Although there are over 100 HBCUs in the U.S., just four currently operate medical schools (often called HBMSs): Howard, Meharry, Morehouse, and Charles R. Drew. Two more, at Morgan State and Xavier Ochsner, are on the way.
If you feel you’ll fit in better at an HBCU medical program, our guide can help you determine which one best suits your goals and preferences.
Currently, there are four HBSMs. All four offer MD programs for physicians studying allopathic medicine. No existing HBCU med schools offer osteopathic medical degrees for DO physicians, although Morgan State University has plans to start a program within the next few years.
Let’s talk about tuition, student body size, and more at the top HBCU medical schools across the country as you explore your options in your med school journey.
Note: Estimates for tuition and fees reflect direct costs of attendance for the 2025-2026 school year. Demographic data reflects enrollment numbers from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) taken in October for the 2023-2024 school year.
Tuition and Fees: $60,924
Size of Student Body: 514
Howard University was established in Washington, D.C., in 1867. The Howard University College of Medicine was founded in 1968. The college is responsible for a sizable portion of Black physicians working today and throughout the past 150 years. Among the four HBMSs, Howard’s medical program is the largest.
Below is the estimated racial breakdown of students at Howard’s medical school:
Tuition and Fees: $64,670
Size of Student Body: 499
Founded in 1976, Meharry Medical College is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Meharry has a School of Medicine, a School of Dentistry, and a School of Graduate Studies and Research.
Below is the estimated racial breakdown of the Meharry Medical College student body:
Read about how MedSchoolCoach partners with Meharry to support their medical students and prepare them for residency.
Tuition and Fees: $67,314
Size of Student Body: 502
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) was established in 1975 as part of Morehouse College (est. 1867), but MSM became independent in 1981. The prestigious medical degree program, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is generally the most selective among the HBCUs.
MSM has received accolades for supporting a high proportion of graduates who practice primary care, work in health professional shortage areas, and are underrepresented minorities.
Below is the estimated racial breakdown of MSM’s student body:
Tuition and Fees: $69,000 (CDU’s MD Program)
Size of Student Body: 88 (28 in a joint program with UCLA + 60 in the independent MD program)
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) was established in Los Angeles County, California, in 1966, as a direct response to the Watts Riots of 1965. The six days of unrest in South Central Los Angeles exposed deep inequities in the city, including a lack of access to quality healthcare for the area’s largely Black community.
The university’s mission was to educate health professionals dedicated to serving underrepresented communities, a legacy it continues to uphold today.
The university offers degrees in three colleges: Medicine, Science and Health, and Nursing. Since 1978, CDU has partnered with UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. Up to 28 CDU students complete their first two years of medical school at UCLA, and then finish their final two years of clinical work at CDU.
In 2023, CDU began a new Doctor of Medicine (MD) program separate from its joint program with UCLA. Once that first class of MD students graduates, CDU can attain full LCME accreditation.
Below is the estimated racial breakdown of CDU’s independent MD program:
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To address the shortage of HBMSs in the U.S., two more HBCUs are expanding into the medical field. Morgan State University plans to open its medical school within the next two years, while Xavier University of Louisiana is preparing to welcome its first class soon after. Both schools aim to strengthen representation and access for future Black physicians.
Morgan State University is an HBCU established in 1867 in Baltimore, Maryland. The new Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine (MDCOM) is expected to open to students within the next few years. (Initial plans to open a campus by 2024 were delayed after initial funding fell through.)
Morgan State was one of the first HBCUs after the Civil War. After the coronavirus pandemic and societal shifts following George Floyd’s murder, the university sought to expand their mission to train diverse medical professionals through MDCOM.
This HBMS will be the first historically Black higher education institution to offer a degree in osteopathic medicine (DO).
Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) is the only Catholic HBCU in the U.S. It was established in 1925 by St. Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. About 79% of its students are Black, with a good portion coming from the New Orleans area.
On April 29, 2024, Xavier and Ochsner Health officially announced their partnership to establish a new allopathic medical school, Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM). The school is planning to seek LCME accreditation, which may take around three years, and recruit an initial class of about 50 students. No firm opening date has been publicized yet.
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Racism runs deep within American institutions, and the history of Black medical colleges reflects how systemic racism can operate even under the guise of “good intentions.”
In 1910, educator Abraham Flexner published the Flexner Report, commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation to evaluate medical schools across the United States. While the report aimed to raise educational standards, it had devastating consequences for Black medical education.
Flexner wrote that, “[Black people need] good schools rather than many schools.” He concluded that five of the seven existing Black medical schools were “in no position to make any contribution of value.”
As a result, those five institutions closed, leaving only the Howard University College of Medicine and Meharry Medical College, the two schools Flexner deemed “worth developing.”
Defenders of Flexner argue that he intended to ensure higher educational quality, not to suppress opportunity, but the long-term outcome was undeniable. His recommendations severely reduced the number of Black physicians and limited access to healthcare in Black communities.
It wasn’t until 56 years after the Flexner Report that a third HBMS opened in America: Charles R. Drew University. Today, only four HBMSs exist, though two more are expected soon.
Researchers estimate that if the Flexner Report had not led to the closure of those schools, there could be over 27,000 additional Black doctors practicing today. The hope is that the expansion of HBMSs will help reverse some of that historic loss, improving both healthcare access and representation in underserved communities.
Learn more about the history of HBMSs and the impact of Flexner:
Attending diverse medical schools and HBCUs offers unique advantages compared with predominantly white institutions (PWIs):
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Black students comprise about 10% of the medical school student body at many PWIs, and that’s on the high end. These non-HBCU schools, including some of the top medical schools in the country and the best pre-med schools, beat that average:
Note: Demographic data reflects enrollment numbers from the AAMC taken in October for the 2023-2024 school year.
Black Americans make up about 14% of the U.S. population but only 5% of practicing physicians. Enrollment in medical schools has historically been stagnant: Black applicants comprised roughly 7% of total applicants in 1970 and just 8% in 2016.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Black medical students has increased somewhat, peaking in 2021, but has been inconsistent since. Yearly first-year enrollment percentages look like this:
To address systemic inequities, Black enrollment in medical schools should reach at least 14% to better reflect the population and improve access to culturally competent care. Increasing representation isn’t just about fairness. It strengthens the healthcare system by ensuring diverse perspectives and improving patient outcomes in underserved communities.
Navigating medical school admissions, whether you’re thinking about an HBCU or a PWI, can be challenging. Scheduling a free consultation with our enrollment team gives you personalized guidance on topics like improving your MCAT scores and crafting a competitive application.
We can help you identify schools that fit your goals in medical school and beyond, and increase your chances of acceptance.