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Best MCAT Tutors
Our comprehensive guide to the best MCAT private tutoring services to help you crush this all-important exam
Finding the right MCAT tutor can be the difference between hitting your target score and falling short. In this guide, our team has reviewed the best MCAT tutoring services of 2025, comparing pricing, teaching styles, score guarantees, and online vs in-person options. Whether you’re a first-time test taker or a retaker aiming for a competitive score, this list will help you choose the perfect tutor for your needs.
To easily navigate through our guide of the best MCAT tutoring packages, simply click the jump-to links above.
Video Review: Best Online MCAT Tutoring Services
In the video above, John from the Test Prep Insight team walks you through the four best MCAT tutors and why they made our list. Or, you can always continue reading for more details regarding each tutoring package.
Kaplan secures the top spot on our best MCAT tutors list for two straightforward reasons: their tutors are exceptionally skilled, and the company provides a wealth of resources and study materials along with their tutoring packages.
Here’s a quick overview of what you receive with their bundled tutoring packages:
42 hours of live MCAT classes (in addition to 1-on-1 tutoring)
Access to on-demand practice questions in their Qbank (3,000+)
Explainer videos for over 300 high-yield MCAT questions
Over 90 on-demand video lessons
Access to livestream MCAT workshops
Plus, a host of other resources, including a virtual reality study app
In summary, Kaplan offers an abundance of supplementary materials with their tutoring, creating one of the most comprehensive prep experiences available. If you seek an intensive study regimen, Kaplan is likely the ideal choice.
A look inside the Kaplan MCAT prep course
Moreover, we found Kaplan’s tutors to be exceptional. They possess unparalleled expertise, with decades of experience teaching for the MCAT, making them true experts in the field.
Regarding pricing, Kaplan falls in the middle-to-high end range, with rates ranging from $170 to $360 per hour, depending on the package size. This pricing is reasonable considering the extensive study materials included in each MCAT tutoring package.
The Kaplan MCAT instructors are amazing
In fact, Kaplan’s Live Online prep course, which is included with each tutoring package, is valued at around $2,700. Therefore, if you strip out the cost of the prep course, you’re really paying around $90 to $110 per hour for Kaplan’s MCAT tutoring, which is very reasonable.
Plus, we should also mention that Kaplan offers a stellar score guarantee. Basically, if you purchase the company’s premium tutoring package, they include a 515+ score guarantee. In other words, the company guarantees that you will score at least 515 on the MCAT or you get your money back.
Online vs in-person MCAT tutoring – which is better?
An online provider like KAPLAN gives you access to top instructors regardless of location, flexible scheduling, and often lower rates. In-person tutoring can work better for students who prefer face-to-face interaction or need hands-on whiteboard work. Most major MCAT tutoring services now operate entirely online, combining video conferencing with shared digital workspaces for a classroom-like feel!
Next up, taking the second spot on our list is Blueprint. And they earn a top spot on our list for similar reasons as Kaplan: affordable pricing, supplemental study materials, and top-notch tutors.
Let’s start with pricing first. Blueprint offers three core tutoring packages comprised of bundles with 16, 24 and or 40 hours. These three options range in price from $160 to $225 per hour, respectively.
Now, that might sound expensive at first, but know that it’s actually quite reasonable compared to what other MCAT prep companies charge for private tutoring.
You also get access to Blueprint’s stellar self-paced course
Additionally, like Kaplan, students also get access to the Blueprint’s Self-Paced prep course for free as part of the tutoring package.
This is a $1,900 value and includes access to 160+ interactive learning modules, 30 strategy modules, 15 full-length simulated practice exams, over 4,000 practice questions, 1,600 flashcards, and more.
But perhaps just as importantly as the amount of features, we actually rate the Blueprint course out as the best overall MCAT prep course on the market, which is a large part of why we rank Blueprint’s corresponding tutoring so highly.
In any event, after you factor in all the extra study materials you receive in addition to the actual 1-on-1 tutoring sessions, it makes the Blueprint price point that much more attractive. You’d be hard pressed to find a better value when it comes to MCAT tutoring, which is a big reason why Blueprint ultimately belongs near the top of the list, along with Kaplan.
Also, it can’t go unmentioned that the Blueprint tutors themselves are simply awesome. The majority of them are 520+ scorers who have also completed rigorous training with Blueprint to ensure they’re up-to-date on everything MCAT and understand the most effective methods and strategies to help increase your score.
