Med School Cost: Tuition, Fees & Total Price

Medical school costs are usually described in two ways. Tuition and fees are what the school bills. Cost of attendance adds health insurance and a living-expense allowance, and it is the budget financial aid is generally based on.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) collects tuition and cost data from MD schools each year. The figures here come from secondary sources that report the AAMC data: a Northwestern University advising page, Medical Aid, Shemmassian Academic Consulting, and Leland. The data refers to the 2025-26 academic year unless noted.

The first-year tuition and fee median is the clearest comparison between school types. It excludes living costs.

At public schools, the median for in-state students is $43,648/yr, according to Northwestern. Medical Aid reports $70,730/yr for out-of-state students at public schools. Private schools have a median of $74,661/yr.

Cost of attendance includes the living-expense allowance that schools build into the budget.

The first-year median is $75,654/yr at public schools and $106,787/yr at private schools. The difference between these figures and the tuition medians above is the living allowance plus insurance and other costs.

The AAMC's four-year median is the number most often quoted for the whole degree.

For the class of 2026, the median four-year cost of attendance is $297,745 at public schools and $408,150 at private schools.

Different guides slice the same AAMC data differently. Shemmassian reports medians that include health insurance in the tuition figure.

In that breakdown, public in-state schools come to $43,016/yr and public out-of-state schools to $68,032/yr. Private schools fall between $68,342 – $68,767/yr depending on whether the student is in-state or out-of-state.

Leland publishes four-year tuition and fee estimates without living costs.

Leland estimates $168,000 – $188,000 for public in-state students, $260,000 – $288,000 for public out-of-state students, and $268,000 – $296,000 for private schools. These are ranges rather than medians, and the source does not date them beyond the current application cycle.

Northwestern reports a four-year range of $297,745 – $408,150 and Medical Aid reports the same range, since both cite the AAMC. Differences elsewhere come from what each guide counts. Some figures are medians and some are ranges. Some include health insurance and living costs, and some cover tuition only. Out-of-state students at public schools often pay more than residents, so a figure for residents understates what they would pay.

• Public or private school. The tables above show the gap.
• State residency. Public schools usually charge residents less.
• Local living costs. The living allowance depends on where the school is.
• Health insurance. Billing and waiver rules may differ by school.
• Length of the program. The medians describe a four-year MD program.

These are the costs schools set for the budget. They do not include the application costs, board exam fees, or interest on loans, and they do not predict what any one student will borrow. Scholarships and grants vary by school. The financial aid office at each school can explain its aid and what it expects a student to pay. Federal aid information is at studentaid.gov. For decisions about borrowing or career planning, a licensed financial advisor can help.