The Gender Gap in Medical School Enrollments Is Widening in Women’s Favor

The Association of American Medical Colleges has just released data on applicants, acceptances, matriculants, and enrollments at the nation’s medical schools.

In 2019, more than 53,000 students applied to medical schools in the United States. This was up 1.1 percent from the previous year. Of these more than 53,000 applicants, 27,848 were women. Thus, women made up 52.2 percent of all applicants to U.S. medical schools.

There were 39,214 first-time applicants to U.S. medical schools in 2019. Of these, 21,250 were women. Thus, women made up 54.2 percent of all first-time medical school applicants.

Just over 42 percent of all applicants to U.S. medical schools were accepted for admission. Some 11,893 women were accepted for admission compared to 10,786 men. The acceptance rate for women was 42.7 percent. For men, the acceptance rate was 42.3 percent.

In 2019, there were 21,869 students who enrolled in medical school for the first time. Of these, 11,461, or 52.4 percent were women. The number of women matriculants was up 2.7 percent from 2018 while the number of men entering medical school dropped slightly. Since 2010, the number of women matriculants at U.S. medical schools is up 30.9 percent.

All told, in 2019, there were 92,758 students enrolled in U.S. medical schools. Women made up 50.5 percent of total enrollments. For the past four years, women’s enrollments have increased by at least 3 percent annually. During the same time period, the enrollment of men has declined slightly.

Since 2010, the number of women enrolled in medical school is up 25.5 percent. For men, the increase has been 10.8 percent.