Healthcare education in California

California has the most medical schools of any state, with 12 LCME-accredited MD programs and 3 COCA-accredited DO programs. The state’s medical education landscape spans major academic medical centers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, as well as newer programs in the Central Valley and Inland Empire serving communities that have historically lacked physician access.

California is home to 12 MD schools and 3 DO schools.

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Pipeline programs and pre-med resources

Tip
UC PRIME (Programs in Medical Education) is a collection of 10 specialized training tracks across UC medical schools, each focused on a specific underserved population or region. Programs include Rural PRIME at UC Davis, PRIME-Urban Underserved at UCSF, PRIME-Latino Community at UC Irvine, PRIME-Health Equity at UC San Diego, and PRIME-Leadership and Advocacy at UCLA. 74% of PRIME students come from groups underrepresented in medicine. Learn more at UC PRIME.

Other California pipeline programs include Stanford LEAD (summer leadership program), UCLA SMASH (summer math and science honors academy), and numerous hospital-based volunteer and shadowing programs at institutions throughout the state. Community college to UC transfer pathways are well-established through the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program.

Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in Pasadena, which enrolled its first class in 2020, offers full-tuition scholarships to all students.

For students in California, we recommend starting with our level-specific guides: Middle School, High School, or Undergraduate. See also our What Is Pre-Med? and Pre-Med Requirements pages.

Scholarships and loan repayment


CalHealthCares Loan Repayment Program
Offers up to $300,000 in loan repayment for physicians and dentists who commit to a 5-year service obligation treating Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Administered by Physicians for a Healthy California. Program is funded through Proposition 56 tobacco tax revenue. Details at phcdocs.org.

California State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP)
Awards up to $50,000 for a 2-year full-time service commitment in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area. Administered by the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI). Applications typically open in July. Details at HCAI.

Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program
Provides loan repayment for physicians practicing in underserved California communities. Administered by HCAI. Check current terms at hcai.ca.gov.

Cal Grant (Undergraduate)
State-funded undergraduate grant for California residents attending eligible colleges. Apply via FAFSA. Details at csac.ca.gov.

For federal programs available in all states, see our Income-Driven Repayment, PSLF Guide, and Military Medical Scholarships pages.

Medical schools in California

California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DO, Clovis) | Website
California Northstate University College of Medicine (MD, Elk Grove) | Website
California University of Science and Medicine School of Medicine (MD, Colton) | Website
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (MD, Los Angeles) | Website
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (MD, Pasadena) | Website
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (MD, Los Angeles) | Website
Loma Linda University School of Medicine (MD, Loma Linda) | Website
Stanford University School of Medicine (MD, Palo Alto) | Website
Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine (DO, Vallejo) | Website
University of California, Davis School of Medicine (MD, Davis) | Website
University of California, Irvine School of Medicine (MD, Irvine) | Website
University of California, Riverside School of Medicine (MD, Riverside) | Website
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine (MD, San Diego) | Website
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine (MD, San Francisco) | Website
Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (DO, Pomona) | Website

For complete data including application systems and school details, see our Medical Schools Database and filter by state.

Help us improve this page

If you know of a California-specific program, scholarship, or resource that should be listed here, please use the Contact Us form or the “Share Your Thoughts” button. We update state pages regularly based on community input.

Last verified: March 2026