Almost half of 350 pre-medical students want free tuition for medical school, according to a new survey by Kaplan Test Prep.
In one of Kaplan’s recent surveys, 47% of pre-med students surveyed agreed medical schools should be tuition-free for all students, despite their financial standings. Eighty percent of pre-medical students can agree that cost “is a major prohibitive factor, which keeps many talented people from pursuing a medical career.”
The average cost of medical school for an in-state student at a private school and an out-of-state student at a public or private school exceeds $60,000, according to an Association of American Medical Colleges questionnaire. For an in-state student at a public school, the average cost is above $37,000.
Admissions officers, however, don’t necessarily agree that medical schools can go tuition free.
New York University decided in 2018 it would provide free tuition for its medical school students, according to the New York Times. According to CBS news, Cornell University decided in 2019 it would offer free medical school to the students who qualify for financial aid.
In another survey by Kaplan Test Prep of admissions officers from 70 medical schools, only 4% said they would follow the New York University plan within five to 10 years, and 4% said they would follow Cornell University's plan.
“Most medical schools say they have no plans to implement their own free tuition programs,” said Jeff Koetje, director of pre-health programs for Kaplan Test Prep, in a press release. “But the fact that so many support the idea shows a recognition that there’s a problem, and they seem willing to do something about it in smaller but significant ways, like upping financial aid amounts.”