Blueprint’s included video lessons are awesome
Not only are they extremely knowledgeable, but in the sessions we were allowed to audit, we also found the tutors to be super personable. They do a good job keeping things light, engaging and humorous, which can really help to calm your nerves, allowing hard content and testing strategies to really sink in.
Lastly, we love that Blueprint provides each student an individually tailored study plan crafted by their tutor. In fact, your personal tutor will manage, set, and customize sessions and assignments using the company’s proprietary study planner tool to optimize your tutoring plan and accommodate your busy schedule on a weekly basis. It’s pretty awesome.
Not to mention, Blueprint also backs up all of their tutoring packages with a higher score guarantee (just one more added bonus).
Third up on our list is Princeton Review, which nabs our designation for best in-person tutoring. The short story here is that Princeton offers several different tutoring packages, ranging from 10 hours up to 60 hours.
But what really makes Princeton stand out is the fact they offer the option of IN-PERSON tutoring. So if you’re the type of learner who does best with in-person, face-to-face interaction and instruction, as opposed to video conferencing over Zoom, then Princeton Review may be the way to go.
Princeton’s 60-hour package comes with access to their course
Obviously the in-person option from Princeton Review isn’t available everywhere in the US. I mean, if you live in rural Alaska, you just can’t expect them to have an MCAT tutor close by.
But if you do happen to live in an area where there is a Princeton MCAT tutor nearby, it’s definitely a nice option as opposed to going 100% online.
The other nice thing with Princeton is that their tutoring packages also come with a ton of helpful study materials and resources, including access to the company’s self-paced MCAT prep course and Medical School Admissions Advantage Sessions.
These sessions are led by Dr. Anita Paschall, who breaks down what admissions committees are actually looking for and how you can improve your overall profile and application to boost your chances of being accepted (this is something that even Kaplan does not offer).
So with Princeton Review not only do you get help preparing for the MCAT via in-person tutoring, but you also receive advice, tips and guidance throughout the entire medical school admissions process.
Next up is Altius, which takes our most immersive MCAT tutoring designation. There are three big highlights with Altius: their trial period, how their tutoring packages are structured (including all the extra resources they come with), and their score guarantee.
Let’s start with the trial period, which our team thinks is a big value add. Essentially, Altius offers students a 30-day trial period to test the waters and see if you like their program before deciding whether to continue or get a full refund. It’s a simple feature, but is just a nice insurance policy for students that are maybe on the fence about dropping a lot of money.
Altius’ tutoring is built right in to their prep course
Then there are Altius’ tutoring packages, which are a little different than most. In short, there are three to choose from:
The Silver Package. This option costs around $3,700 and includes 15 private tutoring sessions.
The Gold Package. This bundle costs around $5,000 and includes 25 private tutoring sessions.
The Platinum Package. This option costs around $7,000 and includes 40 private tutoring sessions.
So from a price per hour perspective, that breaks down to around $175 to $250 per hour based solely on the number of private 1-on-1 tutoring sessions you get.
However, with Altius, that doesn’t really tell the full story, because beyond the 1-on-1 tutoring sessions, the Atlius packages also come with a ton of small group live classes.
These live online class sessions have less than 8 students per class, and include strategy group sessions, study halls, science mastery sessions, and personal statement reviews. This provides students with a nice mix of 1-on-1 private time with their tutor, as well as small group instruction with their peers.
So knowing that, if you take a step back and review their offerings, Altius’ Silver Package really comes with 130 total hours of small group instruction, the Gold Package comes with 140 total hours, and the Platinum Package comes with 190 hours.
If you then break this down on an hourly basis, it works out to be around $30-$40 per hour, which is just crazy.
Plus, it must be noted mention that Altius routinely runs sales and special promotions, and in some cases, you can save up to $800 on their tutoring packages. So make sure to check for promo codes and discounts before buying.
The Altius small group live sessions add serious value
So bottom line, we think Altius provides about the most robust and immersive package out there when it comes to live instruction. If you’re the type of student who wants guidance all the way through the prep process, including a ton of 1-on-1 tutoring time as well as small group classes, then Altius is definitely the way to go.
And finally, we need to touch on their score guarantee, which is just bananas. With the majority of their packages, Altius guarantees you’ll score in at least the 90th percentile, or your money back. Yes, you read that correctly: 90th percentile or better.
We’ve reviewed a ton of MCAT prep courses and tutoring packages and no one makes promises quite like this (except for Kaplan’s premium tutoring package), so clearly Altius is very confident in their tutoring prowess and the effectiveness of their small group live classes.
Overall, it’s just a nice promise that will give students confidence and comfort who are maybe on the fence about enrolling.
