March 5, 2025
Written By
You’re interested in Florida med schools, but you don’t know which ones actually take out-of-state students, are compatible with your stats, or align with your goals as a future physician.
This article breaks down all 10 medical schools in Florida—MD and DO—by the numbers: MCATs, GPAs, tuition, and in-state vs. out-of-state admit rates. But we’re not stopping there. You’ll get honest insights into what each school actually values, how to tailor your secondaries to their mission, and which programs give you a real shot based on who you are, not just your score report.
If you're feeling stuck or overwhelmed by the process of getting into medical school, Premed Catalyst offers the kind of personalized premed mentorship and application advising that cuts through the noise. We offer personalized mentorship and application advising that works. In the 2024–2025 cycle, 100% of our students who submitted on time got accepted. Not by luck. By strategy.
Book a free strategy session now before our spots fill up.
Florida has ten medical schools—more than most states, trailing only New York, California, and Texas.
But don’t confuse quantity with ease. Getting in is still competitive. The good news? Florida offers options: MD and DO, research-heavy and community-focused, public and private.
If you’re in-state, you’ve got a financial edge—tuition drops significantly at public schools. And even if you're out-of-state, many schools let you reclassify after a year, cutting your costs long-term. Some schools strongly favor Florida residents. Others are more balanced.
Knowing which is which—and applying accordingly—is a key part of playing this game smart.
Below is a brief overview of some of the numbers you can expect from each school:
There are 10 medical schools in Florida, and each one has its own mission, its own priorities, and its own way of choosing who gets in. The line between rejection and acceptance often comes down to one thing: do you actually understand what the school is looking for—or are you just copy-pasting secondaries and hoping for the best?
If you’re aiming for the top medical school in Florida, this is it. UF College of Medicine, based in Gainesville, is the state’s highest-ranked medical school, and it didn’t get there by accident. This place is serious about research, early clinical exposure, and building future physician-leaders
You’ve got options here:
The school runs on pass/fail grading, which means less cutthroat and more collaboration. Class sizes are small. Mentorship is real. Clinical exposure starts early, with free clinics and international outreach. Not to mention, one of the state’s top hospitals, UF Health Shands, is your training ground. You’ll also get experience in Jacksonville during your clinical years.
UF isn’t just a clinical powerhouse. It’s also leading in AI in medicine, with research that actually moves the needle. If you’re someone who sees themselves blending science, tech, and service, this school may be the right fit for you.
But let’s take a look at the numbers:
If you’re a Florida resident with strong stats, this is your home-field advantage. If you’re out-of-state, just know that competition is steep—you’ll need to bring more than numbers to the table to break into that 16%.
Sound like the right medical school for you? Our insider’s guide outlines how to get into University of Florida College of Medicine.
If you're aiming for the top private medical school in Florida, welcome to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Based in the heart of Miami, this school brings together rigorous academics, diverse clinical exposure, and serious research opportunities—all in one of the busiest medical hubs in the country.
Degree options here go beyond just MD:
The curriculum is integrated and fast-paced—just one pre-clinical year before you’re in scrubs. Think small groups, team-based learning, and a build-your-own-adventure approach in the later years. This could look like scholarly projects, early residency prep, or deeper dives into public health, research, or leadership.
Your clinical playground? UM-Jackson Memorial Hospital, the second-busiest hospital in the U.S. That means one thing: volume. You'll see more in a week than most students see in a month. Free clinics, underserved communities, and high-acuity care are all on the table.
Here are the numbers you need to consider:
Sound like the right fit? Learn more about how to get into the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Based in Tampa, USF Morsani is one of the most competitive—and quietly elite—medical schools in Florida. It combines serious academic firepower with a strong clinical backbone, all built into a program that gives students real-world experience early and often.
USF offers multiple degree options:
This Florida medical school doesn’t do one-size-fits-all. You’ll choose between two distinct paths:
No matter the track, you’ll be in hospitals that matter—Tampa General (Level 1 trauma), Moffitt Cancer Center, the VA, All Children’s. You’ll get exposure most students only dream about. Combine that with USF’s new Health Downtown campus and you’re looking at one of the most forward-thinking, tech-integrated clinical training grounds in the country.
