Is 521 a Good MCAT Score?
521
98th
percentile
A 521 is among the highest MCAT scores.
A 521 meets or exceeds the published MCAT class-profile score at 147 of 150 schools with comparable data: 104 US MD programs, 39 US DO programs, and 4 Canadian programs. These figures describe classes or accepted applicants, not admission requirements or your chance of acceptance.
Approximate distribution, smoothed from rounded AAMC percentile ranks. Percentiles use the published AAMC table.
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How a 521 splits across the four sections
A 521 is at the 98th percentile on the current AAMC table. A percentile is the share of test takers who scored the same or lower, so it compares you with other test takers, not with the students a school admits.
An even 518 is two 129s and two 130s, and an even 522 is two 130s and two 131s, so balanced sections here run from 129 to 131. Those scores sit from the 85th percentile (Psych/Soc 129) to the 99th (CARS 131), and all of them meet every section minimum in our school data. With sections this high, each one has only 1 to 3 points left before the maximum of 132. Check your lowest section and its confidence band, and if all four clear your target schools' rules, put your time into the rest of your application.
All MCAT results from the 2023, 2024 and 2025 testing years (N = 305,494). In effect May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. AAMC, Summary of MCAT Total and Section ScoresUse plus and minus to move a point from one section to another. The total stays at 521.
Balanced
1 point between your lowest and highest section
An even 521 splits about 131 / 130 / 130 / 130 across Chem/Phys, CARS, Bio/Biochem, and Psych/Soc. On the current AAMC table, those sections range from the 92nd to the 99th percentile.
CARS, Bio/Biochem and Psych/Soc are 1 point below your highest section, at the 98th, 96th and 92nd percentiles.
Does an uneven score hurt you?- More on CARS 130
A 130 in CARS is at the 98th percentile, 5.4 points above the section mean and 2 points above the highest CARS rule in our school data. Because CARS has the lowest mean of the four sections, a 130 here ranks higher than a 130 in Bio/Biochem (96th) or Psych/Soc (92nd). It reflects fast, accurate reading of unfamiliar arguments from the humanities and social sciences.
- More on Bio/Biochem 130
A Bio/Biochem 130 is at the 96th percentile, 4.9 points above the mean. It meets every section minimum in our school data with room to spare. Because the Bio/Biochem mean is higher than the CARS mean, a 130 here is at the 96th percentile while a CARS 130 is at the 98th, so the same number ranks a little differently across sections.
- More on Psych/Soc 130
A Psych/Soc 130 is at the 92nd percentile, 4.1 points above the mean, and it clears every section minimum in our school data. Here 8 percent of test takers scored higher, compared with 2 percent for a CARS 130, which shows how the high Psych/Soc mean shifts its percentiles. It signals precise knowledge of terms and fast reading of study data.
- More on Chem/Phys 131
A 131 in Chem/Phys is at the 99th percentile, one point from the top of the scale. It is 6.1 points above the section mean of 124.9, and every section minimum in our school data sits well below it. A score like this reflects precise content knowledge plus fast, accurate calculation and reasoning across all 59 questions in 95 minutes.
In this split, CARS is 130, at the 98th percentile; CARS needs no outside science knowledge, and WizePrep posts a free practice passage each week. Try this week's free CARS passage
Your CARS score of 130 is at or above 9 of the 9 published Canadian CARS minimums in our data. Several apply only to some applicants, such as the 128 Alberta and Calgary ask of non-Alberta applicants.
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Compare a 521 with medical school MCAT profiles
Compare 521 with each school’s published MCAT profile. Your score meets or exceeds that figure at 147 schools, is up to three points below it at 3, and is further below it at 0. Schools without a published figure are excluded from these counts.
- Published class score at or below yours
- School score is higher than yours
- My list
At or above the published score
104University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
- Median GPA
- 3.98
- Median MCAT
- 521
- Published Class size
- 140
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
- Median GPA
- 3.97
- Median MCAT
- 521
- Published Class size
- 94
Harvard Medical School
- Mean GPA
- 3.90
- Mean MCAT
- 520.42
- Class size
- Not published
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
- Median GPA
- 3.95
- Median MCAT
- 520
- Published Class size
- 141
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
- Mean GPA
- 3.94
- Mean MCAT
- 520
- Published Class size
- 120
Washington University School of Medicine
- Mean GPA
- 3.92
- Mean MCAT
- 520
- Published Class size
- 93
Up to 3 points below the published class score
3University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
- Median GPA
- 3.98
- Median MCAT
- 522
- Published Class size
- 129
Yale School of Medicine
- Median GPA
- 3.94
- Median MCAT
- 523
- Published Class size
- 104
Acceptance rate 4.4%.
New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Median GPA
- 3.98
- Median MCAT
- 523
- Class size
- Not published
What to do with a 521
Should you retake a 521?
Compare your total and section scores with your target schools before deciding. A retake may help if it addresses a specific requirement or a consistent gap from practice results. Consider preparation time, score validity, and the possibility of a lower result; a higher total alone does not guarantee admission.
Pair your 521 with your GPA
Your GPA adds another academic comparison. Enter it in the calculator to compare both measures, filter programs, and build your school list.
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