The Least Expensive Medical Schools in the United States

Doctors Seek Higher Fees From Health Insurers

Saying college is expensive is kind of like saying the sky is blue. It’s an obvious fact for anyone who is in the midst of paying off student loans or looking at prospective colleges and universities. There are plenty of ways to save money when it comes to a college tuition–scholarships and grants–but these things rarely cover the whole price. Paying for medical school is a phrase that might make some people sick to their stomach, but there actually are options out there that aren’t as expensive as you may think. With some schools reaching towards tuition of $60,000 per year, it’s refreshing to know that there are in fact colleges and universities that will allow you to obtain a medical degree for close to half that price. Below is a list of the top five private medical schools in order of out-of-state tuition.

5. Lincoln Memorial University (TN) – $41,155

Established in 1897 and located in Harrogate, Tennessee, this four-year co-educational liberal arts college is also home to the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. The college offers two degrees, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. As of 2012, there are 626 medical students enrolled in the college.

4. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VA) – $40,600

Founded in 2002, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) is a private medical school with a main campus located in Blacksburg, Virginia and a branch campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina. One of four osteopathic medical colleges in the Appalachian region, VCOM grants a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree to its small graduating classes.

3. University of Pikeville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KY) – $38,950

Located in Pikeville, Kentucky and established in 1997, UP-KYCOM is an academic division of the University of Pikeville. The school places special emphasis on osteopathic manipulative medicine, community and behavioral medicine, ambulatory care, and rural medicine. UP-KYCOM also trains the second most primary care physicians of any U.S. medical school.

2. Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (PA) – $31,720

Founded in 1992 in Erie, Pennsylvania, LECOM is a private graduate school of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. With the largest medical school in the United States and two branch campuses in Greensburg, Pennsylvania and Bradenton, Florida, LECOM offers two Master of Science degrees and a Post-Baccalaureate program as well as a three-year accelerated pharmacy program.

1. Baylor College of Medicine (TX) – $30,598

Located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, Baylor College of Medicine is one of the leading research-intensive medical schools in the United States as well as being the cheapest private medical school in the country. Established in 1900, Baylor College of Medicine includes not just a medical school, but a graduate school of biomedical sciences, an allied health sciences school, and a national school of topical medicine.

Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images

Written by Derrick Krom

Derrick is a recent graduate of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia where he received a B.A. in English and Communication Studies. Throughout his life, Derrick has traveled the country and even got to study abroad in London, England for four amazing months. He's a guitar player, avid music fan and lover of literature, film, and all things entertainment.