Are you like me and looking to dodge the GRE?
Does the thought of studying for the GRE exam make your palms sweat and your heart flutter?
Wouldn't it be great if you could find PA schools that don't require the GRE and simply avoid the GRE exam altogether?
Well, you are in luck! Out of 260 accredited and developing PA programs, there are quite a few (∼46.8%) that do not require the GRE. Even better is that the percentage of PA programs requiring the GRE year over year is going down!
Here is a list of the 85 US and International Physician Assistant Programs that do not require the GRE for PA school acceptance
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85 PA Programs That Don't Require the GRE
Click here to view an interactive map or sort, search, and select your program using my perfect PA program picker tool. Also, check out the latest post in our PA Advisor Series - The GRE and PA School.
*Last updated 07/25/2020 - remember schools update their requirements constantly so make sure to confirm this on the school's website before applying.
- Augsburg College Physician Assistant Program
- Bay Path University Physician Assistant Program
- Bethel University (Minnesota) Physician Assistant Program
- California Baptist University
- Charles R. Drew University Physician Assistant Program
- Concordia University Physician Assistant Program (Michigan / Wisconsin)
- CUNY Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education
- D’youville College Physician Assistant Program
- Daemen College Physician Assistant Program
- Dominican University of California
- Drexel University Physician Assistant Program
- Duquesne University Physician Assistant Program
- Eastern Virginia Medical School Physician Assistant Program
- Franklin College Physician Assistant Program
- Franklin Pierce University Physician Assistant Program
- Gannon University Physician Assistant Program
- Gardner-Webb University Physician Assistant Program
- Heritage University Physician Assistant Program
- Hofstra University Physician Assistant Program
- Interservice Physician Assistant Program
- King’s College Physician Assistant Program
- Le Moyne College Physician Assistant Program
- Loma Linda University Physician Assistant Program
- Marshall B. Ketchum University Physician Assistant Program
- MCPHS University Physician Assistant Program (Boston)
- MCPHS University Physician Assistant Program (Manchester) New Hampshire
- MCPHS University Physician Assistant Program (Worcester) Massachusetts
- Meharry Medical College
- Mercy College Physician Assistant Program
- Miami-Dade College
- New York Institute of Technology Physician Assistant Program
- Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program
- Oklahoma City University
- Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) PA Program
- Pace University Physician Assistant Program
- Pace University, Pleasantville
- Pacific University Physician Assistant Program
- Pennsylvania College of Technology Physician Assistant Program
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Physician Assistant Program
- Philadelphia University Physician Assistant Program
- Quinnipiac University Physician Assistant Program
- Red Rocks Community College Physician Assistant Program
- Rochester Institute of Technology Physician Assistant Program
- Rutgers University Physician Assistant Program
- Sacred Heart University Physician Assistant Program
- Saint Francis University Physician Assistant Program
- Samuel Merritt University Physician Assistant Program
- Seton Hill University Physician Assistant Program
- Slippery Rock University Physician Assistant Program
- Southern California University of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program
- Springfield College Physician Assistant Program
- St. John’s University Physician Assistant Program
- Stony Brook University Physician Assistant Program
- Sullivan University Physician Assistant Program
- SUNY Downstate Medical Center Physician Assistant Program
- Thomas Jefferson University Physician Assistant Program
- Touro College (Bay Shore) Physician Assistant Program
- Touro College (Manhattan) Physician Assistant Program
- Touro University Physician Assistant Program (California)
- Towson University CCBC – Essex Physician Assistant Program
- Union College Physician Assistant Program
- University of Bridgeport Physician Assistant Program
- University of California-Davis Physician Assistant Program
- University of Dayton Physician Assistant Program
- University of Findlay Physician Assistant Program
- University of Incarnate Word Physician Assistant Program
- University of La Verne
- University of Manitoba
- University of Nevada, Reno
- University of North Dakota Physician Assistant Program
- University of Saint Joseph Physician Assistant Program
- University of South Dakota Physician Assistant Program
- University of Tampa
- University of the Pacific
- University of the Sciences of Philadelphia Physician Assistant Program
- University of Toledo Physician Assistant Program
- University of Utah
- University of Wisconsin – Madison Physician Assistant Program
- Valparaiso University
- Wagner College Physician Assistant Program
- West Liberty University Physician Assistant Program
- Western Michigan University
- Western University of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program
- Westfield State University
- Wichita State University Physician Assistant Program
Crunching The Numbers
What exams are required for PA school admission?
Here is data from the latest PAEA PA program report. The number in the right-hand column indicates the percentage of schools requiring each exam type. The good news is that the percentage of PA schools requiring the GRE is going down. Compare today's 53% of PA schools requiring the GRE to 76% of PA schools requiring the GRE in 2015!
| GRE | 53.2% |
| TOEFL | 26.8% |
| MCAT or GRE | 7.7% |
| SAT | 3.4% |
| ACT | 3.0% |
| MCAT | 0.4% |
| Other | 2.6% |
| None | 22.6% |
What is considered a competitive GRE score for PA school?
According to the latest PAEA program survey and report, the average verbal reasoning score was 152.2 (SD = 5.32), and the average quantitative reasoning score was 152.0 (SD = 3.68). The average analytical writing score was 3.9 (SD = 0.28). If you like numbers, here are even more stats on what makes a competitive PA school candidate.
