The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a crucial and challenging exam that medical school applicants must take. It tests the knowledge, skills, and problem-solving abilities that are essential for success in medical school and as a physician. With such high stakes, it’s no wonder that many students turn to MCAT prep courses to help them prepare.
With so many options available, it can be difficult to know which MCAT course fits you and your learning style.To help, I’ve personally tested and taken a detailed look at all the MCAT study materials below to assist you in deciding which one is the best fit for your needs.
| MCAT Exam Courses |  Save $1,050START NOW |  Save $500START NOW |  Save $600START NOW |  Save 24%START NOW |  START NOW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RANKINGS | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
| COMPANY | Blueprint MCAT | Kaplan MCAT | Princeton Review MCAT | MCAT Self Prep Course | Gold Standard MCAT |
| PRICE | $1,999- $3,599 | $2,099- $7,299 | $1,999- $7,349 | $1,399.99 | $10 - $1,499 |
| COURSE FORMATS | Online Self-Study, Live Online, Books, Qbanks | Online Self-Study, Live Online, Tutoring, Books | Self Paced, Live Online, In Person, Tutoring | Online Self Study | Online Self Study, Books |
| FULL-LENGTH PRACTICE EXAMS | 15 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 20 |
| VIDEO LECTURE HOURS | 160 | 130 | 123 | 100+ | 30+ |
| PRACTICE QUESTIONS | 4,000 | 2,900+ | 3,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 |
| TUTORING AVAILABLE |  | | |  | |
| HIGHER SCORE GUARANTEE | | | | | |
| EBOOKS | | | | | |
| FLASHCARDS | | | | | |
| STUDY PLANNER | | | | | |
| COURSE EXPIRATION | 6, 12, or 18 | Until You Pass | 270 Days + Early Enrollment | Lifetime | 12 Months |
MCAT Courses We Tested:
- Best Overall: Blueprint MCAT
- Best In Person: Kaplan
- Best Live Online: The Princeton Review
- Best for Self Study: Self Prep MCAT
- Best Value: The Gold Standard MCAT
- Best Guarantee: Atlius MCAT Prep Classes
1. Best overall – Blueprint Online MCAT Prep Course
Blueprint MCAT Course Features
- Pricing: $1,799-$2,499
- Full length practice exams: 15
- Video lecture hours: 160
- Practice questions: 4,000
- Course subscription options: 3, 6, or 12 months
- MCAT Prep: Self Paced or Live Online
Bottom Line: There’s so much to love about Blueprint MCAT (formally known as Next Step Test Prep). The mere fact that they offer so much educational content in such a reasonable price point should be reason enough for most students to dive right in. But they go a step beyond and offer so much more, like their live office hours, numerous practice exams, and personalized study planning. It’s true that the MCAT is a test that comes with a lot of anxiety. However, studying with the help of Blueprint MCAT Review is one of the best ways to relieve some of that stress, hands down.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BLUEPRINT MCAT
Recent Blueprint MCAT Reviews
I LOVE Blueprint
I got a 497 on my half-length diagnostic, and I got a 520 on my actual MCAT using their materials. The videos were super helpful, and I liked the live class sessions. Honestly, the content of the live classes themselves wasn’t the most helpful, but I liked the solidarity it created with the other students. Even after the class ended, we would share study tips and encouragement in the group chat.
~ Raavi Chokhawala
Great Instructors!
Kat and Ty are phenomenal instructors! They’re both incredibly smart, but also very personable, and great teachers — very good at explaining their thought process and distilling down complex information into simple terms. They made the class so fun and I’ll miss sitting in on their class!
~ Eric Kuptz
Worthy Investment for MCAT studying
When I studied for the MCAT, I primarily used practice tests to hone my test-taking skills. Blueprint’s exams were well written and superbly thought out. They were difficult, however, but I loved the explanations they had for each question. I also liked the fact that they were able to give explanations for the answer choics that were wrong as well. I was able to learn more from doing NS’s tests than by reading through those review books from brand-name companies. All-in-all, a worthy investment.
~ Rick C.
The Blueprint MCAT Prep Course Discounts
Save $875 on Blueprint MCAT Self-Paced Course
2. Most Comprehensive Kaplan MCAT Prep Courses
Kaplan MCAT Course Features
- Pricing: $1,799 – $6,999
- Full length practice exams: 16
- Practice questions: 2,900
- Video lecture hours: 90
- Course subscription options: 6 months (for on demand)
- MCAT Prep: Self Paced, Live Online, 1v1 Tutoring, In Person MCAT Bootcamp
Bottom Line: MCAT students who sign up for Kaplan’s prep course will enjoy many different study packages and convenient access to live lectures with real instructors. Best of all is their impressive higher score guarantee.
Recent Kaplan MCAT Reviews
Amazing!!
Kaplan has been amazing throughout my MCAT studying experience. I had an amazing teacher who did not make me feel stressed out at all and explained concepts really well!
~ Lara
Kaplan MCAT Prep
As a non-traditional graduate student with a hectic schedule, Kaplan’s integrated study schedule added much needed stability to my prep. Not only does it cover vast high yield topics but it does so in a concise and efficient manner. The instructors and workshops were just as good as the live online courses. Anytime a premed ask me what resources I used for my MCAT prep I will always direct them to Kaplan. Worth every penny.
~ Eddie
Great Content
This prep course is excellent if you don’t do what they tell you to do. The videos on content are really helpful and the practice exams are as well. I would definitely use it again but it would be good if they changed the formatting because the placement tests are not very clear and not like real MCAT questions. I did do well on my exam afterwards and would recommend to people who are comfortable navigating and planning their own study schedule as it’s a great resource.
~ Kati C.
Best Kaplan MCAT Coupon Codes
3. Feature Rich Princeton Review MCAT
Bottom Line: The Princeton Review MCAT prep course students the ability to choose a self-paced, live online, or in-person tutoring course, although no flashcards are included. Fortunately, one thing students don’t have to choose is quality or quantity, as they provide both in spades.
The Princeton Review MCAT Prep Course Discounts
See Weekly Deals on Princeton Review MCAT Course
4. Straightforward Self Prep MCAT Course
Self MCAT Prep Features
- Pricing: $0 – $999
- Practice questions: 5,000
- Video lecture hours: 100
- Course subscription options: Lifetime
- MCAT Prep: Self Paced
Bottom Line: This MCAT Prep provides students with everything they need to be successful in preparing for the exam at one of the lowest price points. The best part is you can get started for free, so you have nothing to lose.
Self Prep MCAT Review Course Discounts
5. DIY MCAT Gold Standard
Bottom Line: With their large quantity of practice questions and free resources, The Gold Standard offers a very appealing MCAT course at a low price with à la carte options. Unfortunately, the platform used for their service is disappointingly outdated.
TAKE ME TO THE GOLD STANDARD MCAT
6. Magoosh MCAT Prep Courses
Best Low Cost alternative for MCAT Prep Books
Bottom Line: Although Magoosh offers fewer questions when compared to some competitors, the quality and organization of their video lessons, structured study plans, and exam simulations make up for this in the eyes of many students.
7. Atlius MCAT Classes Online
Atlius MCAT Course Features
- Pricing: $2,249 – $6,299
- Full length practice exams: 10
- Video lecture hours: 200
- Course subscription options: Lifetime
- MCAT Prep: Live Online, 1v1 Tutoring
Bottom Line: Ultimately, Altius MCAT Review has a ton of great features, and solid instructors that more than justify its price. Even if you’re slightly interested, you should absolutely try one of their courses and take advantage of their 30 day refund policy. If it feels like a good fit, stick with them for the long haul and you won’t be disappointed with your MCAT score!
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is one of the toughest standardized exams around. Especially when considering you may be balancing work, school and a host of other responsibilities. The MCAT testing period of 7.5 hours can be brutal without the best MCAT prep course.
These courses not only include all the MCAT study materials you’ll need to pass, but also help you to create a study schedule. That way you’ll stay on course with a defined structure for the months of exam preparation. The best MCAT prep courses will also help you stay on task while providing clear explanations, interactive study tools, and practice exams that are similar to the real MCAT experience.
What are the best MCAT Prep Courses? How did you find them?
We looked for intuitive dashboards, mobile capabilities, adaptive study plans, and engaging instructors
We started by compiling a list of the top MCAT prep course providers online. There’s many reviews out there already and we took the top courses from all of them. Then we separated their courses into two categories: self-paced, live online. Some reviews include in-person but since we can’t afford to fly around the world to attend these courses we had to skip them for now. Some test prep companies offer on-demand, live-online and in-person classes, while others only have one single format. We evaluated each method individually as most students are only considering one option. Generally each teaching method has different advantages, and we created specific criteria for each method to rank the best prep courses in each.
Methodology
Before selecting our top 7 suggestions, we evaluated 24 different MCAT course options. The main consideration factors we evaluated were pricing, the quantity of questions in the test bank, quality of the video content, the exam pass rate for students who had attended the course, the technology used, and the qualifications of the instructors leading the course.
Due to the high cost of a MCAT prep course, having the option to try the product out before buying is crucial. Pass rates and teacher quality were also very important since they provide applicants confidence when making decisions that may affect their careers.
Additionally, we took into account actual user reviews, many of which were published on the Trustpilot.com. We also sourced feedback from the popular MCAT test forum: Reddit.com/r/mcat.
You should seriously considering buying an MCAT prep course given the high stakes of the exam. Most students will want the subject review and practical tips provided by the numerous MCAT prep companies.
The cost of MCAT preparation courses varies greatly, from $30 per month for low-cost subscription courses to $5,000+ for all-inclusive packages with tutoring. Nevertheless, the majority of learners choose to enroll in courses that cost between $2,000 and $3,000.
A MCAT prep course is more likely to raise your score in comparison to doing your own research using free resources or doing no study at all. You will get access to topic reviews, study materials, and practical tools aimed at improving your MCAT score.
We recommend everyone take MCAT classes to be fully prepared for the exam.
Many people narrow their choices down to either Kaplan’s or Princeton Review’s MCAT courses, as both companies have been around for more than 35 years. Their MCAT prep courses are refined and packed with features. The choice between these two depends on your specific needs and your learning style. Kaplan offers 15 full-length practice tests and over 10,000 practice questions. Princeton Review offers 11 MCAT books and over 123 hours of instructor-led classroom time with their Ultimate Course package, which correlates closely with MCAT success. They also have an MCAT 510+ score guarantee course, which can double your acceptance rate into U.S. Medical School. Princeton Review goes above and beyond to ensure your success, which is why we recommend choosing them over any other provider. You can see my full comparison of Kaplan and Princeton Review MCAT courses here.
