Jacksonville University announces partnership to bring four-year medical school

Jacksonville, Fl — Jacksonville will soon be home to a four-year medical school as a result of a partnership between Jacksonville University and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

LECOM is the nation’s largest medical college and osteopathic academic health system. The medical school has announced long-term clinical agreements with Baptist Health, Flagler Health+, AdventHealth, HCA Florida Memorial Hospital, and Brooks Rehabilitation.

LISTEN: Jacksonville University President Tim Cost on Jacksonville’s Morning News

“Jacksonville has become a globally recognized healthcare hub and will now be enhanced by a four-year medical school that can deliver a pipeline of talented physicians to meet the healthcare needs of a growing population,” said Jacksonville University President Tim Cost.

J.U. will be the fifth campus that LECOM operates. It was founded in 1992 and offers the lowest tuition among private U.S. medical schools.

The Jacksonville medical school expects to welcome an inaugural class of approximately 75 medical students in 2026. Total enrollment is projected to grow to nearly 150 students per year within five years.

Students will be housed within the Jacksonville University Medical Mall, which sits on J.U.’s Arlington campus along University Boulevard North.

“With the addition of LECOM at Jacksonville University, we expect to be a thriving home for medical students, faculty and staff, all of whom will need places to study, live, eat and socialize and that will drive economic growth in the surrounding area,” said President Cost.