Getting into University of Maryland School of Medicine
The University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States, and it remains a research powerhouse in Baltimore. Here's what its own admissions materials publish, and how to read them. No admission odds, just verified facts and how to read them.
Updated September 2026 · 2026-2027 cycle · figures cited to Maryland's official admissions pages
The mission — and what it signals
“Chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States.”University of Maryland School of Medicine, on its history3 · first public US med school
Maryland pairs a long public-mission history with serious research firsts — the first pig-to-human heart transplant, a pioneering shock-trauma program, COVID-19 vaccine work. For an applicant, that signals a school that values scholarship and service, and one confident enough in holistic review to keep grades and scores out of the interview room.
Curriculum & distinctive programs
Maryland's program centers on its Renaissance Curriculum and a deep research base:
- Renaissance Curriculum: launched in 2020 to develop the “Renaissance Physician” — a clinically excellent, humanistic, scholarly, service-minded doctor.4
- Research powerhouse: more than $500M in annual grants and contracts, with landmark firsts including the first pig-to-human heart transplant.3
- Distinctive pathways: a Rural MD Scholars Program, a BS–MD with UMD College Park, and an MD/PhD (MSTP).3
The school is also expanding — class size grows from 173 toward 200 by 2031–32 under an LCME-approved plan — which means more seats, not an easier bar.5
How Maryland reviews applicants
Maryland reports an average GPA of 3.84 and an average MCAT of 512 for the entering class of 2025, with 173 matriculants.1 Read the averages as the center of the class. Maryland gives preference to Maryland residents and, tellingly, its interviewers evaluate applicants without access to GPA or MCAT scores, a genuinely holistic touch.2
The interview
Maryland uses traditional one-on-one interviews — at least two 45-minute conversations with faculty and students — held virtually on Mondays and Wednesdays from September to February.2 The distinctive part: interviewers do not see your grades or scores, so the conversation is about you. Prepare to talk about your experiences and reasoning, not to defend a number.
Secondaries
Because interviewers are blinded to your stats, everything you write carries more weight. Use the secondary to make your motivations and experiences vivid and specific to Maryland — its public mission, its research, its Baltimore setting. Let the essays do what the numbers won't.
Timeline & cost
Apply through AMCAS, complete the Maryland secondary, and expect virtual interviews on Mondays and Wednesdays from September through February. Complete your file early; the season rewards it.
Tuition: for 2026–27, first-year Maryland-resident tuition is $44,259 (plus about $6,749 in mandatory fees) and non-resident tuition is $77,567 (plus fees), per the University of Maryland, Baltimore financial-services cost pages.6
Holistic review it actually commits to.
A school that keeps grades and scores out of the interview room is telling you something real about how it evaluates people. Maryland pairs strong averages with a genuinely holistic process and a deep public-service history. The read: it wants well-rounded people who can carry its mission — a judgment about fit, not a prediction of admission. We publish no odds.
See exactly where you stand — at Maryland and every school on your list
Preceptorly is admissions software built by a practicing physician. It matches your real numbers to each school's published averages — never fake odds — and coaches the parts that actually decide your cycle:
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Frequently asked
What GPA and MCAT does Maryland publish?
For the entering class of 2025, Maryland reports an average GPA of 3.84 and an average MCAT of 512. These are averages, not minimums.1
Do Maryland's interviewers see my GPA and MCAT?
No. Maryland states its interviewers evaluate applicants without access to GPA or MCAT scores — a genuinely holistic feature. The interview is about your experiences and reasoning.2
Does Maryland prefer in-state applicants?
Yes. Maryland gives preference to Maryland residents. It does not publish an in-state share, so we can't say how large that preference makes the in-state group.2
Does Maryland require CASPer or AAMC PREview?
Neither is mentioned as a requirement on Maryland's admissions pages as reviewed. Confirm current requirements on the official site before applying.2
Sources — Maryland official pages
- Just the Facts 2025-26 (GPA, MCAT, class size, research): https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/media/som/about-us/docs/UMSOM-JTF-2025-26-web-Flipbook.pdf
- Admissions FAQ (interview format, score-blinding, in-state, letters): https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/admissions/your-path-to-medical-school/frequently-asked-questions/
- About (history, firsts, research, pathways): https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/about/
- Doctor of Medicine Program / Renaissance Curriculum: https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/education-training/doctor-of-medicine-program/
- Class-size expansion (to 200 by AY 2031-32): https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/news/2025/university-of-maryland-school-of-medicine-to-expand-md-program-class-size-to-address-growing-physician-shortage.html
- UMB cost of attendance — MD (tuition & fees, 2026-27): https://www.umaryland.edu/fin/cost-of-attendance/medicine/md/
Figures are the school's own published entering-class-of-2025 averages and are the middle of an admitted class, not cutoffs or predictions. Tuition figures are 2026-27 and exclude living costs. No acceptance rate or admission odds are shown, by policy. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Maryland; confirm all requirements on the school's official pages. Nothing here predicts an admission decision.