Best 16 Medical Schools In Houston: Their Requirements

For a variety of reasons, attending medical schools in Houston is a very alluring option for many people. 

Notably, tuition at Houston medical schools is often reasonable; this is true for both in-state and out-of-state students, though in-state students tend to benefit from it more frequently. 

Additionally, Houston offers a generally inexpensive cost of living, and a number of Houston medical schools have a solid reputation and support in a variety of areas throughout the state.

Whether you prefer to work with rural and diverse people at UT Rio Grande Valley or live the metropolitan life and perform world-class research at a university like UT Southwestern in Dallas, there is certainly a Houston medical school for you.

In this article, you will get to see the best medical schools in Houston, what they have to offer, and their requirements.

Best medical schools in Houston

1. Baylor College of Medicine – Houston

In addition to its top-25 research position, Baylor is now ranked #16 nationwide for primary care. Consistently regarded as the greatest medical school in Texas. It is renowned as a research powerhouse and as a top school for clinical teaching. 

Due to its affiliation with numerous prestigious hospitals and membership in the Texas Medical Center (TMC), the biggest medical complex in the world, Baylor’s medical students have access to a wide range of patient populations to treat. 

In addition, researchers from different institutions collaborate within the TMC, providing Baylor students with a wealth of opportunities to take part in the research.

Baylor is unique in that, although being a private medical school, it does receive government money for in-state students, enabling it to maintain affordable tuition. 

Baylor strongly prefers in-state candidates for this reason, among others, and its recent decision to switch from the AMCAS system to TMDSAS is consistent with this. 

According to Baylor’s mission statement, it is important to advance community service, healthcare, and education both locally and internationally. 

The latter is demonstrated by Baylor’s dedication to giving Texans access to top-notch medical education.

It is ranked as one of the best medical schools in Houston, at No. 22 in the state. The tuition at this school $22,733 (in-state) and $35,833 (out-of-state).

To be admitted to this school, you need a GPA of 3.92 and an MCAT score of 518.

2. Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio

Through its medical services, education, and research, the Long School of Medicine aspires to meet the healthcare needs of Texans with a focus on South Texas. 

In that regard, Long Medical School is the major provider of medical education in South Texas, and a considerable number of its graduates choose to practice there. 

Long students can obtain “distinctions” in research, medical education, or medical humanities in addition to the traditional medical school program. 

Long students typically rotate at University Hospital, Texas’ third-largest public health system, and the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, giving them access to a variety of clinical experiences.

As one of the best medical schools in Houston, it is ranked No. 47 in the state. The tuition at this school is estimated at $21,672 (in-state) and $38,854 (out-of-state) students.

To be admitted into this school, you need a GPA of 3.92, and an MCAT of 519.

3. McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston

McGovern Medical School (formerly UTHealth Medical School) is the largest medical school in Texas and the sixth largest in the US. 

The first semester of McGovern’s curriculum is pass/fail, and students have the option of selecting a scholarly emphasis to concentrate on. 

Like Baylor, McGovern is a member of the enormous Texas Medical Center; as a result, McGovern students have access to exceptional clinical training with exposure to a sizable, extremely diversified patient population as well as top-notch research possibilities.

It ranks No. 53 in the state, and this makes it one of the best medical schools in Houston. 

If you get admitted into this school, you will need an annual fee and tuition of $22,646 (in-state) and $30,167 (out-of-state) students. 

It is one of the best medical schools in Houston and requires you to have a GPA of 3.89 and an MCAT of 514.

4. Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

The first class of Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU), a new osteopathic medical institution west of Houston, matriculated in 2020. SHSU has a major emphasis on primary care and rural medicine since it is part of its goal to train doctors who will serve Texas’ eastern area. Those applicants who are devoted to all three of these areas will be successful. Although SHSU is officially a public institution, it has chosen to forego state support in the interim and instead rely on tuition income, leading to tuition costs that are exorbitant for Texas and equivalent to those of private medical schools. 

As one of the best medical schools in Houston, it requires you to have a GPA of 3.69 and an MCAT of 506.

The estimated tuition for this school is $59,125 for both in-state and out-of-state students.

5. TCU School of Medicine

TCU Medical School in Houston is a relatively new institution with the goal of “transforming health care through generating Empathetic Scholars.” 

A communication program that incorporates theater, narrative medicine, journalism, population health, and social justice can be understood as emphasizing empathy and compassion. 

Other distinctive features of the TCU curriculum include a mandatory research project and thesis written under the supervision of a faculty mentor and a flipped classroom style (students study lecture topics on their own before using class time for group discussion and problem-solving). 