If you’re looking for a middle ground between expensive courses and the unpredictability of general marketplaces, MCAT Self Prep is currently our top recommendation for the value. What really stood out to us is the incredibly high bar they set for instructors. While some competitors hire tutors in the 90th percentile, every tutor here has crushed the MCAT with a score in the 97th percentile or higher.
This talent comes paired with a data-driven approach that solves the lack of structure we often see in cheaper services. Before sessions begin, you get access to a shared study portal where you log your specific pain points. Your tutor then shows up with a custom lesson plan already built around your data rather than wasting time on generic review. Whether you’re refining CARS timing or diving deep into biochemical pathways, sessions are highly efficient.
MCAT Self Prep Tutor Schedule
Another major advantage is the integration with the broader MCAT Self Prep ecosystem. Your tutoring package includes the Pro version of their digital course, which features thousands of video modules and tracking spreadsheets. This creates a bridge between your independent study and one-on-one coaching that you simply won’t find with some generalist platforms.
MCAT Self Prep Tutor Modules
From a cost perspective, it’s designed to be accessible. With three pricing tiers ranging from about $150 to $400 per session, it’s realistic for students who need premium guidance on a mid-tier budget. You can choose from 1 to 40 hour long plans within each session. I like that sessions never expire, so it offers peace of mind that’s hard to beat in the current test prep landscape.
Last up is Varsity Tutors, which offers a broad marketplace approach to MCAT prep. While they offer competitive entry-level rates (more below), the primary reason they sit at the bottom of our list is that their results are significantly more hit or miss than those from dedicated test prep powerhouses like Blueprint and Kaplan or Princeton Review and Magoosh.
The fundamental issue is that Varsity Tutors instructors generally do not follow a standardized, proven teaching framework. Instead, you are matched with an individual who uses their own ad-hoc methods. While you might occasionally find a good tutor for a lower price, the lack of a central curriculum is a major red flag for an exam as complex as the MCAT.
Unfortunately, many students end up spending a significant amount of time and money cycling through tutors just to find one that actually understands the current MCAT landscape. We’ve seen many instances where students were taught questionable strategies that didn’t align with their actual learning needs, leading to frustration and stagnant scores.
Honestly, it’s a gamble. We have heard from students who struck gold, but we’ve seen just as many get burned by a tutor who lacked the deep expertise required for 515+ scoring. In our own experience with Varsity Tutors, we found the same.
By contrast, the tutors from MCAT-focused companies are rigorously trained to follow specific, data-driven strategies that have been successful for decades. This level of institutional consistency is exactly why our team places much higher trustin Blueprint, Kaplan, Altius and Princeton Reviewthan in “generalist” platforms like Varsity Tutors.
Regarding cost, Varsity Tutors’ hourly rates vary wildly. Based on recent data, prices range from $60 to $300+ per hour. However, it is important to remember that lower rates often reflect a lack of resources. Unlike our top picks, Varsity Tutors typically does not include full-length practice tests, Q-Banks, or hardcopy books in their base price.
Bottom line: If your budget is extremely limited, Varsity Tutors is an option, but you must be prepared for the inherent risk of a lack of a curriculum. For most pre-med students, the “gamble” of an unvetted tutor isn’t worth the potential delay in their medical school application.
MACT tutoring cost: what to expect in 2025
MCAT tutoring rates range from around $60 per hour for budget-friendly online services to over $300 per hour for elite private coaching. Mid-tier options like Blueprint and Kaplan typically charge $100 – $200 per hour and include structured lesson plans, homework, and practice test reviews. Always compare what’s included, such as AAMC practice access or score guarantees – before deciding.
FAQ
Who are the best MCAT tutors near me?
With the advent of live online tutoring via video conferencing, the best MCAT tutors don’t necessarily need to be near you. Check our detailed guide for rankings of the best MCAT tutors.
How much does an MCAT tutor cost?
MCAT tutors can range wildly in price, from as low as $60 per hour all the way up to $400+ per hour.
Is an online MCAT tutor worth it?
Yes, in our team’s opinion, online tutoring is the only way to go today, unless you really need face-to-face interaction to accommodate your learning style.
How much does MCAT tutoring cost in 2025?
Rates range from $60 per hour for budget tutors to $400+ per hour for top-tier private MCAT coaches.
How many hours of MCAT tutoring do I need?
Most students see strong improvements with 15-30 hours spread over 2-3 months.
Is MCAT tutoring worth it for retakers?
Yes. Targeted tutoring can address specific weak points and improve timing and strategy for a higher retake score.
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