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! Roughly three out of four ARC-PA accredited PA programs have dropped the GRE entirely — and the number grows every cycle.
Below is the always-current list of US physician assistant programs that do not require the GRE for PA school acceptance — the live counts above the table tell you exactly how many, today.
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PA Programs That Don't Require the GRE
Live snapshot (Aug 5, 2026): 225 PA programs do not require the GRE, 86 require it, and 38 do not clearly state a policy.
Crunching the numbers: how many PA schools still require the GRE?
What exams are required for PA school admission?
The short answer, straight from the live counts above the table: only about 1 in 4 PA programs still require the GRE. The rest either never ask for it or will not look at it at all.
That is a genuine collapse, and it happened fast. The last time PAEA formally counted — a review of accredited program websites for its Curriculum Report 6 — 52.2% of PA programs required the GRE. Programs went test-optional when testing centers shut down in 2020, watched their classes perform exactly as well without it, and simply never went back.
| PAEA program reports, 2018–2019 | 53–58% required the GRE |
| PAEA Curriculum Report 6, 2021–22 | 52.2% required the GRE |
| Today, from our verified directory | about 27% — roughly 1 in 4 |
What about the other admission exams?
The GRE is not the only test out there, and a couple of the newer ones are quietly gaining ground while the GRE loses it. Here is PAEA's most recent national count of what programs ask for:
| TOEFL (international applicants only) | 97.0% |
| GRE | 52.2% then — about 27% now |
| CASPer (situational judgment) | 17.2% |
| PA-CAT (PA-specific content exam) | 5.6% |
| MCAT | 4.9% |
Source: PAEA Curriculum Report 6, a review of 273 accredited program websites. It is the most recent national count PAEA has published — so treat the GRE row as the floor of the decline, not the ceiling.
Watch CASPer and the PA-CAT. As programs drop the GRE, some are replacing it rather than simply removing a hurdle. Do not assume a "no GRE" program means no testing at all — check what it asks for instead.
What is considered a competitive GRE score for PA school?
Among the programs that actually publish a GRE expectation, PAEA's most recent figures put the average at roughly 306 total — about 153 verbal, 152 quantitative, and 4.1 on analytical writing.
Percentiles matter more than the raw number. Every GRE administration differs slightly in difficulty, which is exactly why the percentile exists. Clear the 50th percentile in each section and your score has done its job — after that, your energy is far better spent on your patient care hours, your science grades, and your personal statement.
And keep the GRE in perspective. Among students who actually got into PA school last cycle, the average was a 3.68 overall GPA and a 3.61 science GPA — and the science number is where admissions committees separate people. No GRE score rescues a weak science transcript, and a strong one rarely needs rescuing.
One last thing before you skip the test
"Not required" and "not accepted" are not the same thing, and neither is "optional." Some programs ignore the GRE completely, some will read a good score if you volunteer one, and a handful of the programs in our list do not state a policy clearly at all — those are flagged separately above.
Build your program list first, then decide about the test. If nobody on your list wants a score, congratulations — you just bought yourself two months of study time. Put it into your hours.
Stephen’s rule of thumb
If you do have to take it, aim for 300+ overall (150 verbal, 150 quantitative), 3.5 on analytical writing, and above the 50th percentile in every section. Above 310 is genuinely strong.
So — should you take the GRE?
Here is how I would think about it, in three lines.
Nobody on your list requires it? Then don't take it. You just handed yourself back two months of your life — put them into patient care hours, which carry far more weight anyway.
One program you love requires it? Take it once, clear the 50th percentile, and move on. Do not let a single exam become the reason you never applied.
Sitting below the GPA median and looking for a counterweight? A strong score can help at the margins. An upward grade trend and a stack of hours help more.
Here is the honest bottom line: the GRE is the smallest lever you have. Your science grades, your hours, and your essay are the big ones — and unlike a test score, every one of those is still in your hands right now.
Need help with the part that actually moves the needle? We will help you write a personal statement the admissions committee remembers — with services to fit every budget.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C
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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