Match Day is one of the most exciting days of any medical student’s career. It is the culmination of countless hours of work and dedication, and marks both the end of one journey and the beginning of another. Now, you can read about the NRMP® 2025 Main Residency Match highlights below.

Let’s take a look at the 2025 Match Highlights:

Record-Breaking Participation:

• The 2025 Main Residency Match was the largest in the NRMP’s history, with a record number of applicants and residency training programs participating.
• A total of 52,498 applicants registered for the Match, marking an increase from the previous year.
• The number of available training positions also increased, with 43,237 positions offered.

Multiple Application Service Providers. In response to the changing landscape of graduate medical education, the 2025 transition to residency cycle included for the first time multiple application services for applicants to secure residency positions. The NRMP® played a pivotal role in fostering collaboration among application service providers, namely working to streamline processes, improve transparency, and fortify data integrity for a more efficient transition experience for applicants.

2025 IMG Match Trends

• There were 4,587 active U.S. citizen international medical graduates (IMGs) in the Match, a decline of 3.5 percent, with a PGY-1 match rate of 67.8 percent, which represents a 0.8 percentage point increase over last year.
• Non-U.S. citizen IMGs saw a large increase in participation this year with 11,465 active applicants, up 14.4 percent over 2024. The marked increase in participation served to push the PGY-1 match rate down but only slightly, 0.5 of a percentage point, to 58.0 percent.

The numbers are in — 9,761 IMGs are set to join the U.S. healthcare system this year! This is a huge achievement, and we couldn’t be more excited for everyone who matched.

Here’s how IMGs performed by specialty:

• Internal Medicine – 3,573 Non-U.S. IMGs | 1,145 U.S. IMGs
• Family Medicine – 801 Non-U.S. IMGs | 626 U.S. IMGs
• Pediatrics – 590 Non-U.S. IMGs | 251 U.S. IMGs
• Emergency Medicine – 131 Non-U.S. IMGs | 315 U.S. IMGs
• Psychiatry – 190 Non-U.S. IMGs | 153 U.S. IMGs
• Surgery Prelim – 240 Non-U.S. IMGs

This year’s Match also saw a record 4.2% increase in total residency positions, with a 94% fill rate.

See Full Data NRMP

Celebrating the Success of Matched IMGs

Congratulations to those IMGs who persevered and Matched in 2025! The road is never easy, and your success serves as an inspiration to all future IMG applicants.

Would you like to learn more about how to succeed in Matching as an IMG? Hear all about it straight from successful residency applicants just like you. Watch some of our IMG Success Story Interviews – now available on YouTube!

We hope you enjoyed learning about the 2025 Match Highlights. Keep reading for information on how to succeed in this year’s Match.

Support Options

If you’re applying for the 2025–2026 Match Cycle, now is the perfect time to start planning your Personal Statement. ResidencyStatement.com specialize in helping residency applicants craft compelling, personalized statements that stand out. Whether you’re starting from scratch or need expert editing, our team is here to guide you toward a statement that reflects your strengths and story with clarity and confidence.

Access for the 2025-2026 Match Cycle is now available through Match A Resident. We compare your unique applicant criteria (USMLE scores, years since graduation, USCE, and visa status) to programs’ requirements and preferences, saving you countless hours of research. Explore your Customized List of residency programs today!

If you have questions, email us at support@matcharesident.com and we will be happy to assist you!

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