Let’s talk numbers:
USF isn’t just looking for competent applicants—they’re building a class of researchers, leaders, and high-performers. If that’s you, this school should be high on your list.
Interested in applying? Our guide covers everything you need to know on how to get into USF Medical School.
If you're drawn to medicine because you want to serve—the underserved, the elderly, the rural—FSU might be the right Florida medical school for you. This is not a research-first institution. It’s a community-first one. FSU COM trains doctors to meet real needs in the real world, especially in areas that the healthcare system can overlook.
Here’s how it works: You’ll spend your first two years on the main campus in Tallahassee, laying down your foundation. After that, you rotate through one of six regional campuses across Florida—places like Daytona, Pensacola, and Fort Pierce—where you’ll train in community settings, not massive academic hospitals. You’ll learn medicine the way most people experience it: in real clinics, in real towns, with real families.
FSU runs on small-group learning, early-start anatomy, and tight-knit Learning Communities that prioritize collaboration over competition. The school doesn’t just teach clinical skills—it builds character. That’s by design.
Here are the degrees they offer:
Residency and fellowship training here also reflect the mission: internal medicine, OB/GYN, family med, peds, dermatology, global health, and underserved care. If you're looking for prestige rankings or NIH grants, this might not be your school. But if your dream is to be a physician who matters deeply to the people you serve, FSU COM could be your perfect fit.
And here’s something critical to know: FSU strongly prioritizes in-state applicants. Around 80% of each class comes from Florida. If you're out-of-state, you’ll need a compelling reason to be here—and a rock-solid application to back it up.
Also, keep in mind these numbers:
This community-based med school in Boca Raton is one of Florida’s newer programs, but don’t let that fool you: it’s rising fast.
FAU was built around a philosophy they call “high-touch, high-tech”—translation: personalized learning, small class sizes, and early hands-on experience paired with modern innovation. You’ll train in real communities across Broward and Palm Beach Counties, not just shadow in the corner.
This school doesn’t just offer an MD—you can level up through tracks like:
On the research side, students collaborate with giants like Scripps Florida and Max Planck, giving you serious lab cred even in a school that’s rooted in patient care. And if residency match matters to you (it should), FAU’s GME Consortium covers core specialties like internal med, EM, psych, surgery, and neuro.
Just keep in mind the numbers:
If your "why" for medicine is rooted in community, equity, and showing up for people who usually get left behind, FIU HWCOM in Miami might be exactly where you belong. This school was built with one goal: train socially accountable doctors to serve South Florida’s diverse populations.
FIU’s StepUp Curriculum blends clinical and classroom from day one. We're not talking about a wait-till-third-year kind of exposure. You’re meeting patients within your first month. And not just in hospitals. You’ll be working in communities that need care the most.
The school offers:
What sets FIU apart is NeighborhoodHELP—a program where students build long-term relationships with underserved families, acting as part of interdisciplinary care teams. It’s not just clinical training; it’s character development.
They’ve also adopted pass/fail grading, not as a trend, but as a deliberate move to foster collaboration and reduce the cutthroat energy that wrecks too many med school experiences.
FIU gives strong preference to Florida residents—84% of the entering class is in-state. If you're from Florida and your values align, you’re in a great position. Out-of-state? You’ll need to show a real connection to the region and a compelling reason why FIU should bet on you.
Here are the numbers you need to know:
Located in Orlando and backed by one of the fastest-growing public universities in the country, UCF College of Medicine is where research meets innovation, and students are expected to think, experiment, and lead.
First, let’s look at the numbers:
UCF gives a clear edge to Florida residents. Nearly three out of four students are in-state. If you’re from Florida and meet the numbers, you’ve got a real shot. Out-of-state? You’ll need to show why UCF—not just Florida—is the right place for you.
UCF offers one degree—MD, but don’t mistake that for a lack of depth. The curriculum is designed to blend science and clinical experience from year one, meaning you’ll be in labs and exam rooms from the beginning.
Two programs make UCF stand out:
Every UCF med student participates in research. All of them. And it’s not filler work—this school is serious about discovery in oncology, neuroscience, cardiovascular science, and molecular microbiology.
Training happens at the Lake Nona Health Sciences Campus, with its brand-new teaching hospital and top-tier simulation centers.
