Even those of us who have never taken a biology class know one thing about medical school: it is very, very expensive. And that makes sense.
Future medical providers need to train on the best equipment; they need to have access to many different types of patients and study in the most fully appointed libraries.
But as sensible as it may be, the truth is that medical school doesn’t need to be expensive. This list covers ten of the most affordable medical schools in the United States.
Following the information published by the website BeMo Academic Consulting, we’ve ranked the list from highest to lowest out-of-state tuition prices.
None of the schools found here charge out-of-state students more than $36,000 a year.
However, each and every one of them has all of the resources that you’d expect to find in the best and most schools in the country.
Looking through this list, you’ll find schools that will give future doctors all of the support they’ll need, from a faculty of experienced professionals to simulation centers that allow them to get experience before moving into the real world.
More importantly, these schools all introduce students to the most important resource: patients who need the careful attention of empathetic and intelligent medical students.
Here are the 10 cheapest medical schools in the US, according to out-of-state tuition rates.
10. University of Texas, Austin Dell School of Medicine (Austin, TX)
Although it was only established in 2013, the Dell School of Medicine at the University of Texas – Austin has wasted no time in making itself into the home for excellent doctors.
From an inaugural class of 50 students, the school has continued to grow, providing first-rate training without an outrageous cost.
The Dell School has improved so quickly thanks to its great financial support. With $295 million in giving, the school was able to create the Dell Seton Medical Center.
This state-of-the-art facility boasts not only 211 beds, but also all of the aids expected in a modern teaching hospital.
Despite this promising start, the Dell School shows no signs of slowing down. Thanks to its $20.6 million endowment, the school has plenty of money to engage in ambitious research projects.
All this for only $35,406 each year for out-of-state students.
9th. University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine (Galveston, TX)
From a very new school, we now move on to one of the oldest on this list. Founded in 1891 as the University of Texas Medical Department, the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine has grown to be one of the most respected institutions in the country.
UTMB consists of over 70 buildings, including three advanced study institutes, and four hospitals, in addition to several partner clinics and research facilities.
The emergency department at its John Sealy Hospital is a Level One Trauma Center, one of only three in the Southeast Texas region.
Among the school’s heralded science complex is the Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences. A World Health Organization Collaborating Center, the Sealy Institute works to develop and improve our understanding of vaccines.
How much will it cost students to study in such a dynamic environment? Only $34,981 per year.
8. Texas A&M College of Medicine (Bryan, TX)
Out-of-state students at the Texas A&M College of Medicine pay only $33,870 per year. What do they get for that low rate? A first-class medical school experience.
That experience includes an opportunity to learn at the Houston Methodist Hospital. The flagship institution in the Houston Methodist system, HMU consistently places among the best hospitals in the nation.
Students at A&M spend 1.5 years in the preclinical curriculum, followed by 2.5 years of clinical training in HMU and other partner institutions. In their rotations, students have the opportunity to work with a diverse patient population, gaining hands-on training that will serve them in their later careers.
Those looking to participate in research can work in one of A&M’s several focused institutes, such as the Center for Microencapsulation and Drug Delivery or the Center for Airborne Pathogen Research and Tuberculosis Imaging.
7. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX)
With an annual operating budget of $1.82 billion and an endowment of $3.4 billion, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center features everything you’d want in a modern medical school. But it comes at the surprisingly low cost of $33,553 per year.
Since 1972, the SMC has been aligned with the University of Texas, making it one of the ten largest medical schools in the United States.
Approximately 230 students enter the program each year, making it a highly competitive school, especially for out-of-state students.
In addition to a full-featured program that grants a wide range of degrees, the school emphasizes community service.
Students run the annual United to Serve health fair, hold weekly Monday Clinics to provide services, and participate in Camp Sweeney, a summer camp for children with diabetes.
6. Florida State University College of Medicine (Tallahassee, FL)
Breaking our run of great Texas medical schools is Tallahassee’s Florida State University College of Medicine.