The sole medical school in Texas that uses AMCAS for its MD admissions is TCU, one of only three private medical schools in the state.

As one of the best medical schools in Houston, it charges $60,318 for both in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees annually.

To be admitted into this medical school, you need a GPA of 3.67, and an MCAT score of 510.

6. Texas A&M College of Medicine

All new medical students are trained at Texas A&M’s main campus in Bryan-College Station, which is divided into five campuses. 

Beginning in the third year, students undertake clinical training either there or at satellite campuses in Dallas, Houston, Round Rock, or Temple. 

They can take advantage of various research possibilities and obtain clinical experience in either urban or small-town settings as a result (e.g., the Houston campus is part of the Texas Medical Center). 

The medical school’s curriculum places a strong emphasis on rural and population health, staying true to A&M’s heritage as an agricultural university. 

Additionally, it provides distinctive paths, including military health and EnMed, a curriculum that combines engineering with medicine.

It is one of the best medical schools in Houston and requires you to have a GPA of 3.86 and an MCAT of 513.

Also, the tuition at this school is estimated at $21,760 for in-state students and $4,860 for out-of-state students.

7. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine

“Promote wellness and relieve human suffering through excellence in health care, intellectual innovation, and service beyond borders,” is the mission statement of Texas Tech’s Paul L. Foster School of Medicine (PLFSOM). 

Given that PLFSOM has a strong emphasis on dealing with marginalized individuals and El Paso’s proximity to the Mexican border, students can participate in a variety of clinical activities that offer them an understanding of the medical system in underdeveloped nations.

As a result, PLFSOM is the only medical school in the nation that mandates medical Spanish for its students. 

Additionally, the first two years of the PLFSOM curriculum are pass/fail. It also incorporates clinical experience starting in the first year and has a required “Society, Community, and Individual” component where students learn about public health issues.

Currently, this school is unranked, but it is still one of the best medical schools in Houston. To be accepted into this school, you need a GPA of 3.89 and an MCAT of 513.

Furthermore, you will need annual tuition and a fee of $21,484 for in-state students, and $36,435 for out-of-state students.

8. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine

TTUHSC was established to alleviate a physician shortage in West Texas. Its aim is to assist the needy in the area. Humanistic primary care is emphasized in its curriculum, and interprofessional teamwork with students in other health professions is encouraged. 

Through clinical services and research, TTUHSC seeks to reduce health inequities that impact rural and minority groups and enhance the general health of the area. 

All TTUHSC students complete their first two years of study in Lubbock before commencing their clinical training either there or at one of the college’s satellite campuses located throughout West Texas. 

The clinical training students receive at the University Medical Center Hospital on the Lubbock campus is unmatched among Texas medical schools since it is the only Level 1 trauma center serving 108 counties in West Texas and eastern New Mexico.

As one of the best public medical schools in Houston, it ranks No. 87 in the state. And it requires you to have a GPA of 3.9 and an MCAT of 512.

Also, the annual tuition and fees at this school are $21,749 for in-state students and $34,849 for out-of-state students.

9. University of Houston College of Medicine

A new medical school in Texas, the University of Houston, welcomed its inaugural class in 2020. In addition to treating disease, UH’s objective is to reduce health disparities in Texas’s urban and rural communities. 

And this they would do by focusing on social determinants of health and addressing the primary care physician shortage. UH’s class size is now only 30 students, but they plan to grow it to 120 by 2024.

Currently, the school is un-ranked, but it is still ranked as one of the best medical schools in Houston. 

The annual tuition and fees at this school are $24,268 for in-state students and $37,368 for out-of-state students.

The GPA and MCAT requirements for this school are 3,59 and 506 respectively.

10. University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine

One of Texas’s oldest Catholic universities, Incarnate Word is one of the state’s newest private osteopathic medical schools. 

Particularly in South Texas, Incarnate Word focuses on training primary care physicians and providing healthcare to impoverished areas. 

Its emphasis on “the ethical, compassionate, and altruistic practice of medicine” as a faith-based institution means that social responsibility and community service play a significant role in fulfilling its purpose. 

(Note: All types of religious affiliations are accepted.) The only medical school in Texas that uses AACOMAS in its admissions procedure is Incarnate Word. 

As one of the best medical schools in Houston, it requires you to have a GPA of 3.61 and an MCAT of 502.

The annual tuition and fees at this school are estimated at $58,000 for both in-state and out-of-state students.

11. University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) stands out among Texas DO schools for a number of reasons, including the fact that it is by far the oldest and most reputable, that it is ranked by U.S. News for both research and primary care (it is currently ranked #36 for the latter), and that it is widely regarded as the best DO school in the nation. 

