Tuition, Costs, and Fees of Resident and Nonresident Tuition For All 256 US PA Programs
How Much Does it Cost to Go to PA School in 2018?
- Average cost of resident tuition + fees to graduate from an accredited physician assistant program in 2018 is: $79,941
- This is an increase of 11% from 2017
- Average cost of non-resident tuition for a 2-year physician assistant program is: $90,659
- This is a 1% increase from 2017
Two private programs (1.4%) and 59 public programs (90.8%) reported that they had separate resident and non-resident tuition rates.
Most Expensive States to Attend PA School
- California (16 programs) (PAEA): $102,595
- Massachusetts (9 programs) (PAEA): $96,000
- Connecticut (6 programs) (PAEA): $92,386
- Rhode Island (2 programs) (PAEA): $92,476
- Tennessee (9 programs) (PAEA): $91,107
Cheapest States to Attend PA School
Three of the five cheapest PA prgrams are in Texas!
- Kansas (1 program) (PAEA): $39,486
- Texas (10 programs) (PAEA): $47,827
- Alabama (2 programs) (PAEA): $63,054
- Colorado (3 programs) (PAEA): $66,703
- Iowa (4 programs) (PAEA): $68,779
- Wisconsin (5 programs) (PAEA): $69,561
Resident PA School Tuition and Fees Over The Years
- 2018: $79,941
- 2017: $71,369
- 2016: $65,564
- 2015: $64,961
The 5 Cheapest PA Schools
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Texas | 27,500 | 63,500 |
Towson University CCBC - Essex | Maryland | 31,325 | 52,026 |
Miami-Dade College | Florida | 32,000 | 45,000 |
University of Texas - HS Center at San Antonio | Texas | 36,000 | 88,485 |
University of Texas - Medical Branch at Galveston | Texas | 36,000 | 74,000 |
The 5 Most Expensive PA Schools
University of Southern California | California | 171,836 | 171,836 |
Touro University - California | California | 126,680 | 126,680 |
University of California-Davis | California | 123,735 | 123,735 |
MGH Institute of Health Professions | Massachusetts | 119,835 | 119,835 |
Pace University | New York | 116,515 | 116,515 |
2018 Physician Assistant School Tuition Table
This tuition data is meant to reflect tuition + fees for the entire program. Every school reports differently so make sure to confirm the tuition data here with the PA program using the link provided. These numbers may differ with the PAEA PA Program Directory as many of those numbers are out of date.
The following table is ordered from least to most expensive based on resident tuition. Click this link to view the interactive 2018 PA school tuition table.
PA Schools Without Published Tuition Data
2018 Tuition Table (Sortable)
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Please post updates or corrections in the comments section below and I will make sure to update the tuition data ASAP.
Is there an updated cost of Tuition and expenses for Wayne State University PA School for 2020 2021? And is there a link to any tuition assistance/ Scholarship aid? Thanks a concerned Person that wants to help a hard working PA Student research financial aid. D.S.
Hi David, please refer to my PA school directory for the most updated information. We just revamped it last week, so the latest information on all PA schools and PA residency programs can be found there. Here is the link for Wayne State University PA program: https://www.paschoolfinder.com/item/wayne-state-university/
You will find the financial tuition assistance and scholarship programs specific to each University on their websites. I also keep a post of (relatively) up-to-date info on PA scholarship and financial assistance programs here: https://www.thepalife.com/scholarships-grants-and-loan-repayment-programs-for-physician-assistants/
I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Stephen Pasquini PA-C
http://www.smartypance.com
http://www.thepalife.com
Hey Stephen, really nice work, I was wondering who is resident who is nonresident?
Does it mean resident in the specific state?
Yes, exactly, a resisdent is a person who is already a resident of that state versus one who is a resident of another state. You can always apply to become a resident once you are accepted. The process may take up to a year.
Stephen
Hi there,
thank you so much for making this! I was wanting to confirm that these costs are the tuition for the whole program and not yearly?
Hi Tiffany, yes, these are costs for tuition for the whole program. Although the fact you have to even ask is proof positive that PA school prices have gotten way out of control isn’t it!! 🙂
Stephen
Dear Stephen,
I am wondering if you have advice on this situation. My school’s actual cost is $20000 more than what they advertised. They made some changes a few month before we matriculated and didnt tell us. Didnt findout until they slapped us with a bill $13000 more than what we expected for year two. Can they do this?! The school did not respond and honestly i feel like dropping out because of it. 🙁 we really dont want to take out that much more loans.
Thanks a bunch
Jade
I’m studying Biology in Georgia College and I want to be a PA, what is the Colleges in a Georgia that offer this program and is well known or another college that is affordable in the states near by . And where can I find the requirements to apply for PA school when I finish Biology. Thanks
For University of Nebraska, instate tuition for 2018 so far is 44,807 Out of state is 116,453
Thanks for making the chart!
