Michigan is a state with much to offer students who want to pursue a medical career. The state has public and private medical schools offering M.D. programs, and it also has an osteopathic medical school that awards the D.O. degree. This time, we chose three notable medical schools in Michigan, and this article explains what these institutions offer.
Top Medical Schools in Michigan
1. University of Michigan
The University of Michigan Medical School is part of Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan’s academic medical center, which brings together medical education, research, and patient care. It is located in Ann Arbor and opened its doors in 1850.
The M.D. curriculum is a four-year program built around the “Trunk” and “Branches” model. Students gain foundational knowledge in the Scientific Trunk and Clinical Trunk before moving into the flexible Branches phase, where they can pursue career interests through advanced clinical work, research, dual-degree study, international rotations, health programs, electives, and a Capstone for Impact project. Students also begin developing clinical and interprofessional skills early in the curriculum.
This medical school also offers programs besides the M.D. degree, including an M.D./Ph.D. program, Ph.D. programs, master’s programs, residency and fellowship training, non-degree and postbaccalaureate programs, undergraduate programs, and visiting-student opportunities. Current Ph.D. areas include Bioinformatics, Biological Chemistry, Cancer Biology, Genetics and Genomics, Immunology, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology, among others.
In 2015, the school introduced M-Home, a longitudinal learning community that places students into houses from the start of medical school. Students receive support from peers, Doctoring faculty, coaches, and Student Affairs staff. M-Home also includes community-building activities such as the annual M-Home Olympics.
For the 2025 entering class, the school reported 10,265 applicants, 443 interviews, and a class size of 168 students. Although it is a public medical school in Michigan, nonresident students are accepted; 67.3% of the 2025 entering class were nonresidents. M.D. applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients. Transfer requests are generally not considered except in very unique circumstances involving an established current academic relationship with the University of Michigan.
2. Michigan State University
Founded in 1964, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine is a public medical school and a pioneer in community-based medical education. Its mission emphasizes primary and specialty care, inclusion, and service to the medically underserved.
U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 medical school ratings use tiers rather than the older numbered rankings. In MSU’s April 2026 update, the College of Human Medicine reported that U.S. News placed it in Tier 2 for primary care and Tier 3 for research. MSU-CHM also highlights its long-standing No. 6 social mission ranking.
This medical school has eight community campuses in Michigan: Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Midland Regional, Southeast Michigan, Traverse City, and the Upper Peninsula Region. Students begin the Shared Discovery Curriculum in Grand Rapids or East Lansing, where they complete Early and Middle Clinical Experiences. Later, they join a community campus for the Late Clinical Experience and rotate among affiliated hospitals and clinics.
MSU-CHM offers several additional degree and certificate options. Students can pursue M.D./Ph.D., M.D./MBA, and public health and medicine pathways, including earning an MPH while pursuing the medical degree. Certificate options include Leadership in Community and Public Health and Leadership in Rural Medicine.
Regarding admissions, the 2024 entering class had 7,582 applications and 190 matriculating students, and 86% of the class came from Michigan. The college considers mission fit, community service, clinical experience, academics, and other personal qualities through a holistic review process.
3. Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University‘s medical school is named the Covenant HealthCare College of Medicine at Central Michigan University. It was founded in Mount Pleasant in 2010, named by Covenant HealthCare in 2025, and focuses on educating culturally competent physicians to serve underserved populations in Michigan and beyond.
Recent U.S. News & World Report outcome measures reflect that mission: in the 2026 Graduate Medical Schools rankings, CMU reported that the college ranked No. 9 for placing graduates in underserved areas and No. 13 for placing graduates in rural communities.
The M.D. curriculum uses self-directed, team-based, and community-based learning. The pre-clerkship curriculum includes integrated interdisciplinary blocks, small-group case discussions, team-based learning, active lectures, laboratory experiences, simulation, early clinical experiences, and a longitudinal clinical skills course with standardized patients. The clinical curriculum includes hospital-based clerkships and the Comprehensive Community Clerkship, a primary care experience in rural or urban underserved settings; the fourth year includes clinical electives, a required sub-internship, and emergency medicine.
Applications must be submitted through AMCAS. Selected applicants are invited to complete a secondary application, and the secondary application fee is $100. The CASPer test remains optional and is not required. Interviews use a Multiple Mini Interview format and small group activities.
For the 2025 entering class, the college reported 8,513 applications, 484 interviews, and a class size of 104. As a public medical school in Michigan, it intends to maintain 80% in-state and 20% out-of-state enrollment. Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, Canadian citizens, or Canadian permanent residents.
When pursuing a medical degree in Michigan, you have several choices. From the University of Michigan and Michigan State University to Central Michigan University, these schools offer different paths to an M.D. degree, with strengths in research, community-based education, and service to underserved communities.
We hope this article on medical schools in Michigan was helpful. To learn more about studying in the United States, check out the Study in the USA Page or the Available Courses for International Students!
