A for-profit medical school is an educational institution in which the underlying motive is generating profit.
Rather than being government-funded or affiliated with a university, for-profit medical schools are usually run by corporations.
They are subject to different financial structures, which prompts students to carefully consider the financial burden associated with their education.
However, despite their for-profit status, these schools must meet accreditation standards that reflect the quality of education they provide.
Below, we’ll shed light on currently operating for-profit institutions for medical education!
Table of Contents
For-Profit Medical Schools in the US [At a Glance]
Please note that the estimated cost of attendance (COA) is subject to change annually.
These figures reflect the COAs for the 2024–2025 academic years.
| School | Year Est. | Location | Degree | Duration | Est. COA | Financial Aid |
| Rocky Vista College of Osteopathic Medicine | 2008 | Englewood, Colorado | D.O. | 4 Years | $473,220 | Yes |
| California Northstate University College of Medicine | 2015 | Elk Grove, California | M.D. | 4 Years | $320,085 | Limited |
| Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine | 2016 | Las Cruces, New Mexico | D.O. | 4 Years | $409,548 | Yes |
| Rocky Vista College of Osteopathic Medicine | 2017 | Ivins, Utah | D.O. | 4 Years | $473,220 | Yes |
| Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine | 2018 | Meridian, Idaho | D.O. | 4 Years | $421,000 | Yes |
| California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine | 2020 | Clovis, California | D.O. | 4 Years | $435,039 | Yes |
| Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine | 2021 | Provo, Utah | D.O. | 4 Years | $423,081 | Yes |
| Rocky Vista College of Osteopathic Medicine | 2023 | Billings, Montana | D.O. | 2 Years | $227,436 | Yes |
| Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine | 2024 | Melbourne, Florida | D.O. | 4 Years | $424,984 | Yes |
For-Profit Medical Schools in the US
Currently, there are only 9 for-profit medical schools in the US, compared to over 150 non-profit ones.
The first one in 100 years began operating in 2008, while the latest opened its doors in 2024.
1. Rocky Vista College of Osteopathic Medicine, Colorado – 2008
RVUCOM was one of the first for-profit medical schools to open in the US following the 1996 court ruling that forced accrediting agencies to reconsider for-profit medical schools.
Founded in 2006, the college opened its doors to students in 2008, granting them a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree upon completion of their program.
The Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado is one of the three RVUCOM campuses.
Like its sisters, it’s equipped with simulation centers, standardized patient rooms, active learning classrooms, a full gross anatomy cadaver lab, research facilities, and access to clinical teaching facilities to provide the students with hands-on experience in patient care.
RVUCOM, being a medical college, is highly competitive. Some of the requirements students are expected to meet are:
- A B.A. degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university in the US
- A minimum of mandatory prerequisite coursework.
- A minimum science and cumulative GPA of 3.0, as calculated on the AACOMAS application.
- Passing the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).
- Letters of recommendation.
- Official transcripts from all colleges attended where a degree was earned before matriculation.
The college may also consider international applicants, though preference is given to applicants who have previously attended a regionally accredited college or university in the US
Tuition is subject to change annually. 2024–2025 tuition for the D.O. program is as follows:
- Tuition: $66,604.
- Student Health Insurance: $5,229 (OMS I)
- Student Health Insurance: $5,101 (OMS II, OMS III, and OMS IV)
All students are required to have health insurance, and their enrollment and billing for the RVU Student Health Insurance Plan are automatic unless they provide evidence of equivalent coverage before the waiver deadline date.
2. California Northstate University College of Medicine – 2015
CNUCOM is a 4-year MD-granting program that welcomed its inaugural class in 2015.
In 2022, its match percentage was 97%; almost all of its students were able to continue their medical training after securing residency positions through the NRMP.
While its curriculum doesn’t follow an uncommon structure, being based on clinical presentations (CPs) and a holistic approach to education, CNUCOM is committed to diversity.
This is shown through its Diversity in Medicine Summer Camp, and dedicated to expanding healthcare access in the Sacramento region.
CNUCOM’s admission process involves multiple stages. Among others, students have to:
- Complete the college’s prerequisites.
- Pass the MCAT.
- Complete the primary application via the Association of American Medical Colleges (AMCAS)
- Complete the CNUCOM supplemental application.
- Submit letters of recommendation.
- Pass a virtual interview.
