While it may sound too good to be true, free medical school is a reality for thousands of students in the U.S. There are several campuses offering financial assistance, including free tuition, to help reduce barriers to education and fill the growing needs of the medical community. Before you skip down to see the specific schools, let’s take some important factors into account.
Tuition and Fees
With average total costs of more than $200,000 (including tuition, fees, and other costs), medical school can be quite expensive. Schools that promote free cost of attendance are often referring to tuition and fee waivers. This means that many upfront costs may be covered, but not all. You may still need to cover living expenses.
Living Expenses
Be sure to ask about specifics concerning your living expenses. Some medical schools may offer grants or scholarships to help fill the gap in costs beyond tuition. Others cover living expenses for students whose family income is below a certain threshold.
Financial Barriers for Medical Students
One of the reasons medical schools offer free tuition is to help eliminate financial barriers for students, which in turn helps address access to healthcare in underserved populations. According to AAMC’s report, “The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections from 2021 to 2036,” there is a projected primary care shortfall of between 20,000 and 40,000 physicians by the year 2036.
Tuition Free Medical Schools in the Country
Below is a list of tuition free medical schools in the U.S. Again, you’ll want to read the fine print regarding the expenses that are being waived—and for how long.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Thanks to a large gift from Ruth L. Gottesman, EdD (Chair of the Einstein Board of Trustees and Montefiore Health System), tuition is free in perpetuity for students in their MD program. Every year, the school admits more than 100 applicants who will now benefit from this gift.
Under the Gottesman Scholarship Fund, tuition and fees will be covered. However, the scholarship does not cover living expenses, room and board, or other associated costs.
Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM)
Founded by Walmart heiress, Alice Walton, AWSOM opened its doors July 2025. The school is waiving tuition for their first five cohorts of medical students. According to their website, the tuition waiver is not inclusive of living expenses.
AWSOM is seeking Title IV accreditation which means federal financial aid is not yet available. However, AWSOM has received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
All students at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (CCLCM) are offered a full tuition scholarship. The school will also cover other, select fees. If accepted to the program, you should have a conversation with the Financial Aid Office to better understand what is covered in their scholarship program.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
For medical students whose families earn less than $175,000, Johns Hopkins will cover the entire cost of attendance. This includes tuition, fees, and living expenses. And for families that earn less than $300,000, the school will provide scholarships to help cover tuition. This is an initiative that was launched in the fall of 2024.
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Kaiser Permanente is waiving tuition and fees for their first seven cohorts: from 2020 through the fall of 2026. This covers all four years of enrollment. That said, living expenses are not fully covered but the school provides grants to help offset those costs.
NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Full tuition scholarships are provided to all MD students at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. To help cover expenses beyond tuition, the school also offers need-based Debt-Free Scholarships. And full-cost scholarships are available for those with demonstrated academic excellence.
Stanford University School of Medicine
Thanks to a challenge gift from John Arrillaga, Bay Area philanthropist (and a matching scholarship fund from Stanford School of Medicine), a total of approximately $90 million has been earmarked to help students eliminate medical school debt. The funding helps lower-income and middle-income students avoid the need for borrowing.
Uniformed Services University (F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine)
If you are a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or Public Health Service (PHS), the Uniformed Services University (USU) School of Medicine will cover your medical training. The USU is also a major research institution, serving as a leader in biomedical research and innovation. Medical students enter USU as commissioned officers. And no prior service is required for admission.
In addition to zero tuition, you will earn a full salary and benefits for the full four-year program. This is in exchange for a seven-year service commitment. For PHS students, the service obligation is ten years.
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Washington University (WashU) School of Medicine made a commitment of $100 million for tuition-free or partially paid enrollment. Approximately half the medical students who are admitted will benefit from free tuition. The scholarship program began in the fall term of 2019 and is expected to last for 10 years. Living expenses and other costs may not be covered by the scholarship. So be sure to ask about details and eligibility.
Weill Cornell Medicine
The Starr Foundation, along with other donors, gifted approximately $160 million to help ensure Weill Cornell medical students are debt free. The scholarship program that was created in 2019 is available to all students who qualify for financial aid. The scholarship does cover tuition, housing and other living expenses.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
You are encouraged to complete the FAFSA to see if you qualify for additional federal student aid outside of any school-sponsored support. However, some medical schools indicate that completing the FAFSA is not a prerequisite to qualify for free tuition.
Full Tuition Scholarship
As stated previously, some medical schools will promote a full tuition scholarship as part of their financial aid package. School sponsored scholarships are one avenue to help cover tuition and fees, but you may also want to look for outside scholarships. Here are a few resources to help you get started:
- Scholarships for medical students
- Use Google, Perplexity.ai, or similar search tools to find scholarships, grants, or fellowships for medical students. Don’t forget to add your city/state if you want to narrow down locations.
Medical Education for Your Profession
When looking at your medical education options, free tuition is only one part of the bigger picture; namely, how does it align with your desired profession? Will the school provide the best learning and career pathways for your specialty?
Evaluating your options across multiple dimensions, including factoring in any opportunity costs, will help you make the most informed decision.
