student make an impression on acceptance counselors, even if one’s grades and scores do not meet minimum standards.
Yale Medical School Notable Alumni
Not only does Yale have one of the most famous medical schools in the world, but it also has one of the highest-ranked. Part of that high ranking comes from the outstanding alumni who have trained at the school.
After earning his Ph.D. from the Yale School of Medicine in 2001, Nenad Šestan returned to the school to be a professor of neuroscience, comparative medicine, and genetics. Dr. Šestan has received attention from the New York Times and the journal Nature. The latter included Dr. Šestan on their list of the ten most important people in science.
Farzad Mostashari earned an M.D. from Yale Med in 1996, before moving on to earn additional advanced degrees from Harvard. Dr. Mostashari founded the company Aledade, which provides support to primary care centers around the world, for whom he still serves as CEO. Dr. Mostashari has also worked with the Centers for Disease Control’s Epidemiological Intelligence Service and the New York City Department of Health.
Before becoming the former United States Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2009, Howard Kyongju Koh graduated from Yale Med in 1977.
Throughout his career, Koh has earned many accolades, such as the Drs. Jack E. White/LaSalle D. Leffall Cancer Prevention Award from the American Association for Cancer Research and the Intercultural Cancer Council, the Distinguished Service Award from the American Cancer Society, and the Dr. Harold P. Freeman Lectureship Award.
Yale Medical School Ranking
Yale University is one of the oldest and most respected institutions of higher learning in the United States, so it should come as no surprise that its medical school would be equally esteemed.
According to nearly every observing outlet in the world, the Yale School of Medicine is an excellent institution.
It earns that praise thanks to its outstanding faculty, its enormous contributions to scholarly research, and its world-renowned alumni.
The most respected of these outlets is U.S. News & World Report, a current events magazine that has become famous for its annual ranking lists. U.S. News has earned the trust of the higher education world due to its comprehensive evaluation criteria and its thorough research.
According to its findings, U.S. News ranks Yale Med as the tenth best school in the country for medical research. This ranking puts the school above the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota and the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis.
The magazine also places Yale Med in 9 th place for obstetrics and gynecology, 8 th place for radiology, and 1 st place for psychiatry.
Unsurprisingly, Yale Med does just as well on a global scale. According to the worldwide ranking outlet topuniversities.com Yale has the eighth-best medical school in the world, coming in above UCL Bloomsbury in London and Imperial College London.
Topuniversities.com gives Yale Med special recognition for its reputation in the academic world, for its low student-to-faculty ratio, and its reputation as an employer.
Should You Attend Yale Medical School?
It’s hard to imagine any serious medical student who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to study at the Yale University School of Medicine. After all, it’s part of one of the most respected Ivy League schools in the nation and has a long history of training excellent physicians.
The work done by students, faculty, and researchers at Yale Med has improved the lives of millions across the world.
But with that prestige comes a significant challenge. As we’ve seen, thousands of future doctors apply to be accepted into Yale Med, and only a tiny percentage of that group actually make it in. Those lucky few who are given offers of education have worked hard for the honor, turning in near-perfect grades in their undergrad classes and untouchable scores on the MCAT.
Once they’re accepted into Yale, the work doesn’t stop. As one of the best schools in the nation, Yale Med demands excellence from its students, giving them room to be creative (thanks to the “Yale method”), while still expecting excellent exam scores and engagement in seminars.
For many, those demands are simply too high. And fortunately, there are many other medical schools across the country for anyone who does not want to live up to such rigorous standards.
But for those who can meet the challenge, there are few greater honors than being counted among the students at the Yale University School of Medicine.
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How to Get Into the Yale School of Medicine: Requirements and Strategies
Learn the Yale Medical School acceptance rate, admissions requirements, and strategies, plus YSM secondary essay examples
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Yale School of Medicine MD programs
Part 3: How hard is it to get into the Yale School of Medicine?
Part 4: Yale Medical School secondary application essays (examples included
Part 5: Yale Medical School interviews
Part 1: Introduction
Established in 1810, the Yale School of Medicine is known as one of the oldest medical schools in the United States, as well as one of the best. It currently sits at #10 on U.S. News and World Report’s Research rankings, and its daunting admissions standards reflect its illustrious reputation.
With well over 7,000 applicants vying annually for about 100 slots, aspiring Yalies must put their best feet forward. To help make your application to Yale as competitive as possible, we’ve assembled a comprehensive guide to acing your Yale secondary application, including a program overview, admissions statistics, and strategies (with examples) for tackling Yale’s daunting secondary essays.
Part 2: Yale School of Medicine MD programs
Yale School of Medicine offers four tracks of study for its students to achieve their MD:
- The traditional, four-year MD program
- The MD/PhD program
- The MD/MPH Program
- The MD/MHS Program
In addition to these MD programs, Yale also offers a number of dual-degree programs in conjunction with other schools at Yale. Yale medical students can earn an MD/JD, MD/MBA, or an MD/MDiv.
