Are you looking for medical school options? If you live in Georgia or want to live there, the state has several options for medical training. This list focuses on MD-granting medical schools in Georgia; students interested in osteopathic medicine can also consider PCOM Georgia in Suwanee and PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie. Most of the MD-granting schools listed below are private, but residency and citizenship rules vary by school. Admissions at Georgia’s only public medical school are highly competitive, partly because its in-state tuition is lower than many private medical school options.
Check our list and discover which medical school in Georgia could be your best choice! Read the article below to learn more.
Top Medical Schools in Georgia
1. Augusta University
We start the list with the only public medical school in Georgia. Founded in 1828, the Medical College of Georgia is one of the oldest medical schools in the U.S. It has 23 academic departments, research and affiliated clinical sites across Georgia, and it offers clinical training outside the main campus of Augusta University.
MCG offers dual-degree options, including M.D./Ph.D. and M.D./master’s pathways such as M.D./MBA, M.D./MPH, M.D./M.Ed., and M.D./M.S. in Epidemiology. Its educational experience is anchored by the main Augusta campus. It also has four-year campuses in Athens, in partnership with the University of Georgia, and in Savannah, in partnership with Georgia Southern University. Regional clinical campuses for third-year and fourth-year students include locations across Georgia, such as Rome/Dalton, Albany, Brunswick/Savannah, and Atlanta.
As a public medical school, MCG’s in-state tuition can be more affordable than tuition at many private medical schools. Current official Doctor of Medicine tuition for students taking 12 or more hours at the Augusta campus is charged per semester: $15,024 for in-state students, $31,956 for out-of-state students, and $32,880 for out-of-country students, before mandatory fees. Mandatory fees at the Augusta campus are $1,012.50 per semester.
Admissions are highly competitive. The 2024 incoming class had 304 students and was selected from about 3,243 applications. Georgia residents receive preference, although nonresidents may apply; accepted applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Besides applying through AMCAS, taking the MCAT, completing prerequisite courses, submitting recommendation letters, and showing clinical exposure and service, applicants should review MCG’s current admissions requirements carefully.
2. Emory University
Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Emory University‘s School of Medicine is a private medical school with several dual-degree options. Students can pursue programs such as M.D./Ph.D. in research, M.D./MA in Bioethics, M.D./MPH, M.D./MBA, M.D./MSCR in Clinical Research, and M.D./M.S. in Robotics.
Emory’s M.D. curriculum emphasizes small-group learning, early clinical experience, and a five-month Discovery period for research or other academic inquiry. Students begin clinical clerkships in the middle of the second year, which allows them to complete core rotations before applying to residency programs.
During orientation, students are assigned to one of the school’s four societies and a small group advisor. Small groups meet twice a week during the Foundations phase and cover topics such as professionalism, patient care, patient-physician communication, physical examination, diagnostic thinking, ethics, preventive medicine, and personal wellness. The advisor remains with the student throughout medical education.
Admissions are highly competitive at the Emory School of Medicine. For the Fall 2025 M1 class profile, Emory reported 12,662 applications received, 9,396 completed applications, 615 applicants interviewed, 242 applicants offered admission, and 138 students in the first-year class. As a private medical school, Emory welcomes applications from U.S. and international applicants, but international students should review its funding and prerequisite-course rules carefully.
3. Mercer University
Mercer University‘s School of Medicine opened in 1982 and offers several program options for prospective students. In addition to the M.D. program, Mercer offers graduate programs in Biomedical Sciences, Rural Health Sciences, Preclinical Sciences, and Family Therapy.
MUSM offers the full four-year M.D. program on the Macon, Savannah, and Columbus campuses. The Savannah campus became a four-year M.D. campus in 2008, and the Columbus program expanded from a clinical campus into a full four-year M.D. campus after the new medical school opened there in 2021. Mercer also has clinical campuses, such as Valdosta, where third-year and fourth-year students complete hands-on training during clinical rotations.
As with other medical schools in Georgia, the program includes foundational medical education and clinical training. Mercer students learn the core basic sciences in the first and second years, complete core clinical clerkships in the third year, and devote the fourth year to scholarly investigation and elective rotations. The first two years use a small-group, student-centered, problem-based learning approach.
The admissions process at MUSM is similar to that of other M.D. programs in that applicants apply through AMCAS, take the MCAT, submit recommendation letters, complete required premedical courses, and explain relevant medical or service experience. However, MUSM only accepts Georgia residents to its M.D. program, and applicants must have established Georgia residency for at least 12 months before matriculation. Mercer also lists the AAMC PREview Professional Readiness Exam as optional.
We hope this article on medical schools in Georgia was helpful. To learn about studying in the United States, make sure to also check out the Study in the USA Page and the Available Courses for International Students!
