Harvard Medical School Admissions, Tuition & Student Feedback

School Overview

Degrees: MD
Ownership: Private Non-Profit
Program Length: 4 years
Total Enrollment: 168
Founding Year: 1782
Accreditation Year: 1942

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SDN Insights

Cost of Attendance: $484,613

Estimate repayment

Estimated loan burden for HMS using 4 years of in-state tuition, $1,500 annual fees, $3,000 monthly living expenses, government-derived local cost-of-living adjustment, $1,000 loan fees, and an 8.5% interest assumption.

Cost of Living: Above national average cost of living

Boston, MA is about 1.08x higher than the national average for cost of living. In the debt estimate, the government-derived local cost adjustment raises the living allowance from $3,000 to about $3,240 per month, mainly reflecting rent, food, transportation, and day-to-day expenses. Compare this with your own housing plan before treating it as exact.

Environment: Urban

Nestled in an area with excellent walkability and strong biking infrastructure, HMS offers students flexibility in how they get around. Whether on foot or bike, most destinations are easily accessible, making for a convenient daily routine.

Interview Feedback

Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 9% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did okay.

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Secondary Essays for HMS

1. Other

If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity not addressed elsewhere in your application that may illuminate how you could contribute to Harvard Medical School, please...

2. Career Goals and Future Aspirations

HST Only: Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST.

3. Other

If you have already graduated, please briefly summarize your activities since graduation (maximum 4000 characters).

4. Personal Experiences and Challenges

If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity that has not been addressed elsewhere in the application and may help illuminate how you could contribute to the medical...

5. Personal Experiences and Challenges

The Committee on Admissions recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected applicants in many ways. If you would like to inform the Committee about how these events have impacted you and have not...

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About the School

Harvard Medical School (HMS), established in 1782, is the third-oldest medical school in the United States and is located in Boston’s Longwood Medical Area. As a private institution affiliated with Harvard University, HMS does not own or operate its own hospitals but maintains affiliations with numerous renowned hospitals and research centers, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital. The school offers a range of degree programs, including MD, PhD, and master’s degrees, and is recognized for its contributions to medical research and education.

Curriculum

HMS offers two primary MD tracks: the Pathways program and the Health Sciences & Technology (HST) program. The Pathways curriculum emphasizes active learning, early clinical exposure, and advanced clinical and science training, while the HST program, in collaboration with MIT, focuses on training physician-scientists with a strong foundation in quantitative and biomedical sciences. Both tracks share a three-phase structure: pre-clerkship, principal clinical experience, and post-clerkship, designed to develop medical knowledge, critical thinking, patient care, professionalism, and communication skills.

Facilities

HMS’s campus features state-of-the-art facilities, including the Tosteson Medical Education Center, which houses lecture halls, clinical skills labs, and simulation centers. The New Research Building, the largest building constructed by Harvard University, provides extensive research space and supports interdisciplinary biomedical research. Additionally, the campus includes the Countway Library of Medicine and the Warren Anatomical Museum, which contains historical medical artifacts.

Demographics

The HMS student body is diverse, with recent classes comprising approximately 60% female and 38% male students. Around 17% of students come from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine. The MD-PhD program includes a community of 197 students, with 54% female and 46% male representation, and 16% identifying as underrepresented in medicine. The program also includes international students and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Last Updated: Apr 06, 2026