@Riversider The % of students at these large public universities that are “pre-med” is also much smaller than smaller schools, like Rice or Emory.
What the “# of applicants” can tell us, when a school has a large number, is that it’s likely good fit for “pre-med” students (offering easy access to ECs, undergraduate research, pre-med advising, large # of “pre-med” type majors, etc.).
That UF generates more applicants than Rice, doesn’t mean UF is “better” for pre-med, only that UF is highly supportive and a popular choice for pre-med students. The same with UCLA, UC-B, UT-Austin, etc.