Caribbean medical schools are mostly private, US-style MD programs: you spend about two years on basic sciences on an island campus, then complete clinical rotations at affiliated hospitals, mainly in the United States. Basic-science tuition at eight leading schools ranges from USD 13,750 to USD 34,488 per term for 2026/27, with two or three terms a year and extra fees. The schools differ most on accreditation, federal loan eligibility and how well their graduates do in the US residency Match, so check those before cost.
How Caribbean medical schools work
The schools covered here largely recruit students who plan to practise in the United States or Canada, and their structure mirrors a US MD:
- Basic sciences (about two years): taught on the island campus, sometimes with a final term elsewhere. UMHS students spend semester 5 in Portland, Maine, and Trinity runs a Step 1 preparation term in Warner Robins, Georgia. St. George's offers years 1 and 2 at a partner campus in Northumbria, UK.
- USMLE Step 1: taken before clinical training.
- Clinical sciences (about two years): core and elective rotations at affiliated hospitals, mainly in the US, with some schools also using sites in Canada or the UK.
- Residency application: graduates apply through the US Match as international medical graduates (IMGs).
Many schools run three intakes a year, typically January, May and September, so you can start without waiting for the autumn. Several also offer longer tracks, such as St. George's 5-, 6- and 7-year MD options and pathways at AUC and the Medical University of the Americas, for applicants who do not yet hold a bachelor's degree.
Tuition at eight leading schools
| School | Location | Basic-science tuition per term | Fee year | Accreditor | Intakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. George's University | Grenada | USD 34,488 | 2026/27 | GMDC | Jan, Apr, Aug |
| Ross University | Barbados | USD 25,811 | 2026/27 | CAAM-HP | Jan, May, Sep |
| American University of the Caribbean | Sint Maarten | USD 23,909 | 2026/27 | ACCM | Jan, May, Sep |
| Saba University | Saba | USD 20,480 | 2026/27 | NVAO | Jan, May, Sep |
| American University of Antigua | Antigua | USD 20,335 | 2026/27 | CAAM-HP | Jan, May, Sep |
| UMHS | St. Kitts | USD 18,550 | 2026/27 | ACCM | Jan, May, Sep |
| Trinity Medical Sciences University | St. Vincent | USD 16,000 | Not stated on fee page | CAAM-HP | Jan, May, Sep |
| Medical University of the Americas | Nevis | USD 13,750 | 2026/27 | ACCM | Jan, May, Sep |
All figures are official per-term tuition for basic sciences, from each school's fee page. Per-term tuition is not directly comparable to a yearly price, because:
- Terms per year differ. St. George's runs two basic-science terms in the first year; most others run three.
- Fees are extra. Among schools that list an administrative fee, it ranges from USD 4,000 per term at AUA to USD 8,270 at Saba, and health insurance and technology fees are added at several schools.
- Clinical terms cost more. For example, Ross charges USD 30,500 per clinical semester and St. George's USD 37,162 per clinical term.
Two schools publish full-program estimates: Trinity states total MD tuition and fees of USD 195,950, and AUA estimates total institutional tuition at USD 258,104. Neither figure includes living costs, travel to rotations or exam fees. Our guide to the cost of attending an international medical school explains how to build a full budget.
How to choose a Caribbean school
1. Accreditation and its recognition
Each island has its own regulator, and quality varies. Look for two layers:
- The school's accreditor, such as CAAM-HP, ACCM, the Grenada Medical and Dental Council (GMDC) or the Dutch-Flemish agency NVAO.
- Recognition of that accreditor by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) or a comparability finding from the US Department of Education's National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA).
Seven of the eight schools cite an NCFMEA comparability finding for their accreditor, and several also cite WFME recognition. AUA describes its accreditor, CAAM-HP, as recognized by WFME, and CAAM-HP reports that in January 2026 the NCFMEA found Antigua and Barbuda's standards remain comparable to US standards. ECFMG's Recognized Accreditation Policy, implemented in November 2024, accepts either WFME or NCFMEA recognition, according to Intealth, ECFMG's parent organization. Trinity notes that its CAAM-HP accreditation runs through 2026, so check renewal status for any school you consider.
2. ECFMG and US licensing eligibility
To sit the USMLE and enter residency, your school must be listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools with an ECFMG Sponsor Note confirming its students are eligible. Some states have also set their own rules in the past; California's approach is explained in our guide to California's disapproved foreign medical schools.
3. Federal student loans
US citizens can use federal Direct Loans only at foreign schools approved for Title IV. Federal rules (34 CFR 600.55) require participating foreign medical schools to meet standards that include USMLE pass rates, so Title IV approval is also a quality signal. Of the eight schools, UMHS states it is not approved for US federal student aid and offers private and institutional loans instead.
4. Clinical rotations
Ask where rotations take place, whether core rotations are guaranteed at affiliated hospitals, and how students are placed. Rotations at US teaching hospitals give you US clinical experience and letters of recommendation, both of which matter in the Match.
5. Outcomes you can verify
Schools publish figures such as residency placements and USMLE pass rates. Ask how each figure is calculated, and in particular how many students who start the program reach graduation, since a pass rate only covers those who sit the exam.
6. Plans outside the US
If you might want to work in the UK, note that the General Medical Council says graduates of medical schools outside the UK, the EEA and Switzerland will probably need to pass its PLAB test before registering. Some Caribbean schools run UK rotation tracks; St. George's and AUC both list UK clinical sites. Ask whether those tracks change your loan eligibility, as AUC states its UK Track is not Title IV eligible.
Residency prospects
US citizens who graduate from Caribbean schools apply to residency as US citizen IMGs; Canadians and other nationals fall in the non-US citizen IMG group. In the 2026 Main Residency Match, the NRMP reported 4,210 active US citizen IMG applicants and a PGY-1 match rate of 70 percent, the highest on record. Outcomes vary by specialty and by school, and US MD seniors match at much higher rates. Our guide to the residency Match for international medical graduates covers the process and the numbers in detail.
Key takeaways
- Caribbean MD schools follow a US model: about two years of basic sciences on the island, then about two years of rotations, mainly at US hospitals.
- Official 2026/27 basic-science tuition at eight leading schools ranges from USD 13,750 to USD 34,488 per term, plus administrative and other fees.
- Most schools take students in January, May and September, and several offer longer tracks for applicants without a bachelor's degree.
- Check the school's accreditor, its WFME or NCFMEA recognition, its ECFMG listing and its Title IV status before comparing price.
- US citizen IMGs had a 70 percent PGY-1 match rate in the 2026 Match, so ask schools for detailed, verifiable outcomes.