Minnesota has two LCME-accredited medical school institutions that grant the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree: Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and the University of Minnesota Medical School. Both offer strong medical education and training. If you live in Minnesota, the University of Minnesota Medical School may be especially relevant because it trains students across three Minnesota campuses in the Twin Cities, Duluth, and St. Cloud. We summarized their essential characteristics below to help you decide which school may be the right fit. So, let’s take a look at these medical schools in Minnesota.
Top Medical Schools in Minnesota
1. Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Founded in 1972, the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, or MCASOM, is a private medical school in Rochester, Minnesota. It also has campus locations in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Jacksonville, Florida. In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools ratings, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine was placed in Tier 1, the highest tier, for medical research.
The school offers M.D. and M.D.-Ph.D. training, and its M.D. program emphasizes integrated clinical and research training. Mayo reports that more than 80% of its M.D. students graduate with a published research article in a peer-reviewed journal, and its 2026 admissions profile lists a median cumulative GPA of 3.95 and a median MCAT score of 521 for the first-year class.
The M.D. curriculum is divided into three phases: an 18-month Pre-Clerkship phase, an 18-month Clerkship phase, and a 12-month Post-Clerkship phase. Students begin the eight core clinical clerkships about halfway through their second year. Academic enrichment opportunities include selectives, research, dual degrees, service learning, and global health, and research training includes completing a project and writing a scientific paper for publication.
Applications are made through AMCAS. Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine uses one AMCAS application for all three campus locations, followed by a secondary application and letters of recommendation. Its application window is June 1 to October 1 each year.
2. University of Minnesota
Founded in 1888, the University of Minnesota Medical School is part of the university’s health sciences and academic health center, alongside the schools and colleges of dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and veterinary medicine. This medical school in Minnesota has three campuses: the Twin Cities campus, the Duluth campus, and the CentraCare Regional Campus in St. Cloud. In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, it was rated Tier 1 for Primary Care and Tier 2 for Research.
The Duluth campus mission focuses on improving health care access and outcomes in rural Minnesota and American Indian/Alaska Native communities, while the St. Cloud campus educates future physicians who want to become clinicians and leaders across Greater Minnesota. Along with the M.D. degree, the University of Minnesota Medical School offers dual-degree options in areas such as medical research, public health, biomedical engineering, law, business, and health informatics.
The M.D. program uses a basic and clinical science curriculum integrated across all four years. Students also have clinical opportunities throughout Minnesota and are encouraged to explore research opportunities. The school offers graduate programs leading to Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees.
According to the medical school’s current Facts & Figures page, the Class of 2029 includes 167 students in the Twin Cities, 65 in Duluth, 24 in St. Cloud, and eight in the Medical Scientist Training Program. Non-resident students make up 14.4% of the class. The application process begins with AMCAS and continues with a supplemental application. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements, including an MCAT score of at least 500 to receive a supplemental application.
While there are only two M.D.-granting medical school institutions to choose from in Minnesota, their education quality is comparable to medical schools in other states. Each school has its own strengths, such as the University of Minnesota‘s focus on primary care, rural health, and training physicians for Minnesota communities, and the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine’s strong emphasis on medical research and clinical training within Mayo Clinic.
We hope this article on the best medical schools in Minnesota was informative. To learn more information about studying in the United States, check out the Study in the USA Page and the Available Courses for International Students!
