Most Texas medical schools use their own application system, TMDSAS, instead of AMCAS: one $235 application covers 14 MD and DO schools, and Texas residents go through a state match each February. Texas public medical schools must fill at least 90% of each entering class with Texas residents, and their resident tuition is among the lowest in the country. Out-of-state applicants can still apply, but the odds and the costs are very different.
What TMDSAS is
The Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) handles applications for Texas public medical, dental, podiatry and veterinary schools, plus Baylor College of Medicine. You fill out one application, pay one flat fee, and choose as many participating schools as you like. TMDSAS lists the medical application fee as $235, a flat fee no matter how many schools you select.
That is a major difference from AMCAS, where every extra school adds a fee. If you apply both inside and outside Texas, you will complete both systems. See our guide to AMCAS medical school requirements for the national application.
Which Texas medical schools use TMDSAS
According to TMDSAS, these 14 medical schools participate:
| School | City | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor College of Medicine | Houston | MD |
| Long School of Medicine at UT San Antonio | San Antonio | MD |
| McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston | Houston | MD |
| Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine | College Station | MD |
| Texas Tech Health El Paso Foster School of Medicine | El Paso | MD |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine | Lubbock | MD |
| Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, University of Houston | Houston | MD |
| UT Austin Dell Medical School | Austin | MD |
| John Sealy School of Medicine at UTMB | Galveston | MD |
| UT Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine | Edinburg | MD |
| UT Southwestern Medical School | Dallas | MD |
| UT Tyler School of Medicine | Tyler | MD |
| Sam Houston State University Russell and Glenda Gordy College of Osteopathic Medicine | Conroe | DO |
| UNT Health Fort Worth, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine | Fort Worth | DO |
Two Texas medical schools sit outside TMDSAS: the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU in Fort Worth, which uses AMCAS, and the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine in San Antonio, which uses AACOMAS. New schools open regularly in Texas, so check each school's website before you apply.
In-state preference: the 90% rule
Texas public medical schools are required by state law to give the great majority of seats to Texas residents. UT Southwestern's catalog, for example, states that by law no more than 10% of its entering medical class may be non-Texas residents. In practice, out-of-state applicants compete for a small number of seats at public schools. Baylor is a private school, so the public-school cap does not apply in the same way, but it still charges Texas residents lower tuition (see costs below).
How TMDSAS decides who is a Texas resident
TMDSAS describes two main routes to resident status for admissions:
- High school route. You graduated from a Texas high school or earned a Texas GED, lived in Texas for the 36 months before graduating, and lived in Texas for the 12 months before the October 1 application deadline.
- Domicile route. You, or your parents if you are a dependent, lived in Texas for 12 consecutive months before the deadline and established domicile through work, property ownership, business ownership or marriage to a Texas domiciliary.
TMDSAS notes that its decision covers admissions only. Each school separately decides whether you pay resident tuition.
International and DACA applicants
TMDSAS says that 11 Texas medical and dental schools consider only US citizens or permanent residents. TMDSAS also gives separate instructions for DACA applicants and for non-citizens who qualify as residents through the Texas high school route, so policies vary by school. If you are not a US citizen, check each school's policy, and read our guide on whether it is easier to get into med school as an international student.
How the Texas match works
Texas runs its own admissions match for Texas resident medical applicants, something the national AMCAS process does not have. Here is the TMDSAS timeline for students entering in 2027:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 1, 2026 | Application opens |
| May 15, 2026 | Submission opens |
| August 1, 2026 | Early Decision submission deadline |
| October 1, 2026 | Application deadline |
| October 15, 2026 | Schools may begin making offers; letters due |
| January 29, 2027 | Deadline to rank schools |
| February 12, 2027 | Match results released; rolling admissions begin |
| April 30, 2027 | Applicants holding multiple offers must choose one |
Between October and late January, schools can make early ("pre-match") offers to applicants they want. In January, applicants rank the schools that interviewed them, schools rank applicants, and the match pairs them. After match day, schools fill remaining seats through rolling offers.
Costs: why Texas is a bargain for residents
Tuition at Texas public medical schools is low compared with most of the country. UT Southwestern lists first-year tuition and fees for 2026-2027 of $25,436 for Texas residents and $38,536 for nonresidents.
Baylor College of Medicine, though private, also charges Texas residents less. Baylor lists 2026-2027 MD tuition at its Houston campus of about $19,683 for Texas residents and $32,783 for nonresidents.
Tuition is only part of the cost. Living costs, fees, health insurance and books add a large amount each year, so compare each school's full cost of attendance.
The competitive scholarship waiver
Texas Education Code section 54.213 allows public institutions to charge resident tuition to some nonresident students who win a competitive scholarship of at least $1,000, within limits set by law. Some Texas medical schools use this for out-of-state or international students they admit. Ask each school's financial aid office whether it applies to you.
Tips for applying to Texas schools
- Apply early. TMDSAS submission opens in mid-May. Early, complete applications are reviewed first.
- Write for TMDSAS. Its essay prompts differ from AMCAS, so do not simply paste your AMCAS essays.
- Apply broadly within Texas. With one flat fee, most Texas residents apply to many TMDSAS schools.
- Know your residency status early. If you moved to Texas recently, work out whether you will meet the 12-month rule by October 1.
- Consider Early Decision carefully. It is binding for that school.
Key takeaways
- TMDSAS is Texas's own application system, with a $235 flat fee covering any number of 14 participating MD and DO schools.
- TCU's Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine uses AMCAS and UIW's osteopathic school uses AACOMAS.
- By law, at least 90% of each entering class at Texas public medical schools must be Texas residents.
- Texas runs its own match: ranks are due January 29, 2027, and results come out February 12, 2027.
- Resident tuition is low, about $25,436 for first-year tuition and fees at UT Southwestern in 2026-2027.
- Many Texas schools consider only US citizens or permanent residents; international applicants should check each policy.