The total tuition and fees for the four-year MD program at CNUCOM range from $113,899 to $127,037, with the tuition itself ranging from $72,521 to $83,953.
Moreover, admissions are open to US residents or green card holders only.
Unfortunately, the college doesn’t participate in any federal direct student loan program, veterans’ benefits program, or other government student loan programs.
As such, weigh your options carefully, as students at CNUCOM are not eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs or repayment schemes such as PAYE and IBR.
3. Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, New Mexico – 2016
BCOM was founded in 2016. Like many newer medical schools, it aims to address physician shortages, particularly in the Southwest region and border communities surrounding Las Cruces.
The college evaluates applicants based on both academic and non-academic characteristics, with admission criteria designed to ensure that the potential students align with the college’s mission.
Unfortunately, only US citizens and US permanent residents can apply.
Among the admission requirements students must meet are:
- Obtaining a cumulative science GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Passing the MCAT with a score of 496 or higher with no subsections lower than the 15th percentile and scores obtained within the three years prior to July of the year of matriculation.
- Showing completion of a baccalaureate degree or equivalent, from an accredited college or university.
- Completing required coursework with a grade of no less than C.
- Providing letters of recommendation.
Tuition at BCOM has been steadily increasing for the past three years, costing $66,248 for the 2024–2025 academic year.
The estimated total is $102,387. Fortunately, students have access to financial aid.
4. Rocky Vista College of Osteopathic Medicine, Utah – 2017
RVUCOM’s Utah campus is not too different from Colorado’s.
Opening in Irvins, Utah, in 2017, it admitted its first class of osteopathic medical students in the fall of that same year.
The campus enjoys similar facilities, a strong sense of community, and a commitment to an osteopathic philosophy and heritage that venerates holistic patient care and the relationship between mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of health.
It’s subject to the same requirements and fees as its sister campus in Colorado.
5. Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine – 2018
As the first medical school in Idaho, ICOM opened its doors in 2018 with the mission of training physicians who are prepared to care for people in the state and its surrounding Mountain West region.
Perhaps the most exciting characteristic of ICOM is its state-of-the-art campus.
The college takes technology integration seriously; its campus is 100% Apple-based and includes advanced resources such as simulation labs and anatomy labs.
It also has partnerships with 163 hospitals and health systems, providing students with ample sites for clinical rotations.
ICOM’s requirements are similar to those of other medical colleges. Among others, students have to:
- Have a science and cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
- Complete the required coursework.
- Submit the MCAT score, meeting particular criteria in terms of score.
- Provide letters of recommendation.
ICOM welcomes students from abroad, but they must be evaluated for US equivalence by one of the evaluation services approved by AACOM to ensure their completed coursework is comparable to that of an accredited US college.
Tuition at ICOM costs $62,792 as of the 2024–2025 academic year, with the estimated total ranging between $99,788 and $110,353 for the duration of the medical journey.
6. California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine – 2020
CSHU-COM is the first program of its kind in the Central Valley of California, offering a four-year DO program designed to train and retain physicians to serve underserved areas and enter primary care practices, including family and internal medicine.
The college emphasizes patient-centered approaches and leverages state-of-the-art facilities to deliver its innovative teaching experience.
CSHU-COM’s minimum admission requirements are as follows:
- A baccalaureate degree (or equivalent) from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education.
- An overall cumulative and science grade GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- An MCAT score of 500 or higher, with no subsection below the 25th percentile.
The college has a comprehensive section detailing the steps students can take to prepare financially for their medical journey, including resources related to scholarships and private loans.
Tuition and estimated total costs are as follows:
- OMS-I: $63,500; est. $110,002 total.
- OMS-II: $62,900; est. $109,167 total.
- OMS-III: $65,406; est. $107,367 total.
- OMS-IV: $61,100; est. $108,503 total.
7. Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine – 2021
Noorda-COM, located in Provo, Utah, opened its doors in 2021.
The college emphasizes a holistic approach to healthcare, preparing its students to become empathetic and skilled physicians.
While it’s the third medical school in the state of Utah, Noorda has several characteristics that make it stand out, including:
- Its student-centric approach, particularly the innovative “learning pods” that serve as custom-made study rooms equipped with widescreen TVs,
- Its early integration of clinical experiences into the student’s education.
- Its high-tech campus, where technology is seamlessly integrated into the learning environment.
- Its emphasis on research is part of its curriculum, where students have frequent research opportunities to explore medical topics.
