Getting into University of Central Florida College of Medicine
The University of Central Florida College of Medicine, at the Lake Nona Medical City campus in Orlando, is a state-supported MD program that interviews applicants twice by Zoom and does not charge a seat deposit.36 Here is what UCF publishes and how to read it. No odds, just sourced facts.
Updated October 2026 · 2026-2027 cycle · figures cited to UCF’s official pages
What is UCF’s mission — and what does it signal?
“…all built on a foundation of service, science, and patient care.”UCF College of Medicine, admissions home page9
UCF describes its M.D. Program as offering meaningful clinical experiences, impactful research opportunities and strong community partnerships built on that foundation.9 The signal is a balance of the three: service, research and patient care appear together, so applicants who can show all three read as a natural match. UCF is also state-supported, and it says so when explaining its residency stance.6
What makes UCF’s curriculum and programs distinctive?
The pages we reviewed highlight a campus and a research module:
- The Lake Nona Medical City campus. UCF describes a four-story Medical Education building in the Medical City complex of Lake Nona, alongside the Burnett Biomedical Sciences Research Building, UCF Lake Nona Hospital, Lake Nona Cancer Center, Nemours Children’s Hospital, the Orlando VA and the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute.8
- FIRE. The Focused Individualized Research Experience continues throughout the first two years, listed as FIRE I in Year 1 and FIRE II in Year 2.28
- No seat deposit. “UCF does not charge a seat deposit.”6
How does UCF review applicants?
UCF publishes minimums: a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA, a 3.0 science GPA and an MCAT of 500. Read them as floors, because UCF adds that applicants invited to interview “will exceed these minimum requirements by far.”1 The secondary application is sent only to applicants who meet the minimum GPA, MCAT and citizenship requirements, and the program considers only U.S. citizens and permanent residents.13
On residency, UCF is direct: “Qualified non-Florida residents may be invited for an interview. However, as a state-supported institution, UCF has a responsibility to assure that a large majority of each matriculating class will be composed of Florida residents.”6 UCF’s viewbook student profile lists 82 Florida residents and 38 non-Florida residents among 120 matriculated, printed as counts, with the class year not stated.2 An Early Decision track exists for Florida residents with a 3.8 or better cumulative and science GPA and an MCAT of at least 513 with no score below 128.14
What is the UCF interview like?
UCF’s process is two virtual interviews plus a virtual visit: “We will host virtual interviews via the Zoom platform.” Interviews are held virtually on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and invitations begin in August.34 The school tells applicants to prepare for themes such as ethics, leadership/teamwork, why you want to be a physician, resiliency, why UCF and time management.3 Each interviewee is also required to attend one virtual visit, held monthly from September through February, which includes a conversation with college leadership and multiple interactions with medical students.23
What are UCF’s secondaries like?
The secondary carries a $30 non-refundable fee or an AMCAS fee waiver verification.3 The AMCAS deadline is November 16 and the secondary deadline is December 1, and acceptance notifications begin no earlier than October 15.4 Unusually, UCF says optional information from the applicant “should be updated via the online dashboard,” including letters providing updated or amplifying information, a recent grade sheet and research or publication updates.3 That is the opposite of schools that refuse updates, so read each school’s policy.
What does UCF cost — and how does the timeline work?
UCF’s student accounts page lists $29,680.20 for in-state students and $59,241.16 for out-of-state students as Total Annual Tuition and Fees for the Doctor of Medicine, under Current Rates 2026-2027.7 The sequence: Early Decision verification by August 1, AMCAS by November 16, the secondary by December 1, and virtual interviews beginning in August.4
Who UCF tends to fit
UCF tends to fit Florida residents above all, given the school’s own statement that a large majority of each class will be Florida residents.6 It suits applicants who like a research thread early, since FIRE runs through the first two years.28 It suits applicants comfortable interviewing on Zoom twice and joining a virtual visit, and anyone who wants to keep supplying updates through the dashboard.3 It fits less naturally an out-of-state applicant who needs a large published out-of-state share, or one who expects an in-person interview day.
Florida ties, a research appetite — and strong numbers well above the floor.
UCF’s average GPA of 3.94 and average MCAT of 514 are published for “last year,” with the year not named, so they are an anchor for the middle of the enrolled group, and the school itself says interviewees exceed the 3.0 and 500 minimums by far. What UCF adds is a Florida-heavy class, two Zoom interviews with published themes, an early research module and a dashboard for updates. The read: numbers well above the floors, Florida ties if you have them, and a record that shows service, research and patient care gives you the most to work with. That is a judgment about fit, not a prediction of admission. We publish no odds.
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Frequently asked
What GPA and MCAT does UCF publish?
UCF’s requirements page says its enrolled students presented an average Overall GPA of 3.94 and an average MCAT score of 514 last year; the page does not name the year. UCF’s 2026–2027 viewbook lists a 3.92 total GPA for its student body profile; the two official figures differ slightly. The final matriculating class will be 120.125
What are UCF’s two virtual interviews like?
UCF holds two virtual interviews on Zoom, plus a required virtual visit. Applicants are told to prepare for themes such as ethics, leadership/teamwork, why you want to be a physician, resiliency, why UCF and time management. Interviews are held virtually on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.34
Does UCF accept out-of-state applicants?
UCF says qualified non-Florida residents may be invited for an interview, but that as a state-supported institution it has a responsibility to assure that a large majority of each matriculating class will be composed of Florida residents. Its viewbook lists 82 Florida residents and 38 non-Florida residents among 120 matriculated, with the class year not stated.26
What does UCF cost?
UCF’s student accounts page lists Total Annual Tuition and Fees for the Doctor of Medicine of $29,680.20 in-state and $59,241.16 out-of-state, under Current Rates 2026-2027.7
Sources — UCF College of Medicine official pages
- Application requirements (GPA, MCAT, minimums, Early Decision): https://med.ucf.edu/admissions/application-requirements/
- 2026-2027 viewbook (student body information, FIRE, virtual visit): https://med.ucf.edu/media/2026/09/2026-2027-COM-Viewbook.pdf
- Admissions process (interviews, secondary, updates): https://med.ucf.edu/admissions/admissions-process/
- Application timeline: https://med.ucf.edu/admissions/application-timeline/
- Admissions FAQ (class size, citizenship): https://med.ucf.edu/admissions/admissions-faq/
- Accepted applicants (residency, seat deposit): https://med.ucf.edu/admissions/md-program-accepted-applicants/
- Doctor of Medicine tuition and fees, 2026-2027: https://studentaccounts.ucf.edu/tf-doctorofmedicine/
- Why UCF (Medical City campus, FIRE): https://med.ucf.edu/admissions/why-ucf/
- M.D. admissions home: https://med.ucf.edu/admissions/
Figures are UCF’s own published averages for enrolled students “last year”; the school does not name the year, so none is shown. The viewbook’s 3.92 total GPA is a separate figure from UCF’s student body profile. The Florida and non-Florida counts come from the viewbook, with the class year not stated. Tuition excludes living costs. No acceptance rate or admission odds are shown, by policy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by UCF; confirm all requirements on the school’s official pages. Nothing here predicts an admission decision.