TL;DR: A good MCAT score is defined by the target, not the test: the national average among all test takers is 500.5, US MD matriculants average near 512 (AAMC reported data), and the most selective schools post medians of 513 to 523. On the official AAMC percentile table, a 510 sits at the 79th percentile, a 515 at the 91st, a 518 at the 95th, and a 520 at the 97th. The working translation: 510 and up is competitive for many MD programs, 515 and up is strong nearly everywhere, and 518 to 520 puts the score conversation to rest at every school in the country. To discuss your target score and school list, schedule a consultation with Oriel Admissions.
What Is a Good MCAT Score?
The MCAT runs from 472 to 528, built from four sections scored 118 to 132, with the distribution centered near 500. Against that scale there are three honest baselines. Against all test takers, anything above the 500.5 average is above average – which matters less than it sounds, because the applicant pool is not the competition. Against successful applicants, the number that counts is the national MD matriculant average near 512. And against the most selective programs, the bar moves to the 513 to 523 median band documented in our medical school GPA and MCAT medians table. A good score is one that clears the baseline for your actual list.
How Do MCAT Percentiles Work?
The AAMC publishes official percentile ranks each May, computed from the three most recent testing years. The current table is the fastest way to translate a score into national standing:
| MCAT score | Official AAMC percentile rank |
|---|---|
| 500 | 49th |
| 505 | 65th |
| 508 | 74th |
| 510 | 79th |
| 512 | 84th |
| 515 | 91st |
| 517 | 94th |
| 518 | 95th |
| 520 | 97th |
| 522 | 99th |
Source: AAMC MCAT percentile ranks in effect May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, based on the 2023 to 2025 testing years.
Two structural notes make the table more useful. In the middle of the distribution, two or three points move percentile standing dramatically – 508 to 512 is a jump from the 74th to the 84th percentile – while at the top the scale compresses, so the practical difference between a 521 and a 523 is close to zero. And because the percentiles refresh every May against a slowly rising average, a score holds its rank for the three year window it remains valid, not forever.
What MCAT Score Do You Need for Medical School?
For admission somewhere, the realistic band starts near 505 to 510 paired with a strong file and the right residency – the state school logic mapped in our guide to the easiest medical schools, where matriculant averages run 503 to 509. For a broadly competitive national MD application, 511 to 517 is the working range: at 512 you match the national matriculant average, and at 515 you have cleared nine tenths of the testing pool. For the osteopathic route, reported DO matriculant MCAT averages sit near 505, roughly seven points below the MD average. The one band that changes the conversation entirely is 518 and above – the 95th percentile – where no school in the country reads the total score as a weakness.
What Is a Good MCAT Score for Top Medical Schools?
At the twelve most selective programs, medians run from a reported 513 average at Georgetown to an official 523 median at NYU Grossman, with the center of the tier at 520 to 522. Vanderbilt is the school that states the arithmetic openly: its official materials describe recent matriculant MCAT scores spanning the 74th to the 100th percentile, and on the current AAMC table the 74th percentile is exactly a 508 – proof that the tier admits below its own medians when the file justifies it. Balance matters as much as the total at this level: Harvard Medical School officially reports a 128.82 CARS average against science sections above 130, so a 518 built on a strong CARS reads better than a 520 carried entirely by the sciences.
When Should You Retake the MCAT?
Retake when the score sits three or more points below the median of the schools that anchor your list and you have a concrete reason to expect improvement – an untreated weak section, a documented preparation gap, a test day problem. Do not retake to convert a 517 into a 520: committees see every score, the marginal percentile gain is small, and the same months invested in research output or clinical depth move a top tier application further. The exception that sharpens every retake decision is Harvard, whose two lifetime application limit means a below range submission spends something scarcer than a testing fee. Score improvement is a means of entering the range for your list; once inside it, the competition is the rest of the file – the funnel that decides from there is mapped in our medical school acceptance rates overview.
Frequently Asked Questions About Good MCAT Scores
Against the national test taker average of 500.5, anything above roughly 510 – the 79th percentile – is a genuinely good score, and 515 and up is strong at most MD programs in the country.
The average among all test takers is 500.5 on the official AAMC table. US MD matriculants average near 512, which is the more meaningful baseline for applicants.
The 91st percentile on the AAMC table in effect through April 2027 – equal to or higher than 91% of all scores from the 2023 to 2025 testing years.
Yes, at the right list. A 510 sits at the 79th percentile and is competitive at many MD programs, especially with strong state residency, though it runs below median across the elite tier.
Medians at the most selective twelve run 513 to 523, with the center of the tier at 520 to 522. Scores of 518 and above – the 95th percentile – are fully in range everywhere.
A 528, built from a 132 in each of the four sections. Scores of 524 and above all round to the 100th percentile on the official AAMC table.
Yes, and CARS carries particular signal: Harvard officially reports a 128.82 CARS average against science sections above 130, so balance differentiates two equal totals.
Most schools accept scores from the past two to three testing years – Stanford, for example, currently accepts scores from January 2023 onward. Verify each school in a cycle before relying on an older score.
Sources: AAMC MCAT Percentile Ranks, AAMC Students and Residents, Harvard Medical School Admissions at a Glance, Vanderbilt MD Admissions.
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a Princeton-based college admissions consulting firm advising families and candidates nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, from undergraduate through MBA and graduate programs. Our team pairs deep admissions expertise with a distinctive 360 approach spanning positioning, testing strategy, essays and application execution. To discuss your MCAT and school list strategy, schedule a consultation.
