Choosing the right medical school is one of the most consequential decisions of your life, and if you are targeting Texas, you already know the competition is fierce. With over 66,000 applicants competing for roughly 1,872 spots across 13 accredited programs, the path to a white coat in the Lone Star State is narrow. Many pre-med students spend months researching programs only to find scattered, outdated data that leaves them more confused than informed.
The good news is that Texas offers some of the most affordable, well-resourced, and research-active medical schools in the country. Whether your goal is cutting-edge biomedical research, rural primary care, or a specialty residency at a major academic hospital, there is a Texas program built around exactly that mission. This guide breaks down the top schools by rankings, tuition, acceptance rates, and graduation outcomes so you can plan your application with real clarity.
Best Medical Schools in Texas: Quick Overview
Before diving into each program, here is a snapshot of where the top schools stand on key metrics for the 2025-2026 academic year:
- Baylor College of Medicine | Acceptance rate: ~4.02% | In-state tuition: ~$20,000/yr | Visit school
- UT Southwestern Medical Center | Acceptance rate: ~4% | In-state tuition: ~$22,000/yr | Visit school
- McGovern Medical School (UTHealth Houston) | Acceptance rate: ~4.21% | In-state tuition: ~$24,000/yr | Visit school
- UT Health San Antonio Long SOM | Acceptance rate: ~4.22% | In-state tuition: ~$23,500/yr | Visit school
- TTUHSC School of Medicine | Acceptance rate: ~3.3% | In-state tuition: ~$22,000/yr | Visit school
- TCU Burnett School of Medicine | Acceptance rate: ~5%+ | Tuition: ~$72,270/yr | Visit school
- UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine | Acceptance rate: ~4.51% | In-state tuition: ~$25,000/yr | Visit school
Why Texas Medical Schools Stand Out Nationally
Texas is not just a big state — it is home to the largest medical complex in the world. The Texas Medical Center in Houston spans 50-plus institutions, giving students at Baylor and McGovern Medical School access to a breadth of clinical experiences that few places globally can match.
Several Texas medical schools have achieved Tier 1 status in the 2025 U.S. News Research rankings, and for prospective students watching their budget, the numbers are compelling. The average tuition for Texas medical schools is approximately $28,098 for state residents and $40,624 for out-of-state students for the 2025-2026 academic year. By comparison, the national median tuition totals around $68,000 to $70,000 per year at private schools and for out-of-state students at public institutions.
For anyone weighing the cost of becoming a physician, this gap is enormous. A Texas resident completing four years at a public medical school could spend roughly half what a peer in another state pays at a comparable private program. If you want to understand full medical school requirements before committing, start with this overview of medical school requirements that covers what every program expects from applicants.
Top Medical Schools in Texas: Detailed Profiles
1. Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Baylor is consistently ranked the best medical school in Texas. BCM received over $420 million in NIH funding in 2023, ranking it 20th among U.S. medical schools for research funding. Despite being a private institution, Baylor receives public funding for in-state students, which keeps tuition unusually low for a private program, and roughly 80% of the student body are Texas residents.
With an acceptance rate of just 4.02% and an average accepted MCAT of 518, Baylor is the most selective program in the state. Students benefit from being embedded in the Texas Medical Center, which enables inter-institutional research collaboration and access to highly complex patient cases. For premeds weighing program options across borders, this article on the best countries to study medicine adds useful global context.
2. UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
UT Southwestern is highly ranked in both research and primary care, and its curriculum is structured into three phases: pre-clerkship (18 months), clerkship (18 months), and post-clerkship (12 months). With an acceptance rate near 4%, UTSW draws competitive applicants nationally, though Texas residents receive a significant admissions advantage.
The estimated total cost of attendance at UT Southwestern for the 2024-2025 academic year is $64,601 for Texas residents and $78,216 for non-residents, factoring in housing, insurance, and living expenses. Its Dallas location places students near major hospital systems and an active residency ecosystem.
3. McGovern Medical School (UTHealth Houston)
McGovern is the largest medical school in Texas and the ninth largest in the country. For the 2024 entering class, the school received 5,699 applications for 240 spots, resulting in an acceptance rate of approximately 4.21%, with an average matriculant GPA of 3.92 and an MCAT of 513.
Sitting inside the Texas Medical Center, McGovern students rotate through some of the busiest trauma and specialty centers in the Southwest. The curriculum integrates early clinical exposure, simulation-based learning, and scholarly concentrations that allow students to individualize their training path.
4. UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine
Long SOM uses the CIRCLE curriculum, which emphasizes integration of basic science and clinical experience from day one, with formative checkpoints, active learning, and individualized training tracks. The 2025-2026 entering class had an acceptance rate of approximately 4.22%, with 227 students matriculating from 5,377 applicants.
With roughly 88% of its student body being Texas residents, Long SOM has a strong regional identity and a focus on serving South Texas communities, including underserved rural and border populations.
5. TTUHSC School of Medicine, Lubbock
TTUHSC offers both a traditional four-year MD program and an accelerated three-year Family Medicine Accelerated Track (FMAT) for students committed to primary care. The school was founded to address a physician shortage in West Texas, and approximately 20% of physicians practicing in West Texas are graduates of TTUHSC.
For the 2025 entering class, TTUHSC received approximately 5,500 applications for 182 available spots, yielding an acceptance rate of about 3.3%, with an average matriculant GPA of 3.93 and an MCAT of 512.
6. TCU Burnett School of Medicine, Fort Worth
TCU’s program is newer but distinctive. The school takes a fresh approach to medical education through its “Empathetic Scholars” model, featuring flipped classrooms, narrative medicine workshops, and mandatory research projects rather than traditional lecture formats. At $72,270 per year, it carries the highest tuition of any Texas medical school, making financial planning critical for prospective students. Prospective applicants might also explore alternatives to medical school to understand what other healthcare pathways look like before committing.
Tuition, Costs, and Graduation Rates
Texas public medical schools remain among the most affordable in the nation. Average tuition and fees for public programs in Texas run approximately $28,350 for residents and $40,411 for non-residents for the 2024-2025 academic year. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board reports that Texas medical schools operate on an estimated 95% graduation rate, meaning the vast majority of students who matriculate complete their degrees within four to five years.
The statewide residency match ecosystem is strong. The 2024 NRMP Match cycle saw over 50,000 national registrants, and Texas programs consistently fill high proportions of their graduating classes into competitive specialties across family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, and more.
For students thinking about financing their education, a good starting point is reviewing free college textbooks and study resources to reduce ancillary costs during the pre-med years.
What It Really Takes to Get In
Getting into medical school anywhere in the country is difficult, with only 44.5% of applicants matriculating in the 2024-2025 cycle. For Texas specifically, the bar is high. Acceptance rates at UT Southwestern and Baylor are between 4% and 8%, and average GPAs for accepted students run 3.8 to 3.9, with average MCAT scores between 514 and 517.
Beyond numbers, Texas schools weight regional ties heavily. Many Texas medical schools have missions tied to serving specific regions of the state, so they seek applicants who have genuine connections to those communities. Bilingual ability, rural healthcare experience, and a record of community service all strengthen a Texas application meaningfully.
For students still mapping out their pre-med journey, this guide on studying in the USA outlines the broader academic landscape for international and domestic applicants alike.
FAQ: Best Medical Schools in Texas
Yes, significantly. Public universities in Texas are legally required to cap out-of-state enrollment at 10 percent, which means interview and acceptance rates for non-residents are dramatically lower than for Texas residents.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine has the lowest tuition at approximately $34,632, while Baylor College of Medicine remains the most affordable private option in the state due to its public funding partnership.
To have the best chance of acceptance, you will likely need at least a 3.8 GPA, though a strong MCAT score can compensate for a slightly lower GPA at some programs.
Yes. The University of North Texas Health Science Center operates the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) in Fort Worth, which is one of the highest-ranked DO schools in the country, with a 2023 cycle acceptance rate of approximately 5.5% and 231 matriculants.
Most Texas schools, including UT Southwestern, Baylor, and McGovern, use TMDSAS. TCU’s Burnett School and Texas A&M EnMed use AMCAS, while the University of the Incarnate Word uses AACOMAS.
Final Thoughts
Texas offers a remarkable combination of academic prestige, clinical scale, and relative affordability that few other states can match. Whether you are drawn to Baylor’s research powerhouse status, UTSW’s structured curriculum, or TTUHSC’s mission-driven focus on rural West Texas, there is a program aligned with your goals.
Start building your application early, invest seriously in MCAT preparation, and root your personal statement in genuine regional or community ties. The best medical school in Texas for you is the one where your values, scores, and clinical experience align with what the admissions committee is looking for.
Explore more on best medical colleges in Texas for a wider look at program options across the state.
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