If this sounds like where you belong, review our guide on how to get into the University of Central Florida College of Medicine.
NSU MD is one of the youngest allopathic programs in the state, and while it's still building national recognition, it’s already gained traction for its innovative, service-driven, and student-focused approach.
NSU MD only accepts about 50 students per year, which means small classes, close mentorship, and no disappearing into the back row. You’ll hit the ground running with a 16-month pre-clerkship curriculum built around problem-based learning, early clinical exposure, and community impact. From day one, you’re not just studying medicine—you’re practicing how to serve.
You can choose from the following degrees:
Every student also completes a research project before graduation. Whether you're interested in population health, cancer, or neuroscience, NSU MD pushes you to think critically, ask hard questions, and explore real solutions.
Ranked Tier 4 by U.S. News for research, NSU MD isn’t about prestige—yet. But the foundation is strong, the mission is clear, and the support system is personal.
Be sure to consider the numbers:
Located in Lakewood Ranch, LECOM Bradenton campus is part of the largest medical college in the U.S., and it specializes in training osteopathic physicians grounded in primary care and patient-first thinking.
The school offers the following degrees:
LECOM Bradenton uses a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model across the board—so no lectures and no spoon-feeding. Instead, you’ll work through real patient cases in small, self-directed teams. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re independent, focused, and thrive on applying what you learn rather than memorizing it, you’ll do well here.
Clinical training starts in year three and spans over 90 affiliated hospitals and clinics across the country. That gives you flexibility, but there’s a tradeoff—some students report inconsistencies in local rotation options, which means you might have to travel to get the clinical exposure you need.
The campus is modern and purpose-built, with smart classrooms, hands-on labs for osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), and plenty of space to study, collaborate, and decompress. Students are also involved in community health projects, reinforcing LECOM’s mission of developing compassionate, community-minded physicians.
Here are the numbers:
NSU-KPCOM is one of the largest and most established osteopathic medical schools in the country—and it's built around a mission: serve the underserved and train leaders in primary care.
The school offers the following degrees:
From day one, you're out in the field—clinical exposure starts your first month. And by your third and fourth years, you’ll complete a mandatory three-month rotation in a rural or underserved community. This isn’t theoretical service—it’s hands-on, face-to-face, and often life-changing.
NSU-KPCOM also leans hard into interprofessional education. You’ll train side by side with nurses, pharmacists, public health experts, and more—just like in real-world healthcare settings. And if international medicine speaks to you, they’ve got outreach programs in Cuba, Ecuador, India, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico that let you bring your training across borders.
Your rotations will take place in major hospitals throughout Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties, offering a wide range of patient demographics and clinical experiences. And while the school did face a dip in first-time COMLEX pass rates in past years, they’ve stepped up—revamping their curriculum and academic support systems, and their outcomes are now back on the rise.
Here’s what you can expect when trying to get in:
Let’s not sugarcoat it—where you go to med school matters. It affects your training, your career options, your debt, and your day-to-day sanity. Medical schools in Florida are solid, but they’re not interchangeable. Picking the right one isn’t just about rankings or location. It’s about fit, mission, and cost.
Most Florida med schools hover around a 3.8 GPA, but MCAT scores are all over the map. Schools like LECOM Bradenton admit with MCATs around 503, while places like USF Morsani expect 518 or higher. That’s a massive spread, and it should be shaping your school list.
Here’s the move: apply where your numbers align. That’s how you maximize interview invites and avoid wasting secondaries on schools that will filter you out before a human even reads your essay.
But let’s be clear—stats alone don’t get you in. They just get you considered. Once you're through the door, it's your story, mission alignment, and real-world experience that seal the deal.
Every Florida med school has its own mission and if your story doesn’t match, your app won’t land.
FSU? They're laser-focused on primary care, rural medicine, and serving the underserved.
UF? They're building the next generation of physician-scientists and academic leaders.
Be honest about what kind of doctor you want to become. Then tailor your secondaries, interviews, and even your activity list to show that you’ve already started walking that path.
This isn’t about saying what they want to hear. It’s about proving you’re the kind of student built for their program.
You didn’t volunteer at a memory care unit or run blood pressure screenings at a mobile clinic just for the hours—you did it because it meant something. Now, it’s time to make that work for you.
