Research Alert: April 2, 2026

Student Enrollment in Rural Medical Schools

Physicians who complete their training in rural settings demonstrate a higher likelihood of practicing in rural and underserved communities in the future. The purpose of this data brief is to summarize the distribution of student enrollment across Doctor of Medicine- and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine-granting medical schools or training sites situated in rural versus urban areas.

Key Findings:

• Of the 217 medical schools/sites identified with enrollment data, 12 (5.5%) were anchored in rural ZIP codes. The remaining 205 schools/sites (94.5%) were in urban ZIP codes.
• Among the 12 rural medical schools/sites, 6,432 students were enrolled, representing 4.7% of the 136,930 total U.S. medical school enrollment.
• Every U.S. Census Division, except the Middle Atlantic and Mountain Census Divisions, included at least one identified rurally located medical school/site.

Additional Resources of Interest:

• More FORHP-funded research on Workforce
• More information about the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
• More information from the Rural Health Information Hub's topic guide: Healthcare Workforce