Out of State Friendly Medical Schools

What is an out of state applicant?

An out of state applicant, in general, is an applicant that is a resident of a state outside of a medical school's state. There are, however, some schools that have agreements with neighboring states that allow students to be classified as “in-state” or “in region”, even if they are not residents of the school's state. For example, the UW School of Medicine in Washington is a five-state school, providing 95% of it's available spots to Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho residents.

Should I study out of state?

Determining whether to study in state vs out of state is a personal choice for each applicant and there are no right or wrong answers. In fact, according to the AAMC, last year roughly 61% of matriculants attended medical school in their home state compared with 39% that chose an out of state medical school. When determining whether or not you should study out of state, you should consider the following factors:

Cost

Is medical school worth it? Is it more expensive to attend medical school as an out of state applicant? Well, that depends. Medical school tuition fees are much more expensive for out of state students at public medical schools compared with those in state. Last year, on average, in state residents paid roughly $37,000 for one year of tuition, fees and health insurance compared with the $62,000 that out of state applicants paid. In private medical schools, however, we don't see the same discrepancy in cost. In state residents paid approximately $60,000 for one year of tuition, fees, and health insurance. Similarly, out of state residents paid on average $62,000, only a $2000 difference. So when determining the expense of attending medical schools as an out of state applicant, it completely depends on whether or not you're applying to a public or a private school. 

Support System

Medical school is extremely taxing, both mentally and physically and sometimes students underestimate the power of having their support system nearby. If your family and friends live in your home state, and you choose to study in a different state, their support will be less readily available than if you lived nearby. Of course, connecting to loved ones has never been easier as video chat applications keep getting better, still, it's difficult to beat connecting in person. Being farther away also means that you'll have to factor in additional costs to get back home for holidays and events, and in general, you'll likely have to accept the fact that you'll see your family and friends less. If the medical school you want to attend is somewhere you've never been before, or a place where you don't have connections, it's possible that you could feel isolated or homesick. On the other hand, if you're someone who loves new adventures, enjoys challenges and meeting new people, studying out of state may suit you just fine.

Admission Statistics

Start by using our medical school chance predictor to determine how competitive your MCAT and GPA scores are compared to the medical school's admission statistics. Each school will vary, but it's important to note that some schools hold out of state applicants to higher standards and may have tougher admission cut-offs. For example, if a school requires in-state applicants to have a minimum GPA of 3.0, they may require out of state applicants to have a minimum GPA of 3.2. Be sure you review a school's admission requirements closely to ensure you are competitive as an out of state applicant. 

Acceptance rate

Out of state medical school applicants face high competition and generally low chances of acceptance compared to in state applicants at public medical schools. This is because in state medical schools are funded by the state, so they have a specific number of slots that must be allotted to in state students. This number varies between public medical schools, but on average, there are less than 10% of spots available for out of state applicants. Private schools on the other hand, usually don't have a specific number of spots they need to fill with in state residents, so the acceptance rates at these schools don't differ in state compared with out of state. For a full list of medical school acceptance rates, including average GPA and MCAT score, visit our blog.

Prefer to watch a video instead? Check out our video for all you need to know about out of state friendly medical schools:

What makes a good out of state applicant?

If you're applying to medical schools outside of your home state, your applications really have to stand out in order to be successful. Your AMCAS work and activities section, medical school personal statement and medical school secondary essays need to be phenomenal and must demonstrate why you would be a good fit, regardless of the fact that you don't live in state. Check out medical school personal statement examples to know the quality of thought and writing expected from applicants. Keep in mind that the reason most public medical schools prefer in state applicants is because they want students who will serve the local community by practicing medicine in state once they've graduated. In selecting out of state applicants, medical schools are interested in students who can demonstrate their love of the state they are applying to, their connections to the state, and their motivations for practicing medicine in the state. Some students, for example, want to apply out of state because they've spent a lot of time in a different state. Having significant ties to a state can certainly put you at an advantage. Perhaps your family has a holiday home in your state of choice or maybe you have parents or other family members that live there. Similarly, if you have worked in a state or have studied there, this can help prove your love and connection to the state.

Now that's not to say that if you don't have any connection to the state that there is no point in applying. Perhaps you have the intention of moving, living and working in a different state because you really want to help a state's local rural underserved community. Your own passions and motivations may line up perfectly with a medical school's mission statement and vision to assist underserved communities. It won't be enough to simply discuss how you love the state and think it's a nice place, you need to have a real reason for applying from out of state and must demonstrate passion and dedication to make you a good candidate.

Out of state friendly medical schools

The following is a comprehensive list of all out of state friendly medical schools in the US along with their percentage of out of state matriculants in the previous year.

Medical Schools in Alabama

Medical Schools in Arkansas

Medical Schools in Arizona

Medical Schools in California

Medical Schools in Colorado

Medical Schools in Connecticut

Medical Schools in DC

Medical Schools in Florida

Medical Schools in Georgia

Medical Schools in Hawaii

Medical Schools in Iowa

Medical Schools in Illinois

Medical Schools in Indiana

Medical Schools in Kansas

Medical Schools in Kentucky

Medical Schools in Louisiana

Medical Schools in Massachusetts

Medical Schools in Maryland

Medical Schools in Michigan

Medical Schools in Minnesota

Medical Schools in Missouri

Medical Schools in North Carolina

Medical Schools in North Dakota

Medical Schools in Nebraska

Medical Schools in New Hampshire 

Medical Schools in New Mexico

Medical Schools in Nevada

Medical Schools in New Jersey

Medical Schools in New York

Medical Schools in Ohio

Medical Schools in Oklahoma

Medical Schools in Oregon

Medical Schools in Pennsylvania

Medical Schools in Puerto Rico

Medical Schools in Rhode Island

Medical Schools in South Carolina

Medical Schools in South Dakota

Medical Schools in Tennessee 

Medical Schools in Texas

Medical Schools in Utah

Medical Schools in Virginia

Medical Schools in Vermont

Medical Schools in Washington

Medical Schools in Wisconsin

Medical Schools in West Virginia

21 easiest medical schools to get into out of state

These are the best out of state medical schools to consider applying to as they have the highest out of state success rates.

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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