Since 2000, the FSU College of Medicine has trained thousands of medical professionals, making it one of the most influential schools in the area.
However, it is also one of the most exclusive. According to U.S. News & World Report, FSU College of Medicine has a 2.1% acceptance rate, making it one of the hardest schools to enter in the entire United States.
Students in the program can do their rotations in a variety of hospitals, including Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and Sacred Heart Hospital.
Additionally, FSU College of Medicine can secure fellowships at either Lee Health, where they’ll work in family medicine, or they can study micrographic surgery and dermatology oncology at Dermatology Associates of Tallahassee.
For this extensive experience, students need only pay $32,905.90 each year.
5. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine (Edinburg, TX)
In 2016, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine graduated its first class, starting what promises to be a long future training excellent medical professionals.
And at only $32,739 in out-of-state tuition each year, UTRGV School of Medicine promises to be a popular choice for the next generations of doctors.
In its short history, the school has already established itself as a leader in the field.
The UTRGV School of Medicine boasts an active research program that encourages students and faculty to continue advancing our medical knowledge.
Furthermore, The UTRGV School of Medicine offers unique programs such as the Archer Center’s Graduate Archer Fellowship Program.
Bringing together graduate students from across the University of Texas System, the program sends medical students to the state capital to educate themselves on policies and research that affect their patients.
4. Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX)
Many people know Baylor College as one of the most impressive institutions in the nation. But what they may not know is that the Baylor College of Medicine is among the most affordable, charging a mere $32,525 per academic year.
BCM operates Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and holds affiliations with several other teaching hospitals, including the Texas Children’s Hospital, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, and more.
BCM is renowned for its National School of Tropical Medicine, one of the first in the country to study the healthcare threats affecting those who live below the World Bank poverty level. Through school, students can earn a Diploma in Tropical Medicine, preparing them for a career in international medicine.
3. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine (El Paso, TX)
When it was founded in 2007, the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center was the first new medical school in the Texas University system. It was established to signal a new era for the system, one focused on the latest research and technological achievements.
Evidence of that emphasis can be found in the school’s affiliated institutions, such as the William Beaumont Army Medical Center.
The new Center, renovated in 2021, features a 1.1-million-square-foot, 6-building medical complex designed to treat patients in the armed forces.
The University Medical Center is a Level I trauma center with a Clinical Simulation Center. Both of these attributes allow students to gain experience both in practice scenarios and in a real-world situations.
While these cutting-edge features certainly aren’t cheap, it’s not students who bear the costs. Each year, out-of-state students pay a yearly tuition of just $31,370.
2. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Lubbock, TX)
Serving over 100 counties in west Texas is the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock.
Over 1,500 students each year come to TTUHSC to become healthcare professionals, bringing their skills to all of Texas and beyond. And for those from out of state, they only pay $29,817 in yearly tuition.
Thanks to its location, TTUHSC has made an undeniably positive impression on its community.
Not only do more than 80% of graduates from the School of Pharmacy continue to practice in the state, but over 20% of all doctors in west Texas have graduated from TTUHSC.
The school can attribute its success to Institutes such as the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health and the South Plains Alcohol and Addiction Research Center.
These and other programs allow students to be on the leading edge of specialized medical research.
1. McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Houston, TX)
The McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston takes our number one spot thanks to its low tuition rate, charging just $26,125 a year for out-of-state students.
But it also deserves the position thanks to its tremendous resources and its diverse student body. McGovern Med is the country’s seventh-largest medical school, enrolling over 240 students each year.
Students gain experience doing their residencies in one of McGovern’s two main partner institutions.
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center is the flagship of the 13-hospital Memorial Hermann Healthcare System.
One of just three Level I Trauma Centers in the Houston area, MHTMC allows students to serve a range of students. Lyndon Baines Johnson General Hospital is one of the largest NCQA Medical Homes in the country.
