The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or grad school search.
The number of students applying to and enrolling in American medical schools reached a record high in 2014, according to a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges. There were 49,480 applicants in 2014, up 3.1 percent from the previous year, and more than 20,000 students enrolled, according to the report.
These 10 medical schools attracted the most applicants, with 11,133 students applying to them on average. Western University of Health Sciences is the only school that’s new to the top 10 in 2014, replacing New York University, which had 8,253 applicants in 2014, down from 8,830 in 2013.
[Learn how to cut down on medical school application fees.]
Drexel University drew the most applicants in 2014, with 14,648 medical school hopefuls vying for admission.
Two of the medical schools with the highest number of applicants also reported some of the lowest admission rates. Those were Georgetown University, which accepted just 2.7 percent of applicants in 2014, and George Washington University, which accepted 2.9 percent.
[Discover the 10 medical schools with the lowest acceptance rates.]
Below is a list of the 10 medical and osteopathic schools that attracted the most applicants for fall 2014. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.
| Medical school (state) | Applicants (fall 2014) | U.S. News research ranking | U.S. News primary care ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drexel University (PA) | 14,648 | 83 (tie) | RNP* |
| Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (PA) | 13,536 | RNP | 57 (tie) |
| Georgetown University (DC) | 13,016 | 49 (tie) | 84 |
| Temple University (PA) | 11,286 | 55 (tie) | RNP |
| George Washington University (DC) | 10,981 | 67 (tie) | RNP |
| Thomas Jefferson University (Kimmel) (PA) | 10,204 | 63 (tie) | 62 (tie) |
| Tufts University (MA) | 9,882 | 49 (tie) | 52 (tie) |
| Boston University | 9,713 | 30 | 52 (tie) |
| New York Medical College | 9,412 | RNP | RNP |
| Western University of Health Sciences (CA) | 8,656 | RNP | RNP |
* RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one-fourth of all medical and osteopathic schools. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.
Don’t see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News Medical School Compass to find information on acceptance rates, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.
U.S. News surveyed 156 medical schools for our 2014 survey of research and primary care programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Medical Schools rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News’ rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The acceptance rate data above are correct as of May 12, 2015.
More from U.S. News
Weigh Medical School Carefully as an Older Applicant
4 Common Mistakes That Lead to Medical School Rejections
Commitment a Key Theme for Medical School Applications
10 Med Schools With the Largest Number of Applicants originally appeared on usnews.com