2025 Match Rates: A Guide for International Medical Graduates
- IMG applicants accounted for about a third of all active applicants in the 2025 Match.
- 60.8% of IMGs active in the 2025 Match were offered a first-year residency position.
- Top medical specialties for matched IMGs included Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Pediatrics.
- A competitive USMLE Step 2 CK is a key factor for IMGs to match into their preferred residency specialty.
Match Day 2025 has once again yielded strong results for international medical graduates (IMGs). According to the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP), the total number of active applicants this year was 47,208, and 16,052 of those applicants were U.S. IMGs and non-U.S. IMGs. In the 2025 Match, 40,041 first-year residency positions were offered, including 9,761 to IMGs. Read on for more information about the medical residency match rates for IMGs.
Who is an international medical graduate?
An international medical graduate, or IMG, is a physician who graduated from a medical school outside the U.S. or Canada. There are two types of IMGs:
- U.S. IMG: A U.S. citizen who has graduated from a medical school outside the United States.
- Non-U.S. IMG: An international medical school graduate who was not a U.S. citizen at the time of their graduation.
Note that non-U.S. citizens who graduated from medical schools in the U.S. or Canada are not considered IMGs.
In order to qualify for medical licensure in the U.S., IMGs must complete a number of requirements, including obtaining ECFMG® Certification to be eligible to Match with a residency program in America. In general, the final steps for earning a medical license and becoming a doctor in the U.S. are completing a U.S. residency program and passing the USMLE Step 3.
Medical Residency Match Rates for IMGs
The table below showcases the U.S. medical residency match rates for international medical graduates in 2025 compared to previous years.
| Match Year | Number of IMG Match Participants | Number of IMGs Matched into a U.S. Residency | Percentage of IMGs Matched into a U.S. residency |
| 2025 | 16,052 | 9,761 | 60.8% |
| 2024 | 14,772 | 9,045 | 61.2% |
| 2023 | 13,432 | 8,388 | 62.4% |
| 2022 | 12,912 | 7,670 | 59.4% |
| 2021 | 13,238 | 7,508 | 56.7% |
| 2020 | 12,074 | 7,376 | 61.1% |
Source: NRMP
Top Medical Specialties for Matched IMGs
The medical specialties with the highest percentage of first-year positions filled by U.S. IMGs and non-U.S. IMGs in 2025 are showcased below.
| Top Specialties for Matched U.S. IMGs | Top Specialties for Matched Non-U.S. IMGs |
| Internal Medicine – 1,145 matched | Internal Medicine – 3,573 matched |
| Family Medicine – 626 matched | Family Medicine – 801 matched |
| Emergency Medicine – 315 matched | Pediatrics – 590 matched |
ECFMG Certification Requirements for IMGs
To be eligible for a residency program in the U.S., IMGs must first apply for certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). There are three main requirements you must complete to qualify for ECFMG certification.
For more information about residency requirements for IMGs, check out our country-specific resources:
- How to Become a U.S. Doctor as an IMG From India
- How to Become a U.S. Doctor as an IMG From Saudi Arabia
- How to Become a U.S. Doctor as an IMG From Pakistan
USMLE Step 2 CK Scores for IMGs
Since USMLE Step 1 transitioned to pass/fail in 2022, Step 2 CK scores have factored more heavily into residency program admissions. In 2024, the average USMLE Step 2 CK score for IMGs that matched into their preferred residency specialties was 245 for non-U.S. IMGs and 236 for U.S. IMGs. For both U.S. and non-U.S. IMGs, those who matched to their preferred specialties generally had higher Step 2 CK scores than those who did not.
Some of the top medical specialties for which IMGs matched had the following Step 2 CK USMLE scores in 2024 based on data from NRMP:
- Internal Medicine – U.S. IMGs: 238; Non-U.S. IMGs: 248
- Neurology – U.S. IMGs: 252; Non-U.S. IMGs: 246*
- Pathology – U.S. IMGs: 235; Non-U.S. IMGs: 240
*Note that for some specialties, like Neurology, the scores are not the only important thing. Research makes candidates for this specific specialty stronger.
[ READ NEXT: USMLE Scoring Guide ]
Frequently Asked Questions by IMGs
Below, we answer some common questions about the Match from IMGs.
Can international medical graduates do residency in the U.S.?
Yes, qualified IMGs can complete a residency in the U.S. For more information about finding a residency that’s right for you, visit the AMA Toolkit.
What is the match rate for international medical graduates?
In 2025, the medical residency match rate for all international medical graduates was 60.8%.
How difficult is it to match into residency as an international medical graduate?
Matching into a U.S. residency is a very competitive process, regardless of where you graduated from medical school. However, IMGs continue to show a strong performance in the Match. In 2025, U.S. IMGs who submitted rank order lists of programs matched to a PGY-1 position at a rate of 67.8% and non-U.S. citizen IMGs who submitted rank order lists matched to a PGY-1 position at a rate of 58%.
What is the hardest residency to match with as an IMG?
In general, the hardest residencies for IMGs to match into are the surgical ones, such as plastic surgery and orthopedic surgery, since they are the most sought-after and competitive.
What is the easiest residency to match with as an IMG?
In general, internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics residencies are easier for IMGs to match into since there are not enough U.S. medical graduates to fill the open positions in these specialties.
Written by Kaplan experts, reviewed by Ilon Rincón-Portas, M.D., Executive Director Medical Campus and Jonathan Bruner, D.O., Executive Director of Institutional Medical Programs at Kaplan Medical.
