Graduating Medical School Class of 2026 Statistics: Text Only

Estimated Read time: 7 minutes

Note: This page serves as an accessible, text-only version of the Graduating Medical School Class Statistics infographics page.

View the sources of data included on this page (Note: These sources are not listed on the infographics but are included here for references.)

Introduction

A series of four infographics show a number of different facts and statistics about the graduating medical school class of 2026 using graphics, data, and text.

Page 1

The title at the top of the page says, "Medical School Class of 2026: Their Journey into a Career in Medicine."

The next paragraphs says, "You are entering the health care workforce at a time when America needs you more than ever. Some of you will begin biomedical research training programs. Most of you will start your residency training on July 1 and will spend the next 3-7 years learning to practice in your chosen specialty. Here are some interesting facts and statistics about this class that entered medical school in fall 2022."

Below that is a graphic of a large arrow pointing down with text inside that includes three statistics:

  • 55,189

     applicants

  • 23,810 accepted

  • 22,710 enrolled

Left of the arrow is a circle that says, "84.6% of class had at least one undergraduate research experience."

Right of the arrow is a circle that says, "93.7% of class had at least one undergraduate community service experience."

The next level down a paragraph says, "In 2021, the AAMC Fee Assistance Program awarded $18 million in total benefits to 12,927 students; 2,528 from the Class of 2026."

Below that a bar shows two sections: “66.9% of the class majored in biological sciences, physical sciences, or math and statistics" and "33.1% majored in humanities, social sciences, specialized health sciences, or another major”

To the right a circle graphic says, "27% (6,137 students) of the class attended classes at a community college."

Below that: "Mean Undergraduate GPA: 3.75"

A circle graphic reads, "75% of Class of 2026 hopefuls took the MCAT® exam during their junior or senior year of college."

A graph shows the range of MCAT scores: "Min: 476. Mean: 511.9. Max: 528."

Page 2

The title at the top of the page says, "Most students in the Class of 2026 entered medical school in fall 2022."

Below that is a graphic with the heading "That year women were the majority of..."

The graphic shows percentages as bars with the following data:

  • Applicants: 56.5%
  • Matriculants: 55.7%
  • Enrollees: 55.6%

At the bottom of the graphic, it says, "At enrollment, the youngest member of the Class of 2025 was 17 years old. The oldest was 53."

In the center of a circular graphic it says, "23.3% of the class self-identified as one or more race/ethnicity traditionally underrepresented in medicine."

Two columns show a breakdown of races and ethnicities:

Of the 23.3%:

  • Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin: 12.5%

  • Black or African American: 10.5%

  • American Indian or Alaska Native: 1.0%

  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.4%

Of the 76.7%:

  • White: 52.1%
  • Asian: 29.3%
  • Other: 4.1%

  • Decline to Respond: 2.9%

The next graphic header says, "73.6% of the Class of 2026 speaks more than one language."

Three chat bubbles show these statistics:

  • Maximum number of languages spoken: 9
  • Median number of languages spoken: 2
  • Percent of class that has a Native or Advanced Language that is not English: 37.6%

At the bottom of the page, there is a graphic showing silhouettes of two parents and a child with text that says, "11.2% of the class are the first generation in their families to go to college."

Page 3

The title at the top of the page says, "The Class of 2026’s choices of specialties, career paths, and practice locations changed throughout medical school."

  Year 1/MSQ Year 2/Y2Q Year 4/GQ
Interest in pursuing a career in primary care or primary care subspecialties 34.7% 38.7% 42.2%
Work in underserved areas 33.8% N/A 30.3%


The next graphic has the heading, "They remained committed to practicing patient care. More wanted to teach and fewer to do research."

The graphic is a table with percentages shown as bars:

  Year 1/MSQ Year 2/Y2Q Year 4/GQ
Practice patient care 97.3% 97.4% 97.0%
Do research 64.6% 52.6% 49.5%
Teach 52.2% 59.8% 80.4%

The title of the next section says, "During Year Two (2023 Y2Q), when asked about their career path after medical school, 'stable/secure future' was the top 'essential” consideration.'"

Next to an illustration of a computer screen are three statistics:

“stable, secure future: 53.7%” 

“work/life balance: 52.9%” 

“ability to pay off debt: 44.4%” 

A circle graphic says "Over 50% of the Class of 2026 indicated they completed at least one clinical away rotation. Most students used their clerkship and away rotation experiences to finalize their decisions about career specialty."

To the right of that it says, "Through the VSLO® program, many students in the Class of 2026 participated in at least one of the 16,530 away rotations (unique electives + alternate date options) in 140+ specialties and subspecialties."

The next graphic has the heading "At graduation (2026 GQ), when asked about what influenced their choice of future medical specialty, 'My personality, interests, and skills' was the top strong influence."

An illustration of a graduate is next to bars showing percentages by topic:

  • My personality, interests, & skills

    : 85.0%

  • Content of specialty: 83.5%

  • Work/life balance: 46.8%

Page 4

The title at the top of the page says, "This class of 2026 was among the 52,010 who submitted their residency applications in 2025."

A pie chart is labeled "Number of Residency Applicants by Type"

These include:

  • US Medical School Graduates (Class of 2026) – 21,286 / 42.24%
  • International Medical School Graduates – 20,700 / 41.08%
  • Osteopathic School Graduates – 8,409 / 16.69%

The pie chart says "All applicants to ERAS residency programs 2025-26" and includes the percentages listed above.

Text to the right of the pie chart says, "These new doctors will practice in one of 124 specialties and subspecialties of medicine. US medical school graduates—including the Class of 2026—apply most to internal medicine, general surgery, psychiatry, radiology-diagnostic, and anesthesiology. Top choices differ for Osteopathic and International Medical Graduates."

Below that is a box with several graphics and statistics. At the top of the box it says, "40% of the Class of 2026 applied to more than one specialty."

The box is divided into six columns:

  • The first column shows an illustration of a hospital with text that says, "In their residency applications, 45% of the Class of 2026 said they wanted to practice in urban and suburban settings, and 2.3% said they were interested in rural practice. More than 50% had no preference."
  • The second column shows a magnifying glass and paper and says, "Median number of peer-reviewed journal articles/abstracts authored: 3"
  • The third column shows an illustration of two people with arrows pointing to their brains with text that says, "In their medical school experiences, the skills they most frequently demonstrated were: Teamwork 15.57%; Critical Thinking, 14.05%."
  • The fourth column shows an illustration of a doctor with text that says, "Most of their notable experiences were in these focus areas: Volunteer/Services /Advocacy: 19.95%, Reserarch: 16.33%, Work: 15.71%"
  • The fifth column shows an illustration of an American flag with text that says, "1,088 residency
    applicants from the Class of 2026 have military experience."
  • The sixth column shows an illustration of a laptop with text that says, "3% fewer applications submitted, on average, than the previous year, yet their match rates remained steady."

Below that there are two boxes that contain text: "22,189 graduates in the Class of 2026" and "2,121 graduated with a dual degree, including 722 MD-PhD graduates."

Below that, it says, "Good luck to the Class of 2026! We are so proud of who you are and what you’ve accomplished during your medical education journey."

At the bottom of the page is a QR code and footnote that says, "Where did this data come from? The AAMC gathers data across the learner journey, from premed through residency. We are also the national source for data on faculty, biomedical research trainees, and physician workforce trends. AAMC data is readily available through aamc.org. Scan the QR code to find the data sources for this graphic."


Sources: