There are currently 46 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine (DO schools) in the United States, according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM). These 46 schools operate across 73 teaching locations in 36 states, since many colleges run additional branch campuses beyond their main site.
What the Numbers Actually Mean
The distinction between 46 schools and 73 teaching locations matters if you’re applying. A single college of osteopathic medicine might have its main campus in one state and a satellite campus in another. You apply to the college itself, not to a specific campus, though some schools let you indicate a campus preference. For comparison, there are roughly 158 accredited MD-granting (allopathic) medical schools in the country, making DO programs a smaller but rapidly growing part of medical education.
That growth has been dramatic. As recently as 2000, osteopathic schools enrolled far fewer students per year. For the 2024-25 academic year, first-year enrollment hit 10,974 students, with total enrollment across all four years reaching 39,763. Those numbers reflect both new schools opening and existing schools expanding class sizes over the past two decades.
Where DO Schools Are Located
Osteopathic medical schools have a presence in 36 states, but they aren’t evenly distributed. Some states have multiple programs and branch campuses, while 14 states have no DO school at all. Many osteopathic colleges were intentionally placed in regions with physician shortages, particularly rural and underserved areas. This is consistent with the osteopathic profession’s long-standing emphasis on training primary care doctors for communities that need them most.
If you don’t live near a DO school, that’s not a barrier to applying. Most applicants apply broadly through AACOMAS, the centralized application service for osteopathic programs, and relocate for medical school.
New Schools Still Opening
The number of DO schools continues to grow. Lincoln Memorial University’s DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, for example, is launching a new campus in the Jacksonville, Florida area in 2026, marking the first four-year medical school in that region. It’s also the university’s first campus outside of Tennessee. Announcements like these have been a regular pattern over the past decade as demand for physician training seats outpaces available spots.
New osteopathic schools must go through a multi-year accreditation process with the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation before they can enroll students. A school first earns “candidate” status, then “pre-accreditation” status, before eventually receiving full accreditation after graduating its first class. If you’re considering a newer program, check where it stands in this process, since full accreditation typically isn’t granted until four or five years after the first class starts.
How DO Schools Differ From MD Schools
Both DO and MD programs are four-year medical schools that prepare you to practice medicine, prescribe medications, and enter any specialty. Graduates of both take licensing exams and complete residency training. The core difference is that DO programs include additional training in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), a hands-on diagnostic and treatment approach focused on the musculoskeletal system. DO programs also tend to emphasize primary care and whole-patient treatment philosophy, though DO graduates practice in every specialty from surgery to psychiatry.
Since 2020, MD and DO graduates have entered the same unified residency match system, meaning they compete for the same residency positions. This was a significant change that effectively put both degrees on equal footing in the training pipeline.
Applying to DO Schools
Most osteopathic schools accept applications through AACOMAS, which works similarly to AMCAS for MD schools. You submit one primary application with your transcripts, personal statement, and activity list, then each school you selected may send a secondary application with additional essay prompts. Competitive applicants typically have a mix of strong academics, clinical experience, and community involvement.
Average GPA and MCAT scores for DO matriculants tend to be slightly lower than for MD programs, but the gap has narrowed considerably as osteopathic medicine has grown in popularity. With nearly 11,000 first-year seats available across all programs, DO schools collectively represent a substantial portion of all medical school opportunities in the country.