Several new medical schools are opening across the U.S., reflecting continued efforts to address physician shortages, expand access to training and meet local workforce needs.
Below are eight new medical schools that opened or were announced this year.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list. If you’d like to add a new medical school to the list, please email Mackenzie Bean at mbean@beckershealthcare.com. Organizations are listed in alphabetical order.
1. Bentonville, Ark.-based Alice L. Walton School of Medicine welcomed its first cohort of students in July. The nonprofit, independent medical school — founded by Walmart heir Alice Walton — will incorporate training in whole-person health, humanities, integrative health approaches, research and advanced technologies.
2. Milpitas, Calif.-based Aria University plans to open a new medical school in San Joaquin County, Calif., in 2027. The school will be housed in a renovated county building near San Joaquin General Hospital, a teaching hospital based in French Camp, Calif.
3. Tempe-based Arizona State University will welcome its first class of students to the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering in fall 2026.
4. Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., is planning to open its School of Osteopathic Medicine by the fall of 2027. The school will emphasize a holistic approach to medicine that integrates physical, mental and spiritual health.
5. The Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Chicago School will welcome its first class of students in July 2026. The institution will be Chicago’s first new medical school in a century.
6. The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine in Hagerstown, Md., welcomed its inaugural class of students in July. The medical school, affiliated with Hagerstown-based Meritus Health, is the first new medical school to open in Maryland in 100 years.
7. Roseman University College of Medicine in Las Vegas welcomed its first class of 64 students in July. The school will feature a character-based curriculum that prioritizes ethics, empathy and integrity alongside medical knowledge.
8. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest University School of Medicine opened a new campus this summer at Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health’s $1.5 billion innovation district, The Pearl. The Charlotte location represents the city’s first four-year medical school.
Editor’s note: This article was last updated on Oct. 27 to include additional medical schools.
