Massachusetts has a strong mix of options for students who want to enroll in medical school. For students comparing options with the top medical schools in the world, Massachusetts is worth a close look because the state is home to nationally recognized medical schools with long histories, major research activity, clinical training opportunities, and several important medical firsts. There is even one Ivy League university on the list. Ranking systems also change, so applicants should check the current U.S. News & World Report medical school listings directly when comparing schools. Let’s see why these schools stand out and discover whether any of these medical schools in Massachusetts suits your interests.
Top Medical Schools in Massachusetts
1. UMass Chan Medical School
Located in Worcester and founded in 1962, UMass Chan Medical School is Massachusetts’ only public medical school and the commonwealth’s first and only public academic health sciences center. Its MD program is a four-year program designed to prepare students for primary care, subspecialty training, research, and service in diverse communities. In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools release, UMass Chan’s primary care education ranked first in Massachusetts and in the top half of medical schools nationally, while its research ranked in the top half nationally.
The medical school emphasizes early patient care exposure from the first weeks of medical school, along with communication, clinical problem-solving, professionalism, service, and advocacy. Its Vista curriculum includes foundational learning, clinical training, and advanced clinical experiences, and students benefit from community-based education programs across Massachusetts.
Primary care remains one of UMass Chan’s major strengths. In 2026, 61 students, or 35% of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine graduating class, matched into primary care and related specialties such as internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics.
UMass Chan is also a major research institution. Its research enterprise received approximately $300 million in federal and private research funding in fiscal year 2025, and its scientists have contributed to advances in areas such as HIV, cancer, ALS, diabetes, infectious diseases, RNA interference, and other biomedical fields.
The school grants MD degrees and offers a combined MD/PhD program. Applicants can also consider the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health, or PURCH, track. Offered in partnership with Baystate Health, PURCH focuses on population health, health care disparities, urban and rural communities, and team-based care. The track enrolls about 25 students per year.
For the Class of 2029, UMass Chan reported 233 enrolled students, with 63% from Massachusetts and 36% from out of state. The class profile listed an average total GPA of 3.76, an average BCPM GPA of 3.69, and an average MCAT score of 511.
2. Harvard Medical School
The following medical school in Massachusetts belongs to an Ivy League university. Harvard University‘s Harvard Medical School was founded in 1782, with classes beginning in 1783, making it one of the oldest medical schools in the U.S.
Important medical discoveries and firsts have been associated with HMS. These include introducing smallpox vaccination to America, introducing insulin to the U.S. to treat diabetes, performing the first successful human kidney transplant, and discovering the cause of preeclampsia.
The standard MD program at Harvard Medical School takes four years to complete, although students may apply to add a year for another degree, a scholarly project, or additional formal coursework. HMS offers two MD curriculum tracks. The Pathways track emphasizes active, collaborative learning and early clinical experience. The Health Sciences & Technology, or HST, track is offered through the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology and emphasizes biomedical science, pathophysiology, quantitative science, and research.
HMS students may also pursue combined degree options, including the MD/PhD, MD/MPH, MD/MPP, MD/MBA, MD/SM, and MD/MMSc. These options are useful for students who want to combine medical training with research, public health, public policy, management, or advanced scientific study.
For the entering Class of 2025, Harvard Medical School reported 7,166 applications, 716 interviews, and a class size of 165 students. Of those students, 135 entered the Pathways track, 30 entered the HST track, and 15 were MD/PhD students.
Harvard Medical School welcomes applications from international students who have studied for at least one year at an accredited college or university in the U.S. or Canada. However, foreign students who do not have a baccalaureate or advanced degree from an institution in the U.S. or Canada are rarely accepted, so international applicants should review the current eligibility rules carefully.
3. Boston University
Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine traces its roots to the New England Female Medical College, founded in 1848 as the first institution in the U.S. to train women in medicine. Boston University merged with the New England Female Medical College in 1873, becoming the first accredited coeducational medical school in the U.S. The school received its current name in 2022 after a transformational gift from Edward Avedisian.
The school has a wide variety of dual degree programs. These include the MD/PhD, a six-year MD/Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program, MD/MBA, MD/MSCR, MD/JD, and MD/MPH. Students interested in some dual degree options may apply after matriculating to the medical school.
The MD curriculum is a four-year program that integrates foundational science, clinical medicine, and health equity. Students complete pre-clerkship, clerkship, and post-clerkship training, along with clinical skills and professional development experiences. Boston Medical Center is the school’s primary teaching affiliate.
For the 2025 entering class profile, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine reported 138 total students, including 92 Four-Year MD students, 5 MD/PhD students, 8 Early Medical School Selection Program students, 20 Seven-Year BA/MD students, and 13 MMEDIC students. The class profile listed a mean GPA of 3.76, a median GPA of 3.84, and a mean and median MCAT score of 517.
The school considers out-of-state and international applicants, and it states that residency is not a requirement. Applicants are expected to meet the school’s current requirements, including prerequisite coursework through an accredited four-year U.S. or Canadian college. The school does not currently have slots for advanced standing or transfer into the second- or third-year classes.
4. Tufts University
The Tufts University School of Medicine is a private medical school in Massachusetts that opened in 1893 at 188 Boylston Street in Boston. Its first-year class was more than 25% women, and the school’s early teaching affiliates included the Boston Dispensary and Suffolk Dispensary.
TUSM offers dual degrees in addition to the MD degree program. Current options include the four-year MD/MPH, MD/PhD, and MD/MA in International Relations. Tufts previously offered an MD/MBA in Health Management, but it has discontinued new applications for that four-year MD/MBA program while continuing to support current MD/MBA students. The school also offers a Physician Assistant program and an MS in Biomedical Sciences.
For the Class of 2029, Tufts reported 204 total students enrolled in the MD program, including 164 students in the Regular Boston Track and 40 students in the Maine Track. The same profile listed 26 MD/MPH students, 1 MD/MA student, and 5 MD/PhD students. The mean total GPA was 3.82, the mean science GPA was 3.77, and the mean MCAT score was 514.
International applicants are eligible to apply to Tufts University School of Medicine, but the school states that it admits very few and gives strong preference to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. It also gives strong preference to applicants who have completed, or will complete by matriculation, their undergraduate work at a U.S. college or university. Tufts currently does not accept transfer applications.
If you plan on earning a medical degree in Massachusetts, there is no shortage of excellent medical schools, including Harvard University’s medical school. UMass Chan, Harvard Medical School, Boston University, and Tufts University all provide strong medical education, research, and clinical training opportunities, so compare each school carefully and choose the medical school that fits your goals best.
We hope this article about the best medical schools in Massachusetts was informative. For more information on studying abroad, check out the Study in the USA Page and the Available Courses for International Students!