These are a few of the factors that prompt many applicants to compare TCOM to allopathic medical schools. 

TCOM is renowned for emphasizing the care of marginalized communities. 60 percent of TCOM graduates work in primary care, and TCOM is renowned for emphasizing the care of marginalized communities. As a result, TCOM also provides a track that focuses on rural medicine.

It is one of the best medical schools in Houston, being ranked No. 95-124 in the state. It also requires you to have a GPA of 3.71 and an MCAT of 507.

The annual tuition and fees at this medical school are $23,148 for in-state students and $38,836 for out-of-state students.

12. University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School

The Dell Medical School at UT Austin is a relative newcomer to the Texas medical school scene, but it has already made a name for itself with its vision to “revolutionize how people get and stay healthy.” 

This mission has a number of objectives, such as rethinking the typical medical school curriculum, creating new care and healthcare delivery methods, and educating future healthcare leaders. 

Small class sizes, a pass/fail the first year, and a shortened science curriculum from the traditional two years down to one year are among the distinctive elements of the Dell Med program. 

These features free up the third year for research, another independent project, or a dual degree. 

The clinical and research prospects at Dell aren’t as developed yet as they are at renowned medical schools like Baylor, McGovern, and UT Southwestern because Dell is still a relatively young institution.

This is one of the best medical schools in Houston, and it requires you to have a GPA of 3.86 and an MCAT score of 516.

And the tuition at this school is estimated at $21,087 (in-state) and $35,406 for out-of-state students.

13. University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine

UTMB stands out among Texas medical schools for a few reasons: it has a solid reputation and attracts many people to its laid-back Galveston Island location, it’s the oldest medical school in Texas with numerous long-standing affiliations. 

It also offers distinctive clinical experiences like caring for the prison population and an aerospace medicine track (in partnership with NASA). 

Numerous research possibilities are available to UMTB students, notably at the campus’ Level 4 federal biocontainment research facility, Galveston National Laboratory. 

Students rotate across sites in Galveston and other areas of Texas after the first two years of the UTMB program, which are pass/fail. This gives them the opportunity to receive a variety of clinical experiences.

As one of the best medical schools in Houston, it requires you to have a GPA of 3.89 and an MCAT of 513.

Furthermore, the tuition at this school is pegged at $25,930 (in-state) and $40,640 for out-of-state students.

14. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine

Another recent Texas medical school is the UTRGV School of Medicine. It is similar to Texas Tech’s El Paso campus in that it is situated close to the border and focuses on addressing the distinct health disparities present in the border community by providing high-quality healthcare, training medical professionals who will serve the area, and advancing research on illnesses like diabetes that have a significant impact on the Rio Grande Valley. 

Early clinical exposure, the chance to work in impoverished communities, and interprofessional education, in which MD students collaborate with students from other healthcare disciplines, are all distinctive aspects of the UTRGV program.

This is one of the best public medical schools in Houston, and it requires you to have a GPA 

3.69 and an MCAT of 508.

When admitted into this school, you will need tuition and fees of $19,639 (in-state) and $32,7389 (out-of-state) students.

15. University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

A High-quality, well-rounded education is available at UT Southwestern, which is ranked well in both primary care and research. 

On the clinical front, UT Southwestern is renowned for its commitment to mentoring and for giving students the chance to follow their own unique educational paths. 

Through the school’s partnership with Parkland Hospital, one of the biggest teaching hospitals in the country and the sole public hospital serving Dallas County, UT Southwestern students receive outstanding clinical training. 

In addition, students have the possibility to participate in ground-breaking research thanks to UT South Western’s standing as a top research facility.

It is ranked as one of the best medical schools in Houston, at No. 25 in the state. Also, the school requires you to have a GPA of 3.92 and an MCAT of 518.

Furthermore, the tuition at this school is estimated at $22,136 for in-state students and $35,236 for out-of-state students.

16. University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine

The inaugural class of 40 students at UT Tyler, the newest medical school in Texas, will graduate in the fall of 2023. 

UT Tyler seeks to solve the physician shortage in East Texas, particularly in primary care specialties, and to raise the level of health awareness in the area with a focus on rural health. Four-year scholarships are anticipated for the whole inaugural class.

Currently, it is unranked, but it is still one of the best medical schools in Houston. 

Conclusion

The medical schools in Houston are a great choice if you intend schooling there. Now that you know what they offer and their requirements, you can start applying to the one’s that suit you.

Frequently asked questions about medical schools in Houston.