Do you have a specialty of interest in mind yet you’re not sure if you fit? The average Step 1 score by school somehow serves as a sorting hat to determine whether a student fits in that particular specialty in residency or not.
High Step 1 scores match with top-ranking or the most competitive areas. Average scores perhaps are accepted in well-known reputable ones. Low scores, well I’m not so sure—may be accepted in the least competitive or in which the admissions committee is not that meticulous when it comes to numbers.
In this post, I will give you the average Step 1 score by school to give you an idea of the scores that you should aim for (if you haven’t taken the exam yet) your target specialty or if you are looking for a specialty where you would most likely be accepted given your current Step 1 score.
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What Is The Average Step 1 Score?
In 2018, the average Step 1 score among first takers from US/Canadian medical school is 230. You may check below the average step 1 score for the past 3 years.
Year | Mean |
2016 | 228 |
2017 | 229 |
2018 | 230 |
Table 1. Average Step 1 Scores of US/Canadian Step 1 Takers From 2016-2018
As you would observe, the average Step 1 score increases per year. This data suggests that the increase in mean scores is due to the perceived competition of students in getting accepted and the perceived difficulty of the exam.
Average Step 1 Score By School
Here are the average Step 1 scores by school arranged according to the 2021 USNWR best medical school rankings. Note that the top 50 medical school’s Step 1 scores are retrieved from the 2018 data.
Rank | School | Step 1 |
1 | Harvard University | 245 |
2 | Johns Hopkins University | 235 |
3 | University of Pennsylvania (Perelman) | 244 |
4 | New York University (Grossman) | 241 |
4 | Stanford University | 243 |
6 | Columbia University | 239 |
6 | Mayo Clinic School of Medicine | 245 |
6 | University of California—Los Angeles (Geffen) | 230 |
6 | University of California—San Francisco | 233 |
6 | Washington University in St. Louis | 244 |
11 | Cornell University (Weill) | 241 |
12 | Duke University | 241 |
13 | University of Washington | 224 |
14 | University of Pittsburgh | 236 |
15 | University of Michigan | 233 |
15 | Yale University | 240 |
17 | University of Chicago | 240 |
18 | Northwestern University | 239 |
18 | Vanderbilt University | 244 |
20 | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | 237 |
21 | University of California—San Diego | 232 |
22 | Baylor College of Medicine | 244 |
23 | University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill | 224 |
24 | Case Western Reserve University | 239 |
24 | Emory University | 232 |
26 | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | 236 |
27 | University of Wisconsin—Madison | 226 |
28 | Oregon Health and Science University | 226 |
29 | Boston University | 237 |
29 | University of Virginia | 234 |
31 | University of Alabama—Birmingham | 222 |
31 | University of Colorado | 228 |
31 | University of Southern California | 235 |
34 | Ohio State University | 234 |
34 | University of Iowa (Carver) | n/a |
34 | University of Maryland | n/a |
34 | University of Rochester | 232 |
38 | Brown University (Alpert) | 233 |
38 | University of Utah | 224 |
40 | Albert Einstein College of Medicine | 234 |
40 | University of California—Davis | 220 |
40 | University of Florida | 228 |
40 | University of Minnesota | 231 |
44 | Georgetown University | 228 |
44 | University of California—Irvine | 236 |
44 | University of Cincinnati | 238 |
47 | Indiana University—Indianapolis | 233 |
47 | University of Massachusetts—Worcester | 231 |
47 | University of South Florida | 226 |
50 | Dartmouth College (Geisel) | 227 |
50 | University of Miami (Miller) | 232 |
Table 2. Average Step 1 Score of The Top 50 Medical Schools in The U.S.
Among the top 50 ranked schools by USNWR, the University of California—Davis garnered the lowest average Step 1 score. However, despite this fact, the university has been known for its excellent reputation in the field of research.
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What Is The Average Step 1 Score For Specialties?
According to AAMC, here are the average step 1 score by specialty. With this, you could have an idea of what score to aim for if you already have a particular specialty in mind. Check if yours fit your ideal specialty.