Schools like UF are knee-deep in Alzheimer’s research. FIU trains students in community care from day one. If your story overlaps with what they’re already doing, say so. Don’t just list your experiences—weaponize them. Show that your path wasn’t random—it’s already aligned with theirs.
If research isn’t just a checkbox for you—if you actually like asking hard questions, diving into data, and building something from scratch—then don’t settle for a school that treats it like an afterthought.
UF is the heavyweight here. NIH funding, cutting-edge labs, and faculty who actually want med students in the room. If you're trying to publish, apply for fellowships, or build a research-focused career, this is where you plant your flag.
If research is your thing, go where the ecosystem supports it. Otherwise, you’re just spinning your wheels.
Florida might be home, but that doesn’t mean it’s your only option. Whether you’re looking for more research opportunities, better odds as an out-of-state applicant, or just want to cast a wider net, we’ve broken down med schools across the country.
Here’s the truth: most Florida med schools are designed to serve Florida. They want students who are already invested in their state—students who care about the communities and will stick around to serve them.
That means if you’re out of state, you either need an undeniable reason to be here or an application that bleeds excellence from top to bottom. And if you’re in-state? That doesn’t mean automatic acceptance. You’ll still need a proven strategy to get accepted.
Most Florida med schools are not playing games with residency status. Some schools (like FSU) are nearly exclusive to in-state applicants. Others (like UM or USF) are more open, but even then, in-state students often get a better look.
If you’re a Florida resident:
If you’re out-of-state:
This isn’t about “Can I get in?” It’s about where you’re statistically competitive.
Action plan:
You don’t “fit” a med school because you want to. You fit because your application shows you’ve already been living their values.
Here’s how to show you align with the school’s mission:
Secondaries are your best chance to rise above your stats. They show Adcoms you’re not just qualified—you’re intentional.
Be sure to do the following:
Florida schools use both traditional and MMI formats, and they test different muscles.
Here’s how to be prepared:
Trying to get into a Florida med school without a game plan feels like throwing darts blindfolded. You’re overwhelmed, second-guessing your school list, stressed about secondaries, and wondering if your MCAT is even good enough. And the worst part? You're doing it alone.
Premed Catalyst provides personalized mentorship and application advising that cuts through the noise. This isn’t recycled Reddit advice or a one-size-fits-all checklist. It’s real strategy, built around who you are, what you’ve done, and where you’re trying to go. You’ll get direct, honest feedback, step-by-step support, and the kind of accountability that turns stress into structure.
And it works. In the 2024–2025 cycle, every student who submitted on time with us got accepted.
Book a free strategy session to talk about how you can get accepted to a Florida med school.
If you’re gunning for prestige, UF is the clear front-runner. According to U.S. News & World Report, it ranks among the top 30 national universities and punches above its weight in both research and primary care. FSU follows with a strong focus on primary care and underserved communities, landing in the top 60.
But rankings only tell part of the story. The University of Miami and USF Morsani are also heavy hitters—especially if you’re interested in research, trauma care, or early clinical exposure. The “top” school for you isn’t just about a number. It’s about where your stats, mission, and vision actually align.
Tuition ranges from ~$29,000 to ~$67,000 per year, depending on the school and whether you qualify for in-state tuition. Public schools like UCF and UF are more affordable for Florida residents. Private schools like UM and NSU charge the same rate for everyone.
But here’s what most guides leave out: living expenses can hit just as hard. Miami? Expensive. Gainesville or Tallahassee? Way more manageable. Add in housing, food, transportation, insurance, boards, and interview travel, and you’re easily looking at $250K+ over four years, even at lower-cost schools.
If research is your thing, Florida delivers.
UF is a national leader with massive NIH funding, cutting-edge AI in medicine, and programs that actively involve med students. The University of Miami isn’t far behind. They pulled in $149.5 million in NIH funding in a single year, and their affiliation with Jackson Memorial Hospital gives you access to top-tier clinical research.
But here’s the real move: don’t just look for research opportunities. Look for research mentorship. Florida schools vary not just in lab space, but in how willing they are to let med students take the lead. Ask what students are publishing, not just what the faculty are funded to do.