No problem Jade, thanks for the update. And once again prices are still going up, and fast! Ughhhh…
Stephen
Hi Stephen,
The financial advisor at the Worcester, MA campus for MCPHS got back to me.
The MCPHS Worcester campus all mandatory tuition and fees for a student starting Spring 2020 would be $52,110 for calendar year 1 (Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020) and $53,110 for calendar year 2 (Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Fall2021).
Hope this helps!
Thanks so much, Sadia for taking the time to do the research and correct this. I have updated this table and the others on my site.
Stephen
Absolutely! my pleasure.
Hi Stephen,
The tuition listed for MCPHS Worcester/Manchester for Massachusetts seems incorrect. The annual tuition for the Accelerated Master of Physician Assistant Studies (24-month) program is $47,955 (per combined fall, spring and summer semesters). This excludes cost of living expenses and I believe year II of clinical rotations with 47 credit hours might be different. I can update you once I have heard back from their financial advisor for the Worcester campus.
Hi Stephen,
If is there any PA school doesn’t required 4 years of college? I’m MA for 2 years. looking forward to join a PA program.
Hi Tony, all schools are converting to Master’s degree programs so you will need a four-year degree to apply and you will have to satisfy all of the prerequisite requirements.
Stephen
Am from Africa to be specific Kenya, have done a course called clinical medicine and surgery, am I eligible to do PA, are there scolarship for the financial challenged like me who have passion in the field?
Hi Vicky,
To practice as a PA in the United States one must graduate from an ARC-PA accredited program and be certified by the NCCPA. If interested in applying to a PA program, such individuals should contact the PAEA for information on specific programs.
Here is a wonderful resource on the topic from the ARC-PA (they accredit US PA programs and determine who may sit for the PANCE exam): http://www.arc-pa.org/frequently-asked-questions/non-us-health-care-professionals/
Before you can work in the US, you must contact the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) to complete a visa screening program which, in part, will determine if your education was equivalent to that from a US PA Program. If your education is equivalent, you are eligible for a certificate that you can submit with your visa application to the US State Department. The State Department’s approval of your occupational visa may help you enter the U.S. but you are still not eligible to work as a PA in the U.S.
To become a PA in the United States, individuals must also attend and graduate from an ARC-PA–accredited entry-level PA program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certifying of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
For information on PA programs contact the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA): https://paeaonline.org/ and the directory of PA programs here: http://directory.paeaonline.org/
Eligibility criteria for taking the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) are available on the NCCPA web site: http://www.nccpa.net/
Additional information on practicing as a PA in the US can be found at the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ (AAPA) website: https://www.aapa.org/
To determine if an individual state allows non-US educated physicians to practice as PAs without additional education and national certification, you would have to contact the licensing bodies of the specific states.
To find PA programs that accept International students:
I would start by searching the PAEA directory website and click the box “Accept int’l applicants.” Currently, there are 138 programs that accept international students. From there you need to narrow down further based on requirements. I would then use my PA program picker table. You can narrow your search even further using all your variables: https://www.thepalife.com/pa-program-picker/
Then, follow the links to the PA program websites and reach out to them personally. They will be able to guide you better than I since every program is a bit different. If you have any questions afterward just shoot me a reply.
Stephen
Yale’s tuition is incorrect. For the 28 month program it comes out to about $170,000
Wow! That’s horrible 🙂 I have updated the table with the correct tuition. Thanks so much for the update!
Stephen
Des Moines University’s PA School accreditation status should be Continued instead of Probationary, at least according to the school’s website.
Thanks so much, Robert, I have updated the table!
Are these costs for the entire PA program?
So for Stony Brook University, is the total cost for 4 full semesters is $114,600?
Yes, Amy, these are meant to be costs for the entire program, but sometimes they are reported incorrectly on the program website or they may have changed since we last updated the table so make sure to double check on the program website by following the links provided.
Stephen
Hello, the website link and the cost of tuition are incorrect for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine PA Program in Columbia SC. You have a link that goes to Alabama, and the cost you listed includes all costs, room, board, transportation, computer, thumbtacks, everything! Also, our state is a little confusing becasue there is also MUSC, which is in Charleston, SC, it is The Medical University of South Carolina. I believe the link and tuition are essentially correct for them. Thanks! Jack
Thanks, Jack, I have updated the link and the information in the table. I appreciate your input!!
Stephen
MCPHS (Boston) tuition seems incorrect as well, as it is $37,200 per combined fall and spring semester which is already at least $74,400 for the didactic years, and then there is another ~9 months of clinicals.
I think you are right Pat, I have updated the table, looks like in reality, it is about 137K!
Stephen
Penn state’s tuition is incorrect. The published number includes cost of living. Actual cost of the program itself is cheaper
Thank’s so much Nyle, I have updated the table with the correct tuition data. The cost of the program is about 73,686/yr.
Stephen