Specialty | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 |
Anesthesiology | 230.6 | 230.6 |
Child Neurology | 227.3 | 228.6 |
Emergency Medicine | 232.5 | 231.1 |
Family Medicine | 216.7 | 215.9 |
Internal Medicine (Preliminary) | 236.2 | 235.4 |
Internal Medicine (Categorical) | 231.8 | 230.4 |
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics | 231.4 | 234 |
Neurological Surgery | 243.3 | 243.7 |
Neurology | 229.6 | 230 |
Obstetrics and Gynecology | 227.9 | 228.4 |
Orthopedic Surgery | 245.5 | 246.2 |
Otolaryngology | 246.8 | 246.7 |
Pathology: Anatomic and Clinical | 227.3 | 227.5 |
Pediatrics | 227.2 | 226 |
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | 223.8 | 224.9 |
Plastic Surgery Integrated | 246.1 | 246.5 |
Psychiatry | 220.5 | 221.4 |
Surgery (General) | 232 | 233 |
Thoracic Surgery: Integrated | 242.3 | 244.1 |
Vascular Surgery: Integrated | 235.2 | 237.6 |
Table 3. Average Step 1 Scores By Specialty
Here’s also a link to my previous post on the average Step 1 score.
Learn more about how to achieve your target Step 1 score by watching this video: USMLE Step 1 Tips and Advice [How To Get 250+]
If you have found it substantial and insightful, how about hitting that subscribe button on our channel? Don’t worry, it won’t hurt!
FAQs About The Average Step 1 Scores
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What Is Considered A Good USMLE Step 1 Score?
Scores ranging from 230 to 245 is considered good. If you are going to check the average score per specialty and school, you will notice that scores fall on this particular range. Thus, students who managed to get scores from 230 to 245 are most likely to be accepted in any specialty that they prefer especially if they couple it up with consistent good grades in Step 2 and in the clinicals.
What Is The Highest USMLE Step 1 Score Ever?
In theory, 300 is the highest or perfect score in the USMLE Step 1. But to date, I haven’t known anyone in history who had zero mistakes in Step 1. So far, the highest score I’ve heard was 282.
What Percentile Is 250 On Step 1?
The percentile of 250 on Step 1 is 84. Here is a norm table from USMLE that shows the percentile rank of medical students from US/Canadian medical schools who took the exam from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018 and scored lower than a given USMLE score.
For example, if you scored 235, that means you are at the 56th percentile. It denotes that 56% of Step 1 first-takers from the US/Canadian medical school in the three-year cohort scored lower than 235.
USMLE Score | Step 1 Percentile Rank |
300 | 100 |
295 | 100 |
290 | 100 |
285 | 100 |
280 | 100 |
275 | 100 |
270 | 100 |
265 | 99 |
260 | 96 |
255 | 91 |
250 | 84 |
245 | 76 |
240 | 66 |
235 | 56 |
230 | 47 |
225 | 37 |
220 | 29 |
215 | 22 |
210 | 16 |
205 | 11 |
200 | 8 |
195 | 5 |
190 | 4 |
185 | 2 |
180 | 2 |
175 | 1 |
170 | 1 |
165 | 0 |
160 | 0 |
155 and below | 0 |
Table 4. Equivalent Step 1 Score and Percentile Rank
[Free Download] Want to have everything you need to be a top student on your medical journey? Get FREE access to our Med School Success Handbook to get 60+ tips including the best study, time management, mindset tips you need to be a top student. Download it here.
Is Step 1 Harder Than MCAT?
This is a debate over the internet. Some say it’s Step 1, but there are verdicts saying that MCAT is harder. However, the two exams are incomparable since they test different skillsets.
MCAT’s coverage is much wider. It covers even pre-med related sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, etc. The topics are so broad that you might not be able to review some. Nonetheless, you could still answer the section narrating and analysis of passages.
As for Step 1, some find it harder due to the enormous information that you need to digest. But what’s good is that you’re already familiar with the material. It’s a matter of application of medical concepts you learned in the classroom and some outside resources. Of course, if you were able to study well, you will find the exam much easier.
Your Step 1 score matters in your upcoming residency matching. I hope that by knowing the average step 1 score by school and specialty, it will give you the motivation to work harder to achieve your target Step 1 score.
Are you about to take Step 1? Don’t forget to check my blog post on Step 1 Test Day Tips You Need To Know About!
At this point, if you are looking for tips on how to achieve your ideal Step 1 score, you may check my previous articles on tips and tricks and other study recommendations.
- How Long Should I Study For Step 1?
- NBME Practice Exams For Step 1: Ultimate Guide
- UWorld For Step 1: Ultimate Guide to Get 250+ on Step 1
- 10 Best USMLE Step 1 Books You Don’t Want To Miss
- What Does USMLE Step 1 Cover – Full Insight
- Top 10 Best Microbiology Books For Medical Students
- Keys To Studying With Anki [Med School Tips]
- NBME Free 120 [Ultimate Guide]
- Average USMLE Step 1 Scores By Residency Program
Want Results Like This?
Download The Free Med School Success Handbook For The Best Step-By-Step Tips For Your Medical Journey!
Again, thanks for stopping by!
Until next time my friend…
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