If you run a quick Google search for tuition-free medical schools, you’ll quickly be overwhelmed with all kinds of search results. Many schools that show up aren’t in the U.S., which is detrimental because if your end goal is to practice medicine in the states, it’s imperative you attend a U.S. medical school.
Additionally, many schools included in the search results only offer free tuition to a small percentage of matriculants, usually based on merit or financial need. The majority of matriculants to these schools will need to cover their medical school tuition in other ways, most likely by taking out large medical school loans.
After hours of excruciating research, I’ve compiled this list of medical schools in the U.S. that offer 100% free medical school tuition to all of their matriculants. And I’ve added a new one in 2024 that just recently became tuition-free after a generous donation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Note: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine has been removed from this list. They offer tuition-free medical school to 40 students in each incoming class if they commit to primary care within Geisinger’s health system, but I wanted to limit this list to only schools with totally free tuition for every student.
With the cost of medical school steadily increasing every year, it creates an everlasting financial burden on medical students. Because of this, students are opting into high-paying specialties in order to pay off the tremendous amount of debt they’re in.
With so many students opting into these high-paying specialties, it creates a shortage of primary care physicians in our country. Some medical schools have aimed to increase awareness by stressing the importance of primary care. These institutions have created enticing incentives for medical students by offering to alleviate their financial burden. Each medical school mentioned in this blog offers free tuition to their matriculating students. Read on for the details!
#1 Albert Einstein College of Medicine
After a generous donation of $1 billion (yes, that’s a “b”) from former faculty member and board chair Ruth Gottesman, Einstein announced that their medical program would now be tuition-free “in perpetuity.”
Their press release states that the gift “will ensure that no student at Einstein will have to pay tuition again.” They hope this radical shift will help them attract applicants and students who align with the vision of their program, “not just those who can afford it.”
What’s more, Einstein promised to refund students’ tuition from spring 2024! If you’ve got tissues nearby, just take a look at the incredible response from the students:
#2 New York University Long Island School of Medicine
In addition to offering free tuition to its matriculating students, NYU Long Island School of Medicine offers a nontraditional 3-year MD program. The program places an emphasis on primary care and graduates students early to begin working as primary care providers.
Students may apply for NYU’s exclusive need-based scholarships to cover miscellaneous costs such as books, food, housing, etc. (estimated at around $87,000 for the entire program).
#3 New York University Grossman School of Medicine
NYU Grossman School of Medicine has promised a tuition-free education regardless of merit or financial need. Similar to NYU Long Island School of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine offers need-based scholarships to cover expenses other than tuition.
Grossman was the first US medical program to offer full-tuition scholarships to every single student. They also employ a holistic application and interview process to ensure that students aren’t measured on numerical test scores, but on their overall merits.
#4 Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University
CCLCM offers a 5-year MD program instead of the traditional 4-year track.
Why five years? CCLCM incorporates a research component into their MD program, hence the additional year.
In addition to receiving a full-tuition scholarship upon matriculating, students graduate with a special qualification in biomedical research.
#5 Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Having been at the forefront of healthcare, Kaiser Permanente has begun shifting its focus to medical education. This school has promised to waive all tuition for classes matriculating from fall 2020 through fall 2024. The waiver will be available throughout the total 4-year duration of medical school.
Bonus: Students who demonstrate financial need will receive substantial grant aid to offset their living expenses.
Conclusion
These medical schools’ initiative to offer free tuition is a massive step in alleviating the financial burden of attending medical school. We hope other medical schools follow in the footsteps of the above-mentioned medical schools in order to pave a way for medical students to fully immerse themselves in their studies without a financial burden looming over their heads.