Find the perfect PA program to suit your needs with my Perfect PA Program Picker!
Search and sort through all 256 accredited and developing PA school programs by healthcare experience, resident and non-resident PA school tuition, PA program duration, GRE requirements, overall GPA, prerequisite GPA, and science GPA requirements. Search by PA program accreditation status, CASPA participation, PA school class size, five-year PANCE pass rates, and international student acceptance.
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Hi Stephen….
Great job you’ve done and still doing. So i am an international graduate with an MD from my country in Africa(Nigeria). Now my concern are all the prerequisites ranging from 7-10year. I have been practicing for ober 12years and of course did all those basic sciences as part of my preclinical rotations. So how does this match the prerequisites being requested for. Also i seek an affordable school not requiring both GRE and TOEFL. Thank you
Hello! Thank you for this list. I am looking into the PA route but have a lot on my plate to get started. Do some PA schools not look at overall GPAs and just the pre-reqs to count? While I did well in undergrad with a 3.88 GPA, I am not currently doing well in my special master’s program (SMP) this spring semester with C’s in microbio and histology, and an F in immunology. I plan to withdraw immunology and retake it somewhere else. My question is, do I even have to retake it if PA schools don’t require it? How badly will it look that I had an F in a master’s level class? Will they focus on my undergraduate classes more? I feel like before I even look into what PA schools don’t require a GRE, I have to retake a class that I wished I didn’t. Please help the best you can to reassure me. Thank you!
I think the best situation would be to not report the F in immunology and to withdraw from the class, you will also want to work hard to bring up those grades in microbiology and histology as schools do care a lot about the trend. It will overshadow your outstanding work in undergrad as they will see these specialty master’s classes as a better reflection of how you may perform in their program and that might (unfortunately) give them cold feet.
University of Texas Rio Grande and University of North Texas also do require the GRE
My apologies, to my last comment, Rio Grande and North Texas do NOT require the GRE
Sorry about that
Hi Stephen,
I graduated from medical school (MD equivalent) in Australia and have hands on experience as an ophthalmologist in England. I am a US green card holder, currently living in Michigan. I would like to work as PA in an ophthalmology office in the US. Do I need PA qualifications in order to practice? If so, can this be done fully online via asynchronous learning in minimal time? Also, I haven’t taken SATS, GRE, etc. please advise. Thank you.
Hi, SJ,
From the standpoint of the ARC-PA, individuals educated as physicians outside of the United States are not treated any differently than any other prospective PA student. 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 Pasquini PA-C
http://www.thepalife.com
http://www.smartypance.com
OHSU in Portland, OR doesn’t require GRE or MCAT
Thanks so much, Brianna, I have added this to the list!
Stephen
Howard University, does not have PA program anymore. Unfortunately.
Thanks so much for the update Chris, I have removed Howard University from the list and updated my PA school finder website! Much appreciated. 🙂
Stephen
I think this list is wonderful, but full of mistakes and broken links. I just started my search and already found 4 schools from this list that do require GRE, and 2 of them even posted minimum score!?
Thanks so much, Tina! You inspired me to get off my duff and update this for 2019/2020. It’s amazing how much has changed in just 12 months since I last updated this post. I have fixed all the broken links and removed schools that do now require the GRE. For a while schools were dropping the GRE as a pre-PA requirement. The trend now, unfortunately, is moving in the opposite direction. This will likely not change as PA schools receive more applications this gives them just way to sift through the masses. Thanks again!
Stephen
These programs require GRE test:
1. Rocky Vista University: http://www.rvu.edu/rvu-co/mpas/#1526081136720-6ee63eb8-39ab
2. College of Saint Mary: http://www.csm.edu/academics/health-human-services/master-science-physician-assistant-studies
3. Frostburg State University: https://www.frostburg.edu/academics/majorminors/graduate/ms-physician-assistant/additional-resources/admission-requirements.php
4. Our Lady of the Holy Cross College – LSU Health: https://alliedhealth.lsuhsc.edu/pa/docs/PAAdmissionsGuidelines.pdf?version1.222018
5. Saint Louis University Physician Assistant Program: https://catalog.slu.edu/colleges-schools/health-sciences/physician-assistant-education/medical-sciences-mms/#text
** Kean University – No longer accepting applications 2019: https://www.kean.edu/academics/programs/physician-assistant
Thanks, James, I have updated the list and links. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this and provide updated links to the program websites! I’m always amazed that so many PA schools change their domains for their PA programs and don’t forward it automatically to the new address.
Stephen
Is there a list of PA schools that don’t require your prerequisites to have been taken within the last 10 years from date of matriculation? I’m hoping to not have to take my general chemistry and biology over (I took them as a freshmen in college but graduated in 2010). Many schools want you withing the 10 year mark and I’m 2 years over but I taught Biochemisty to undergrads in graduate school as a TA! I have e-mailed some schools and they reply that there’s no exception and my application won’t make it through.
Hi Abbigail, I would love to develop such a list, many schools don’t publish this on their websites and because programs change their requirements from year-to-year it would take a bit of work to create and maintain an updated database…. It wouldn’t be impossible though! It’s a shame that schools won’t bend on this, it seems ridiculous in cases like yours where you have been teaching biochemistry for example!! Is this data published in The Applicant’s Manual of Physician Assistant Programs 2019? I know I don’t have it on my paschoolfinder.com website.
– Stephen