Noorda-COM has similar admission requirements compared to other medical colleges. At a glance, they are:
- A B.A. degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- Cumulative and science GPAs of 3.0 or higher.
- A minimum MCAT score of 495, with a preferred score of 500 with a 125 subsection score.
- A minimum of 60 science credit hours is preferred.
- The required prerequisite coursework must be completed with a C or higher.
- Extracurricular, healthcare, research, and/or shadowing experience.
Tuition at Noorda-COM for the 2024–2025 year is $53,300—among the cheapest—with the total estimated cost of attendance being $107,219.
However, worries about student loan debt are taken into consideration; the institution has resources concerning scholarships and private loans ready.
8. Rocky Vista College of Osteopathic Medicine, Montana – 2023
Located in Billings, RVU-MCOM is the first medical school with a dedicated campus in Montana and the second-latest for-profit medical school to open in the US, serving its first students in 2023.
The Montana campus has been met with enthusiasm by the local community and healthcare professionals for representing a significant milestone for the state—offering a homegrown solution to the physician shortage by providing a local pathway for medical education.
It stands by the same philosophy of collaboration, community learning, and hands-on engagement as its sister campuses.
The latter was made more feasible thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities, including simulation labs and a standardized patient program.
Admission into the Montana campus follows the same requirements as the Montana and Utah campuses.
However, the tuition fees are different. This year (2023–2024), the D.O. program’s cost for students was the following:
- Tuition: $64,254
- Student Health Insurance: $4,849.
Student health insurance remains mandatory unless students provide evidence of equivalent coverage.
9. Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, Florida – 2024
The most recent for-profit medical institution is BCOM’s Melbourne campus, which opened in 2024.
Located on the campus of the Florida Institute of Technology, it offers a distinctive learning experience, promising this year’s students an exciting new chapter in medical education in the Space Coast region.
The college is subject to the same admission criteria and requirements as its sister campus in New Mexico.
However, while tuition is the same, the total fees are slightly more expensive due to personal and living expenses, student activities, and insurance, costing a total of $106,246.
For-Profit Medical Schools’s Ban: A Lasting Bad Impression?
For-profit medical schools were banned in the US for over 100 years after Abraham Flexner’s 1910 report—and other reforms—exposed their deep-rooted problems, particularly their tendency to operate as for-profit businesses that churned out poorly trained physicians.
However, even though their past record may spark worry about their legitimacy, there are reasons to re-consider their worth.
- For-profit medical schools re-emerged in the Caribbean in the 1970s, providing ample opportunities for those unable to gain admission into US schools to become physicians.
- In 1996, a court ruling compelled US accrediting agencies to reevaluate them.
- They are subject to the same accrediting standards, regulations, and outcomes as non-profit schools.
- They have their own advantages, including flexibility, accessibility, adaptability to market demand, diversity, and more.
Realistically, both non-profit and for-profit institutions produce a mix of physicians.
Just as there are lacklustre physicians graduating from non-profit schools, there are also competent and dedicated physicians emerging from for-profit schools, and vice versa.
Profit status is often inconsequential when assessing a school’s merit!
Pursuing Medicine: Non-Profit or For-Profit Colleges?
Even though for-profit medical schools are meritorious, one piece of advice reverberates within the medical community: attend the cheapest medical school you can.
Medical school graduates are hampered with debt that exceeds $200,000 and find themselves scrambling to keep their finances healthy and their lifestyle bearable.
Medical education is expensive, and minimizing debt should be your priority.
The cheapest schools are often also the best schools for US medical education, particularly for public state schools.
Our advice is to opt for a for-profit school only if you fail to secure a position at a non-profit one and are unable to wait another year to re-apply.
Then again, individual circumstances matter.
If you fancy a for-profit school and can afford it, then go for it; just make sure that you resort to financial aid programs to minimize financial burdens!
Finally, be wary of Caribbean for-profit schools; they have record low match rates and may lead to high debt without guaranteed career outcomes.
Plan Your Medical Career Wisely With PhysiciansThrive
Whether you’re planning to enroll in a for-profit or non-profit medical school, you must strategize ahead of time: Medical school debt is overwhelming, and having a solid financial plan is a life-saver.
Otherwise, your financial well-being throughout your medical education and beyond will be at risk.
At PhysiciansThrive, our comprehensive guide to tackling your student loan will ensure you step into your dream career without fear.
For more personalized financial advice tailored to doctors, contact us today!
