Prep101 vs Princeton Review MCAT

Editor's Choice

Prep101

• Free Repeat Policy
• Includes MCAT Coaching

• Free Repeat Policy
• Includes MCAT Coaching

Our Score

9.2

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See our full review process

Pros

• Industry-leading 154 hours of live instruction, more than Princeton
• Integrates the new KrackU digital hyperbooks from Examkrackers
• Dedicated 1-on-1 MCAT coaching for personalized attention and direction
• Effective framework built around pre-class, live class, and post-class work
• Exceptional instructors with great communication skills

Cons

• Tons of practice resources can feel overwhelming for some students
• Minor learning curve navigating multiple platforms initially

Editor's Choice

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MCAT Prep Cost Comparison

Let’s start this article by discussing price, which is pretty simple with these two courses.

Princeton Review offers a few different course options ranging from $1,600 up to $7,000+.

Prep101 now also offers three tiers: a Self-Paced course starting at $1,500, their Live Online course at around $2,900, and a premium 515+ course at around $4,000. **Note: this Self-Paced course will go live at end of March 2026.

Simply put, and putting aside Princeton’s ultra premium course, the pricing between these two companies is roughly on par. Prep101’s Live Online course runs around $2,900, which matches Princeton Review’s comparable Ultimate course. Where Prep101 has a slight edge is on the self-paced side, coming in around $100 cheaper than Princeton Review’s self-paced option.

That said, Princeton Review tends to be more aggressive with sales and promotions, regularly offering discounts in the 15% range. Prep101 also runs promotions, typically a few hundred dollars off, so be sure to check for coupon codes before buying either course.

👉 If both Prep101 and Princeton Review are outside your budget, you may want to consider the MCAT prep courses from Magoosh or MCAT Self Prep.

Why Prep101 Is Better Than Princeton Review

In order to keep this comparison narrowly focused, I’m going to run down the key areas where I see each company winning and having an advantage over the other. I’ll do this as opposed to simply providing an overview of each prep course, as we have full reviews for that.

Therefore, let’s start with Prep101. I have them winning in four key categories.

Live MCAT Classes

Prep101 beats Princeton Review when it comes to live class time. Prep101 provides 154 hours of live instruction, while the Princeton Review Ultimate course comes with 123 hours. However, it’s not just quantity that matters. We also loved Prep101’s classes themselves.

The Prep101 instructors are awesome, and the classes are great for driving home need-to-know, high-yield material. The live classes are very good, with a smart structure each session, and are right up there with Kaplan and Blueprint. You really can’t go wrong with Prep101’s classes.

MCAT Coaching

Next, I like that with Prep101, each student gets their own MCAT coach to essentially hold their hand throughout the entire prep process.

Your coach will help you design your specific study plan, they’ll answer any strategy-related questions you may have, and just generally help keep you motivated and on-track to reach your goal.

Overall, this feature just helps give the Prep101 course a more intimate and personalized feel.

It’s also worth noting that Prep101 uses a team of five subject specialists, one per MCAT section, rather than generalists teaching everything across the board.

CARS Instruction

One of the biggest differentiators with Prep101 is their dedicated focus on CARS. Prep101 devotes 40+ hours of instruction specifically to the CARS section, more than any other leading competitor.

For science-heavy students who struggle with critical reasoning and reading comprehension, this level of dedicated CARS coverage is a meaningful edge. Princeton Review certainly covers CARS, but no other course matches Prep101’s depth here, and it shows in student outcomes on that section.

Annotated Notes

Last, I’m a big fan of the Prep101 workbooks that track with the live classes. And I’m not really talking about the workbooks themselves, but rather the annotated notes that the Prep101 instructors have marked up in the margins for you.

Not only do these notes help the material sink-in, but they’re also great for sort of flagging you where to direct your focus and attention. These annotated notes save you a lot of time and add real value. 

👉 Read our full Prep101 MCAT review here

Princeton Review

• Several Course Options
• Higher Score Guarantee

• Several Course Options
• Higher Score Guarantee

Our Score

9.1

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See our full review process

Pros

• Unlimited access to "Topic Focus" livestream workshops and office hours
• Smart course structure that builds on itself progressively
• Top-notch prep books that are detailed and well-written
• Excellent practice problem explanations
• Solid MCAT score guarantees

Cons

• Live class course options are more expensive than Prep101
• Fewer practice questions than other prep providers
• On demand video lessons could use a little improvement

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Now that you have an idea of the areas in which Prep101 excels, let’s turn the tables and discuss the major advantages of using Princeton Review to help you get ready for the MCAT.

Why Princeton Review MCAT Is Better Than Prep101

Smart Course Structure

I love the design of the Princeton Review MCAT curriculum. It smartly builds on itself from the ground up and only advances to more complex tested topics after building a base in the fundamentals.

Learning modules follow the same repeated pattern, with assigned work before class, followed by the class itself, and then homework. Around this structure, you also have optional assigned readings and Topic Focus livestreams.

I found this coursework structure to better align with how my brain works and found it to be quite effective overall. In terms of curriculum design, I’d say Princeton Review is right there with Blueprint and Kaplan for best in the space.

Better Prep Books

Princeton Review is one of the stronger prep providers in the MCAT space when it comes to books. When you sign up for Princeton Review’s course, they will ship you 8 hardcopy prep books. 

Seven of these cover subject specific review, while the other four are course-related workbooks.

In short, they are detailed yet readable, and provide some amazing graphics and key point callouts. They are simply some of my favorite MCAT prep books.

Live Workshops & Office Hours

Next, I like that with Princeton Review, you get unlimited access to their Topic Focus livestream workshops and office hours.

Basically, Princeton Review’s MCAT instructors hold live webinars almost every night where they dive deep into specific MCAT topic weaknesses, and answer any questions that may have popped up during your studying.

And just to be clear, even students who purchase the basic self-paced course from Princeton Review get access to these sessions, which is a nice bonus.

In my opinion, these livestream workshops and Q&A opportunities add real value. Note that Kaplan’s MCAT courses also include access to these kind of livestream workshops.

👉 Also Worth Reading: Princeton Review vs Blueprint MCAT

MCAT Score Guarantees

With Princeton Review’s Self-Paced and Ultimate (Live Online) courses, the company offers a higher score guarantee or your money back.

Then for students who are looking to really crush the MCAT, Princeton also offers 515+ and 515+ Immersion courses, which as their names imply, include a guarantee that you will score at least 515 on the MCAT, which is worth noting.

These are strong guarantees, and not all prep companies are willing to make these kinds of commitments in the MCAT prep space. For comparison purposes, Prep101’s 515+ tier does include a money-back score guarantee, though their standard Live Online course only offers a free course repeat policy.

👉 Read our full Princeton Review MCAT evaluation here

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Best MCAT course for your learning style: quick guide

Verdict: Prep101 or Princeton Review?

It’s a genuinely close call between these two companies. Princeton Review has a lot going for it with its course structure, prep books, and unlimited live workshops. But after weighing everything, our team gives Prep101 the slight edge in this matchup. Between 154 hours of live instruction, a team of five subject specialists, dedicated MCAT coaching across all three tiers, and an unmatched 40-plus hours of CARS instruction, Prep101 simply offers more for most students.

Add in a lower entry price point and a money-back guarantee on the 515+ tier, and Prep101 is the stronger overall package.

👉 Next: Prep101 vs Kaplan MCAT Comparison