A 520 MCAT score is excellent. It places you in the 97th percentile, meaning you scored higher than 97 out of every 100 test-takers. This puts you well above the average for students accepted to MD programs and squarely in the range of the most competitive medical schools in the country.
Where 520 Ranks Among Test-Takers
The MCAT is scored on a scale from 472 to 528, with four sections each scored from 118 to 132. A 520 lands in the 97th percentile based on AAMC data covering the 2022 through 2024 testing years. Only about 3% of everyone who sits for the exam scores 520 or higher.
For context, the mean total MCAT score for students who actually matriculated into U.S. MD-granting medical schools for the 2025-2026 academic year was 512.1. A 520 sits nearly eight points above that average, which is more than one full standard deviation higher (the standard deviation is 6.5 points). In practical terms, you’re not just above average among accepted medical students; you’re significantly above average.
How 520 Stacks Up at Top Medical Schools
A 520 is right at or above the median MCAT score reported by some of the highest-ranked medical schools. NYU, the University of Chicago Pritzker, and Vanderbilt all report a median of 520. Washington University in St. Louis, often cited as having one of the highest median scores in the country, reports 521. Schools like Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and Penn report medians of 518.
This means a 520 makes you a competitive applicant at virtually every medical school based on MCAT alone. At most top-tier programs, you’d be at or above the midpoint of their entering class. At the vast majority of MD programs nationwide, your score would be well above the class median.
Your Acceptance Odds With a 520
AAMC publishes acceptance rate data broken down by MCAT score and GPA. For applicants scoring above 517 (the bracket that includes 520), the overall acceptance rate to MD programs is 79.9%. That’s a dramatic advantage compared to the national average, which hovers around 40% for all applicants.
GPA still matters, though. Here’s how acceptance rates break down for applicants in the 517-528 MCAT range:
- GPA above 3.79: 83.3% acceptance rate
- GPA 3.60 to 3.79: 71.3%
- GPA 3.40 to 3.59: 66.4%
- GPA 3.20 to 3.39: 60.7%
- GPA 3.00 to 3.19: 46.5%
- GPA below 3.00: roughly 35% to 42%
Even with a GPA in the 3.0 to 3.2 range, a score above 517 gives you nearly a coin-flip chance of acceptance. Pair 520 with a GPA above 3.6, and you’re looking at odds above 70%. These figures are aggregated across the 2023-2024 through 2025-2026 application cycles.
A High Score Helps Beyond Admissions
A 520 can also improve your chances of receiving merit-based scholarships. Many medical schools offer financial aid tied to academic metrics, and a strong MCAT score is one of the clearest signals schools use when awarding merit money. Schools like Duke, Emory, Johns Hopkins, and the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine are among those known to offer full-ride or significant merit scholarships. While there’s no guaranteed MCAT cutoff for scholarship eligibility, scoring in the 97th percentile puts you in a strong position.
Given that the median debt for medical school graduates often exceeds $200,000, scholarship eligibility is a real financial benefit of scoring this high.
What a 520 Won’t Guarantee
No MCAT score, even a perfect 528, guarantees admission on its own. Medical schools evaluate your application holistically: GPA, clinical experience, research, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and interviews all factor in. A 520 removes the MCAT as a potential weakness, but a thin application in other areas can still hold you back, especially at the most selective programs where nearly every applicant has a high score.
That said, with a 520 you can confidently apply to a broad range of schools, including the most competitive programs, without worrying that your score will be the reason you’re screened out. Focus your energy on the rest of your application, knowing that your MCAT is a genuine strength.