Osteopathic Medical School Applications Jump More than 12 Percent

Highest number since the pandemic year of 2021

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Bethesda, MD) – Today, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) released its 2026 application cycle report showing a 12.83 percent increase in applications to osteopathic medical schools from the previous year. The 26,506 applications are the most received since 2021 and represent an 18 percent increase from 2024. During the process, applicants can designate which schools get their information. This cycle’s 242,076 designations represent a 15 percent increase from 2025. 

“We are very proud that prospective students continue to seek out osteopathic medical education in growing numbers,” said AACOM President and CEO Robert A. Cain, DO. “This is a testament to the quality of our colleges and future physicians’ growing interest in treating the whole person. These applicants see osteopathic graduates practicing across the full spectrum of medicine and making life changing impacts on rural and underserved communities. It is not by accident that osteopathic medicine is the fastest growing segment of medical education.”

The 2026 application cycle closed on Friday, June 12, 2026, and these applicants will begin their medical education journey this summer and fall. Colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) are currently educating close to 30 percent of all U.S. medical students and that number is forecasted to grow to one third of all students by 2030. The number of COM teaching campuses has more than tripled since 1999 and there are currently 47 COMs with 74 teaching locations in 36 states.

AACOM manages the application process for all the COMs through its American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). AACOMAS simplifies the process of applying to osteopathic medical school as prospective students complete one application and can designate which of the COMs receive their information. The 2027 application cycle is now open. To learn more about the COMs and the application process, please visit AACOM’s Choose DO Explorer.

About AACOM:

Founded in 1898, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) is the leading voice for the education and training of physicians who practice osteopathic medicine in settings across the medical spectrum—from primary care to the full range of medical specialties. We support our member colleges of osteopathic medicine in their efforts to attract and train individuals who are fueled by a desire to make a difference in our healthcare system by treating the whole person and building a future emphasizing health and wellness for all people. Today, more than 38,000 future physicians—close to 30 percent of all U.S. medical students—are being educated at one of our 47 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine, encompassing 74 teaching locations in 36 states. To learn more about AACOM, please visit our website.

Contacts:

Joseph Shapiro
Director of Media Relations
(240) 938-0746
jshapiro@aacom.org

Christine DeCarlo
Senior Manager of Media and Public Affairs
(202) 603-1026
cdecarlo@aacom.org