Besides the great weather and stunning landscapes, there are many reasons to choose California as your university destination. If you want to pursue a career in medicine, the state offers several medical school options, including schools that are among the best in the United States. Some California medical schools also consider international applicants, while others limit consideration to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA recipients, or domestic applicants, so it is important to check each school’s current admissions policy.
Residency status can matter at some public medical schools, but it should not be described as an automatic admissions advantage. Admissions policies vary by institution and can change from year to year. So, let’s look at the best medical schools in California in this article!
Top Medical Schools in California
1. University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles‘s David Geffen School of Medicine is a nationally ranked medical school and one of California’s leading options. In addition to the traditional M.D. program, the school offers PRIME-LA, a five-year dual-degree program focused on leadership and advocacy for underserved communities, and the Medical Scientist Training Program, an M.D./Ph.D. track offered in partnership with Caltech. It also lists optional Urban Health Equity and Global Health Equity pathways.
Admissions at DGSOM are highly competitive, and applicants should check the school’s current admissions page and the AAMC Medical School Admission Requirements database for the latest class profile. DGSOM currently states that successful applicants must hold a qualifying degree from a U.S. or Canadian institution and that applications from international students will not be considered. The school also offers extensive medical training, with 100+ ACGME-accredited specialty and subspecialty programs, 17 Ph.D. training fields in biosciences, and six partner or concurrent degree programs for medical students. Financial aid options include scholarships and grants, and select students may be considered for awards such as the UCLA Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship.
2. University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco, or UCSF School of Medicine, was founded in 1864 as Toland Medical College and later became part of the University of California. It is known for its quality education and strong research and clinical training. UCSF reports that U.S. News & World Report placed it in Tier 1 for both research and primary care after the publication moved medical school rankings to a tier-based system. The school offers the M.D., the M.D./Ph.D. through the Medical Scientist Training Program, and the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, which leads to an M.S. and M.D.
If you want to study here, you must thoroughly prepare your profile as a prospective student. For Fall 2025, UCSF reported 10,300 applications, 584 interviews, and 161 matriculated students. Applicants should also note that UCSF says applications are considered only from U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and applicants with DACA status.
3. Stanford University
Stanford University‘s School of Medicine is one of the strongest private medical schools in California. Its 2025 performance metrics report lists 8,998 applications, 497 interviews, and a class size of 90 for the 2024 M.D. entering class, with a median GPA of 3.94 and a median MCAT score of 518. The same report lists Stanford School of Medicine at No. 7 for FY24 NIH awards to medical schools, with $549 million in NIH awards.
Stanford accepts applications from eligible U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA recipients, undocumented applicants, and visa-eligible international applicants. International applicants must have studied for at least one academic year at an accredited college or university in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom before applying. Besides M.D. degrees and dual programs, Stanford Medicine lists physician assistant, Ph.D., master’s, residency, fellowship, and postdoctoral education options. Its curriculum emphasizes scholarship, and all medical students identify a scholarly concentration.
4. University of California, San Diego
Ranked among California’s top medical school options, the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine is another excellent choice for those pursuing a career in medicine. In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools release, UC San Diego reported Tier 1 status in both overall research and primary care. The school offers M.D. and combined options, including Program in Medical Education tracks, the Medical Scientist Training Program M.D./Ph.D., and the Global Health Academic Concentration. It also offers graduate programs at the master’s and Ph.D. levels.
Can you guess how competitive the admissions process is? Yes, it is highly competitive. For the incoming Class of 2025, UC San Diego reported 10,400 applicants, 1,002 interviews, and 140 matriculated students, with an average undergraduate GPA of 3.83, an average science GPA of 3.78, and an average MCAT score of 514.4.
5. University of Southern California
We finish the list with another private school, the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. Keck gives M.D. students clinical training beginning in the first weeks of medical school through settings such as Los Angeles General Medical Center, Keck Medicine of USC hospitals, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. It also reports research opportunities through USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, and other centers. Keck has also reported strong federal research support, including eight departments ranked in the top 10 for NIH funding in their respective fields in a 2022 update.
The university grants M.D. degrees and offers several dual degree programs, including M.D./Ph.D., M.D./MPH, M.D./MBA, M.D./MHA, M.D./HSME, and M.D./BME options. It also offers master’s, Ph.D., postdoctoral, physician assistant, and nurse anesthesia programs. M.D. applicants need a bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent as evaluated by USC for international applicants, from an accredited U.S. college or university before matriculation. For the 2026 entering class, only applicants with an MCAT score of 506 or higher are invited to submit the secondary application. Keck’s supplemental application fee is $100, with fee waivers available for applicants approved for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program.
Medicine remains one of the country’s most challenging and competitive subjects. Students who complete medical school and postgraduate training can continue toward becoming doctors in their chosen specialties. Keck reported a 96% residency match rate for the Class of 2026, with 201 M.D. seniors matching into residency programs in 17 states.
California is the most populous state in the U.S. and is known for its climate, quality of life, and statewide access to major academic and health care institutions. It is also home to several highly respected medical schools, including UCSF School of Medicine. Students comparing the best medical schools in the world should review each school’s current eligibility rules, especially if they are applying as international students.
We hope this list of the best medical schools in California was helpful. If you are interested in studying in the United States, check out our Study in the USA Page and the Available Courses for International Students!
