Among the many considerations faced by International Medical Graduates, geological location is an important aspect of medical residency research for International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Not only must IMG residency applicants research individual residency programs, but they should also be aware of state limitations and the overall IMG friendliness of whole states. Learning more about IMG friendly states can help IMGs better focus their research and resources.
Based on the 2020 NRMP Main Residency Match®: Match Rates by Specialty and State study, the Top 12 Most IMG Friendly States are:
- New York (1,563)
- Michigan (552)
- Florida (540)
- Pennsylvania (495)
- New Jersey (436)
- Texas (384)
- Illinois (365)
- California (364)
- Ohio (294)
- Massachusetts (259)
- Maryland (202)
- Georgia (199)
Dive Deeper into IMG Friendly States
| State | US-IMG | Non-US IMG | Total |
| Alabama | 42 | 61 | 103 |
| Alaska | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Arizona | 43 | 36 | 79 |
| Arkansas | 59 | 36 | 95 |
| California | 253 | 111 | 364 |
| Colorado | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| Connecticut | 53 | 141 | 194 |
| Delaware | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| D.C. | 27 | 69 | 96 |
| Florida | 306 | 234 | 540 |
| Georgia | 121 | 78 | 199 |
| Hawaii | 5 | 17 | 22 |
| Idaho | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| Illinois | 126 | 239 | 365 |
| Indiana | 31 | 42 | 73 |
| Iowa | 18 | 15 | 33 |
| Kansas | 22 | 29 | 51 |
| Kentucky | 25 | 35 | 60 |
| Louisiana | 92 | 65 | 157 |
| Maine | 4 | 9 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 164 | 202 |
| Massachusetts | 52 | 207 | 259 |
| Michigan | 227 | 325 | 552 |
| Minnesota | 28 | 60 | 88 |
| Mississippi | 23 | 19 | 42 |
| Missouri | 41 | 74 | 115 |
| Montana | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Nebraska | 7 | 33 | 40 |
| Nevada | 35 | 5 | 40 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 15 | 17 |
| New Jersey | 239 | 197 | 436 |
| New Mexico | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| New York | 609 | 954 | 1563 |
| North Carolina | 50 | 41 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 5 | 18 | 23 |
| Ohio | 109 | 185 | 294 |
| Oklahoma | 6 | 21 | 27 |
| Oregon | 19 | 6 | 25 |
| Pennsylvania | 165 | 330 | 495 |
| Puerto Rico | 65 | 10 | 75 |
| Rhode Island | 8 | 25 | 33 |
| South Carolina | 17 | 21 | 38 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 9 | 11 |
| Tennessee | 44 | 41 | 85 |
| Texas | 156 | 228 | 384 |
| Utah | 2 | 9 | 11 |
| Vermont | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Virginia | 36 | 33 | 69 |
| Washington | 12 | 21 | 33 |
| West Virginia | 24 | 48 | 72 |
| Wisconsin | 29 | 48 | 77 |
| Wyoming | 6 | 1 | 7 |
IMG Friendly States – Comparison of % Change Since 2019
As you can tell, while many states didn’t see drastic changes in the number of IMGs, several states gained or lost a large portion of their IMGs. Utah tops the chart with a 120% gain (11 total IMGs) while Vermont lost 100% of their IMGs.
Did you know?
Match A Resident makes filtering by state incredibly easy. You can click “State” at the top of your Customized Residency List to group programs by state. Surprised by any of this data? Let us know in the comments below!
