How much does medical school cost?

Most students need – and receive – help to pay for medical school. Medical school costs typically include tuition and various fees, books and equipment, living expenses, transportation, and health insurance, and these costs vary from school to school. 

For example, tuition and fees for the 2004-2005 academic year averaged $18,400 for first-year, in-state students at public schools and $34,680 for first-year, in-state students at private schools. On top of tuition and fees, students typically have about an additional $18,000 in other expenses, which also varies depending on factors such as the cost of living where a particular medical school is located.

The good news is that while medical school is expensive, most students receive some form of financial aid to help meet the costs.  Be aware that financial aid offers generally vary from school to school in terms of total awards and amount of grants and loans.  This can mean that while one medical school might charge more in tuition and fees than another school, the type of financial aid you receive can make what seems like the “more expensive” school actually the less expensive one.  So, it’s important to compare financial aid offers.

For More Information:

• (MD)²: Monetary Decisions for Medical Doctors  - Free Resource!
  This comprehensive, Web-based program helps premedical and medical students in their financial planning and is tailored to the specific needs of students during different phases of their education.
  
  
• Tuition and Student Fees Reports  - Free Resource!
  Chart showing average costs of medical school
  
  
• Private Medical Schools  - Free Resource!
  Tuition and Fees First Year Medical Students 2005-2006
  
  
• Public Medical Schools  - Free Resource!
  Tuition and Fees First Year Medical Students 2005-2006
  
  
• Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR™)
  Published by the AAMC, this book is the most authoritative guide for applying to medical school. This accurate, thorough, and reliable resource is the only complete guide to U.S. and Canadian medical schools fully authorized by the schools themselves. In it you will find information on application procedures and deadlines, selection factors (including MCAT scores and grade-point averages), medical school class profiles, education costs and financial aid packages, and much more.
  
  
• Minority Student Opportunities in United States Medical Schools (MSOUSMS)
  This guide is designed specifically for minority students to be used as a companion to Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR^TM).  It presents information from individual medical schools about recruitment, admission, academic support programs, financial aid, and more.