Is 521 a Good MCAT Score?

Our students have often asked us:

If you’ve scored 521 on a practice or real MCAT exam, or are thinking of making 521 your goal MCAT score, below is an objective analysis and recommendation on how to move forward.

Is 521 a Bad MCAT Score?

According to recent AAMC stats, a 521 on the MCAT is not a bad score because it’s an above-average MCAT score, and it is competitive for med-school admission:

If you started with a below-501 score on the MCAT and have scored a 521, congratulations, you are no longer in the bottom 50th percentile on the MCAT!

*2024 AAMC MCAT Score Statistics Data: 

Most Recent Percentile Ranks for the MCAT Exam

Most Recent Applicants & Matriculants Data

MCAT Score Percentile Conversion

For your reference, below is a chart converting MCAT scores to percentiles.

Consider the Distribution of 521 MCAT Score | How Does MCAT Scoring Work?

Another factor in determining if 521 is a good MCAT score is the score’s distribution among the four sections:

Each section has a score range from 118 to 132. 

A balanced MCAT score is always preferred.

For a 521, a balanced distribution would be 131 , 130, 130, and 130. Or individual section scores very close to those numbers.

Any section score that is much lower than the other sections acts as a red flag for medical school admission committees. 

Also, the MCAT uses a scaled scoring system. It is not graded on a curve, so it doesn’t matter when you take the exam and who takes it with you.

More details are in the following articles:

• MCAT Test Scoring Complete Guide
• How Do MCAT Scoring Percentiles Work?
• What are MCAT RAW Scores?
• What are MCAT Score Confidence Bands?

• What are Score Profiles in MCAT Scoring?

Is 521 a Good MCAT Score?

If you scored a 521 on the MCAT, this means you performed in the 98th percentile according to most recent AAMC statistics, and you now have a competitive score for med-school admission.

Therefore, if aiming to maximize chances of admission into most North American medical schools, a 521 is a good score since it’s well above the scores the majority of MCAT testers will receive.

However, without knowing which medical school(s) you’re applying to, it’s difficult to determine if a 521 is truly a good or bad MCAT score for your unique situation. Below we’ll look further into that factor.

Can I Get Into Medical School With A 521 MCAT Score?

Medical schools have different minimum score requirements for students based on being in-state, out-of-state, in particular programs, socioeconomic backgrounds, and more. 

Considering that a 521 is far ahead of the average MCAT score of a 501, it’s very competitive for med-school admission. 

With a 521, you are likely to make many med-school score cutoffs, and the rest of your application doesn’t need to be extremely competitive in order for you to be a viable candidate for most med-schools.

Once you know which medical schools you aim to get into, you’ll better understand whether a 521 will get you accepted. 

For example, some of the top medical schools in the US have an average MCAT score of 522. If you’re aiming to get into those schools, you’re still several points away.

You will need to go to your target medical school’s website and see their MCAT score cutoffs and average MCAT scores for matriculants. 

To make your search a little easier, in the articles below, you’ll find lists of the top medical schools in the US and Canada and their average MCAT scores:

• Average MCAT Score & GPA for Top 100 Medical Schools (Complete List)

• MCAT Scores for Top Medical Schools & Universities in Canada

• Which Schools & Universities Accept the MCAT?

What Is A Good MCAT Score?

According to recent AAMC data, a score above 501 will put you in the above-average category of testers.

A score above 511 will make your application competitive, as that is the average MCAT score of matriculants over the last few years.

That said, a good MCAT score depends on several factors, including your target med-school and the score distribution among the MCAT sections. 

For example, some medical schools automatically accept students from specific programs if they hit certain scores.

Additional reading: 

• What Are The Highest MCAT Scores? How To Be In The Top 10% of Test-Takers
• What Is A Competitive MCAT Score? How To Be In The Top 25% of Test-Takers
• What Is A Good MCAT Score? How To Be In The Top 50% of Test-Takers

Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 521?

Generally, we recommend retaking the MCAT if the MCAT score is not balanced among the four sections of the MCAT. But with a 521 MCAT score, it's unlikely that one of your section scores will be abnormally out of balance. 

For example, if you scored 126/132/132/131, the 126 sticks out and can be a red flag to med-schools. 

Different medical schools have different levels of leniency when it comes to outlier scores, so we recommend doing some research before deciding to retake the MCAT again.

We know because many of us on The MedLife Mastery Team are retakers and were in a similar position. We saw our scores rise fastest when we were already getting above-average scores. 

If you plan to re-take, you can work with one of us who’s been through your situation if you’d like. We’ve helped hundreds of students with improving their scores as well. 

So we know you can improve your MCAT score with the right strategies and guidance

To help you continue improving your MCAT score, we’ve created a lot of free resources on this website to help you with your MCAT strategy.

MCAT Mastery Free Strategy Crash Course

Additional Reading: 

• How To Improve Your MCAT Score Fast
• How To Improve Your CARS MCAT Score
• How To Improve Your Chem/Phys MCAT Score
• How To Improve Your Bio/Biochem MCAT Score
• How To Improve Your Psych/Soc MCAT Score

Additional FAQ - Is 521 a Good MCAT Score?

Additional Reading: