Is 514 a bad MCAT score?

Asked by: Dr. Dora Mraz III  |  Last update: January 24, 2026
Score: 4.2/5 (73 votes)

Is 514 a Good MCAT Score? A score of 514 means you scored within the 88th percentile, and it is well above the national average. Whether or not a 514 is competitive depends on the schools you are applying for.

Can I get into med-school with a 514 MCAT?

If you scored a 514 on the MCAT, this means you performed in the 89th percentile according to most recent AAMC statistics, and you now have a competitive score for med-school admission.

Is an MCAT score of 514 good?

Earning a 515 or higher on the MCAT makes you a top applicant for medical school admissions. A score of 515 on the MCAT is an important score threshold because it means you've earned a 91st percentile score. According to the AAMC, earning a 514 or better on the MCAT results in a 68% acceptance rate.

What is considered a bad MCAT score?

A great score is 515 to 528 (the maximum possible score), while an average score is 502 to 508. In contrast, a poor score is 501 and below. This guide will go over what a good MCAT score is and how medical schools use your score to make their decision.

What is the lowest MCAT score accepted into medical school?

The lowest MCAT score accepted by most medical schools in the U.S. and Canada is typically in the range of 490-495. Scores below 490 are rarely, if ever, accepted. It's important to note that while 490-495 is the minimum score accepted, the vast majority of applicants score well above this range.

How Important Are MCAT Scores at the Top 50 Medical Schools?

28 related questions found

What is a respectable MCAT score?

A good MCAT score is typically considered to be 128 out of 132 in any one of the four sections, or a total of 511 out of 528 for all four sections combined. The latter represents the average score of students admitted to medical schools across the nation during the 2021 admissions cycle.

Will a 500 MCAT get me into med-school?

Minimum MCAT Score Accepted Into Med School

Medical institutions in the U.S. and Canada that necessitate the MCAT typically accept scores ranging from 490-495 at the minimum. Scores below 490 are rarely if ever, accepted. Interestingly, a vast majority of individuals score above this range.

Should I retake the MCAT if I got a 500?

You should probably retest.

As data from the AAMC shows, a score below 498 corresponds to a 28.5% chance of acceptance, even with a fantastic GPA of 3.79 or higher. If your GPA is below that threshold, your chances nearly halve down to 11%.

Is a 499 MCAT score bad?

Considering that a 499 is a below-average score, it is improbable to be competitive for med-school admission with that score. However, once you know which medical schools you aim to get into, you'll better understand whether a 499 will get you accepted.

Should I retake a 515 MCAT score?

Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 515? Generally, we recommend retaking the MCAT if the MCAT score is not balanced among the four sections of the MCAT or your target med-school has a higher cut-off.

Has anyone gotten a 528 on the MCAT?

Since this method is not perfect, we'll leave you with a range; between 30 and 70 students every year achieve a perfect 528 MCAT. This is out of the nearly three hundred thousand students who take the exam. Thus, achieving a perfect MCAT score is quite difficult, but it is not impossible.

How common is a 515 MCAT?

A 515+ score puts you in the 91st percentile of MCAT test takers. A 515+ score places your medical school acceptance rate at 68.0%. That makes you more than three times as likely to get into medical school than average (501) scorers at 20.9%. It also boosts your acceptance rate by 11% more than even 510–513 scorers.

Is 512 MCAT too low?

According to recent AAMC stats, a 512 on the MCAT is not a bad score because it's an above-average MCAT score, and it is competitive for med-school admission: A 512 is 85 percentile rank on the MCAT. * The current average MCAT score is at the 501 mark, and a 512 is 11 points ahead of that score.

What is the average MCAT score for MD students?

Based on the data as well as our experience with countless students we've helped get into medical school, the average MCAT Score required for most medical schools is at least 508-513 (25th percentile).

What MCAT score should I not apply with?

According to the latest statistics, students with a score of less than 506 have even less of a chance of getting into medical school. And students with scores around 501 and lower should really consider retaking the test.

How bad is an unbalanced MCAT score?

Your section scores are significantly imbalanced.

Some medical schools expect students to achieve minimum section scores. While it's difficult to know each school's thresholds, it may be worth taking the MCAT exam again if one of your section scores (most commonly CARS) is 5 or more points below all others.

How hard is it to get over 500 on MCAT?

Without approaching MCAT prep in a strategic way, it's highly unlikely you'll be able to easily achieve a competitive 500+ MCAT score. Using these top scorer strategies, we've seen a lot of premeds finally get over that same score they've been hovering around for so long... And now you can do the same.

How rare is a 524 MCAT?

528 is the highest MCAT score possible, which corresponds to the 100th percentile. Anything above a 524 is also a 100th percentile score, and a 522 or 523 is a 99th percentile score.

What was the old MCAT score range?

The old MCAT was scored on a scale from 3-45 with an average MCAT score of 25.2. On each section you could earn 1 to 15 points. The new MCAT is scored on a scale from 472-528 with a mean score of 500. On each section you can earn 118 to 132 points.

What MCAT score should I aim for?

Our medical school admission experts recommend that you aim for a total score of 511 or above. This score places you in the 81 st percentile of MCAT scores, according to AAMC.

What is considered a low MCAT score?

This means an MCAT score below 502 is generally a low score at even the easiest medical schools to get into. Very few medical schools have average accepted MCAT scores below 503, so if your score is below 502, consider retaking the MCAT to achieve a higher score.

Will a 515 MCAT get me into med-school?

Generally, MCAT scores above 511 are considered competitive for most schools. However, if you want to be above average, a score of 515 or above will put you in the 90th percentile, which will look great on your application!

Does GPA or MCAT matter more?

But, the easy answer is: MCAT. Some med schools believe that GPA is a better indicator of future success because it measures your work ethic and determination. However, your MCAT score is the only factor that is completely objective. It is the only factor that can compare all students evenly.