Yale Medical School tuition and scholarships
Yale School of Medicine’s tuition, clocking in at $70,184 during 2023–2024, is steep. Adjusting for fees and cost of living, Yale currently advises its students to budget $106,677 for the first year of attendance.
Because Yale is a private institution, you won’t find any in-state perks. However, the School of Medicine offers generous, need-based financial aid.
In 2019, Yale announced that students receiving financial aid would be expected to borrow just $15,000 per year going forward, reducing its “unit loan” by 50 percent over two years. As a result, students eligible for financial aid take out fewer loans and receive more institutional scholarships, and they should graduate with no more than $60,000 in debt.
Starting in 2023-2024, students that qualify for need-based aid commit to taking out a $10,000 annual loan and Yale will cover the remainder of costs including room and board meaning these students will graduate with only $40,000 in debt.
In comparison, the average medical school debt in 2021 was $215,900.
Part 3: How hard is it to get into the Yale School of Medicine?
Yale Medical School admissions statistics
With an acceptance rate of 4.8 percent, Yale School of Medicine is highly selective. Let’s take a look at the admissions statistics for the class of 2025:
- Applications: Over 7,200
- Matriculants: 104
While Yale hasn’t shared further details regarding its most recent class, statistics for the class of 2024 illustrate Yale’s high expectations when it comes to academic achievement:
Yale Medical School admissions requirements
To apply to Yale School of Medicine, applicants must fulfill the following coursework requirements, complete with lab:
- General biology or zoology: 2 semesters
- General chemistry: 2 semesters
- Organic chemistry: 1 semester
- Biochemistry: 1 semester (laboratory recommended, but not required)
- General physics: 2 semesters
Furthermore, to apply in the 2023–2024 application cycle, you must submit an MCAT score from an exam taken between January 2020 and the final test date in 2023.
Yale Medical School application timeline
You’ll submit your Yale School of Medicine application via AMCAS. Here are the dates and deadlines to keep in mind during the application process:
- May 2, 2023: AMCAS application opens
- May 30, 2023: AMCAS application can be submitted
- July 2022: Yale secondary application opens
- August 1, 2023: AMCAS application deadline for Early Decision
- August 31, 2023: Yale secondary application deadline for Early Decision
- September 2023–February 2024: Interviews conducted
- October 1, 2023: Early Decision applicants notified of admissions decision
- October 15, 2023: AMCAS application deadline
- November 15, 2023: Yale secondary application deadline
- March 15, 2024: Applicants notified of admissions decision by this date
As is the case for all medical school admissions, we advise you to submit your AMCAS primary as soon as possible after the system opens. Yale typically sends out secondary applications within a week of receiving your AMCAS primary, beginning in late July when the secondary application becomes available. They’ll consider applications on a first-come basis, so timeliness in returning your secondary can be key to your success as well.
Part 4: Yale Medical School secondary application essays (examples included)
Like any other medical school, Yale will first take into account your personal statement and AMCAS Work and Activities section, as well as your MCAT score, GPA, and recommendation letters. But when it comes to secondary applications, Yale also gives applicants a lot of space to communicate who they are narratively—more than most schools allow—giving you the opportunity, hopefully, to stand out from that crowded applicant pool.
Don’t be intimidated by the length of this secondary. Instead, see it as a chance to more fully communicate with the admissions committee. Below, we’ve broken down each secondary essay prompt and provided guidance on crafting responses that will allow you to shine.
Question 1: Yale School of Medicine values diversity in all its forms. How will your background and experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician? (500 words)
Fortunately, this is your standard “diversity prompt.” Take a look at our deep-dive into how to ace diversity essays, which includes an example essay you can use as a guide.
The goal with this prompt, as with all diversity prompts, is to show what makes you unique (culturally, intellectually, geographically, skill-based, etc.) and how your unique background and perspective will allow you to add (in a way only YOU can!) to the future of medicine.
Remember to connect your diversity answer back to Yale if you have any extra room, explaining how you’d bring your own unique personality, background, and experience to the Yale campus and to New Haven.
Question 2: Please answer either one of the following questions. (500 words)
- MD applicants: Please answer either one of the following questions. MD/PhD applicants: Please answer question 2 as it pertains to your proposed PhD research.
- While there is great emphasis on the physician-patient relationship. Yale School of Medicine also emphasizes the importance of training future physicians to care for communities and populations. Describe how your experiences would contribute to this aspect of the mission of the Yale School of Medicine.
- Research is essential to patient care, and all students at Yale School of Medicine complete a research thesis. Tell us how your research interests, skills and experiences would contribute to scholarship at Yale School of Medicine.
Question 3: This section is optional. It should be used to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee any important information (personal, academic, or professional) not discussed in other sections of your Yale Secondary Application. Please limit your response to 500 words.
