What Is a Good MCAT Score?

If you’re preparing for medical school, you’ve probably typed this exact question into a search bar more than once. It is one of the most common questions premed students ask, and there isn’t one simple answer. A good MCAT score is the score that makes you competitive at the schools you actually want to attend, which means the right number shifts from one applicant to the next. This guide explains the scoring scale, how to look at the data, how percentiles work, and why context decides what counts as “good” for you.

How the MCAT Is Scored

The MCAT is a scaled exam. Not every student answers the same set of questions, so the AAMC uses scaling to even out small differences in difficulty across test forms. This way, a given score means the same thing regardless of which version you took.

Your total score ranges from 472 at the low end to 528 at the top, with 500 sitting at the midpoint (50th percentile). The exam has four sections: Chemical and Physical Foundations, Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, Biological and Biochemical Foundations, and Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations. Each section is scored from 118 to 132, and the four section scores add together to form your total. A perfect 528 means a 132 in every section. Most examinees (~60%) land somewhere between 490 and 510. A 490 is a ~20th percentile, a 500 is a ~50th percentile, a 510 is an ~80th percentile, and a 520 is a ~97th percentile.

Putting the Numbers Into Context

To begin to understand what a “good score” might look like for you, we have to first understand the context of the scores themselves. 

The average score across all test takers sits around 501 to 506, depending on the cycle. This  figure describes everyone who sits for the exam, regardless of if they are accepted to medical school or not. The number that matters more for applicants is the matriculant average, which is the typical score of students who actually enroll. The distance between the all test taker average and the matriculant average carries the lesson. Students who get into medical school tend to score above the national average. So when you measure your own score, the matriculant figures give you a more useful benchmark than the overall average. 

Now, for the numbers themselves. or U.S. MD programs, the average matriculant score sits around 511 to 512. For U.S. DO programs, it sits around 503.That’s almost a 10 point difference - and 503 is quite close to the 50th percentile, an achievable score for most students. This is great news!

Understanding Percentiles

Because the MCAT is scaled, every score maps to a percentile rank, which tells you how you performed relative to other test takers. Percentiles often matter more to admissions committees than the raw number, because they show where you stand in the national pool.

A score of 500 falls around the 50th percentile, which marks average performance. A 510 places you near the 80th percentile, competitive for many programs. A 515 reaches roughly the 90th percentile, which positions you well for top tier schools. Climbing higher, a 518 sits near the 95th percentile and a 520 around the 97th. Each step up the scale represents a meaningful jump in how you compare to the field, since most scores cluster near the middle.

It helps to think in broad bands. A score from 515 to 528 sits in the top 10 percent and stays competitive everywhere, including the most selective schools. A 509 to 514 lands above the 80th percentile and reads as competitive across a wide range of programs. A 501 to 508 sits above the national average and remains a solid target for many schools. A score of 500 or below falls at or under the midpoint, and many schools still consider these applicants through holistic review, especially with a strong record behind the number.

Why "Good" Depends on Where You Apply

Not every student “needs” a 99th percentile score. Most premeds are used to scoring exceptionally well on exams, which is great! However, perfectionism has no place in the MCAT. We know it is a hard mentality to put aside.  However, your goal score varies on what schools you would like to apply to. A given score can be strong at one school and below the median at another.

Consider a 510. At many state MD schools, where matriculant averages sit around 508 to 510, a 510 makes you competitive. At highly selective institutions, where averages often run 516 to 518, that same 510 falls below the median. As an applicant, if you would like to stay local and prioritize in-state schools, your goal score will be lower than if you want to apply to a top research institution. At many DO schools, the mcat average is lower, and a score in the 500’s can be very competitive. 

This is why a target list matters so much! The most reliable way to judge your score is to compare it against the median scores of the specific schools you plan to apply to. The AAMC publishes this data through the Medical School Admission Requirements database, known as the MSAR, which lists score ranges and admissions data for individual programs. Build your school list, check their medians, and you will know what a good score means for your situation.

The Score Is One Part of a Larger Picture

Medical schools use a holistic review process. Your MCAT score is important, yes, but it also sits alongside your GPA, your clinical experience, your research, your leadership, and your personal statement. A strong record in those areas can offset a score that lands slightly below a school's median. One number is not the end-all-be-all.

This principle works in both directions as well. While a high MCAT score strengthens an application, and it rarely carries a weak one on its own. Additionally most schools prefer an even spread across the four sections, so a balanced 511 can read more favorably than the same total built on one strong section. Treat your score as one important signal among several, and put effort into the rest of your application and your story alongside your test prep.

Setting Your Own Target

So, what number should you aim for? Start with your school list and their matriculant medians, then set a target that puts you at or above those numbers. If you’re unsure where to apply, take a look at your state schools first. Then, take a look at the rest of the stats in your application such as GPA, clinical hours, etc. and ask yourself how competitive your application currently is at your chosen institutions.

Note: Of course, we want to do as well as we can.  However, when we set goals for ourselves (MCAT or otherwise) we want to make sure these goals are specific and achievable. When we don’t define our goals, we run into the trap of feeling like our efforts are not enough and that we need to be doing more. This mindset is unhealthy, and quite often, plain wrong. For this reason, it is important to ask ourselves all the above questions. Additionally, time is limited! Sometimes students feel like they are “settling” when they set a goal lower than perfection. This is completely understandable. However, it’s not that you aren’t capable of perfecting this exam. The idea is that in the bigger picture, the vast amount of hours required for a 520+ are often better spent elsewhere in your application - for example, clinical hours or volunteering.

As a general anchor, many advisors point to 511 or higher, which sits around the 82nd percentile and lines up with the typical MD matriculant. A 515 reaches the 91st percentile and reads as a top applicant score, and a 514 or better has been associated with acceptance rates above 70 percent. For the most selective schools, where median scores often climb to 518 and beyond, the bar rises further. Your personal target should reflect your specific list, with these figures as a starting reference.

A few practical notes to round this out: Most medical schools accept MCAT scores from the past two to three years, so timing your exam within that window keeps your score valid through your application. If you ever question your result, the AAMC allows a rescore request within 30 calendar days for a fee, though scoring errors are rare given the verification the AAMC already applies.

The Final Answer

A good MCAT score is the one that makes you a competitive applicant at the schools you hope to attend, given your application as a whole. For some students that is a 505. For others it is a 518. The scale, the averages, and the percentiles give you the map, and your target school list marks the destination. Measure your progress against your own goals and your own timeline, and if you need guidance to decide what your individual goals are, we at The Brem Method are here to help!

Here is a link to the AAMC MCAT percentile scores and to the admissions data by MCAT and GPA statistics.

Final note from a current medical student:

This exam does not reflect anything at all about your value as a person, nor how great of a doctor you will be. The exam can be anxiety-inducing because it is important and we care about it, which is great! However, make sure you don’t accidentally tie your personal self worth to the exam along the way. It’s easy to put blinders on to the outside world and find value in the numbers you see on the screen (trust me I know), but it’s a slippery slope. My best advice to help with the anxiety of setting goals, taking your first practice exam, and starting to study is to remember who you are outside of this exam.  What are the things that make you, you? Who are you when you close your textbook? What are the qualities that you have that make you a good person, a good friend, and a good future doctor? Make yourself a list and put it next to your desk. I promise the MCAT will seem a lot smaller. :)