Direct Entry PA Programs
Updated July 11, 2026. Looking for the most current list of direct entry PA programs, BS/MS physician assistant programs, and high school direct entry physician assistant programs?
After a fresh review of official university and physician assistant program pages, I found 31 current direct-entry or accelerated undergraduate-to-PA pathways in the United States, plus 1 active affiliate-partnership pathway network that I list separately below.
These direct entry PA programs are designed for motivated students who want to move from high school or the undergraduate years into a physician assistant or physician associate program through a structured pathway. Depending on the school, that may look like a 3+2, 4+2, 3+3, BA/MS, BS/MS, or reserved-seat model.
For this update, I counted only programs that currently advertise one of the following:
- A true high school/freshman-entry PA pathway,
- A combined or accelerated BS/MS, BA/MS, or BS/MHS structure, or
- A reserved or conditional undergraduate-to-graduate PA route housed at the same institution.
I did not count standard pre-PA advising majors that still require students to apply later through the regular graduate admissions pool with no reserved pathway. In other words, if the current official page now reads more like "prepare to apply later" than "start here as a direct-entry or accelerated PA student," I removed it from the main list.
Most direct-entry physician assistant programs are still conditional. Students may need to maintain GPA thresholds, complete patient care hours, interview successfully, meet professionalism standards, or pass a formal progression review before starting the professional PA phase. An understanding of the physician assistant's role is still expected.
If you are comparing direct entry PA programs, pay especially close attention to whether a school offers true direct admission, only a guaranteed interview, or a competitive secondary review before the graduate phase.
Want to filter these instead of scrolling a table? Every program below also lives in my free Direct Entry PA Programs directory on PA School Finder, where each listing shows the program’s actual pathway model — 3+2, 4+2, or freshman entry — and, importantly, whether the seat is truly guaranteed or whether it only earns you an interview. Every entry is re-verified from the program’s official site each month.
31 Current Direct Entry PA Programs and Accelerated BS/MS Pathways
The table below includes the current schools I could verify as direct-entry, accelerated, or reserved-pathway physician assistant programs as of July 11, 2026.
| Program | State | Current pathway model | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | NY | Early-assurance BS/PA partnership | Eligible first-year ACPHS students can secure a seat in Albany Med's PA program before classes begin; interview and progression standards apply. |
| Chatham University | PA | Integrated degree / pathway admission | Highly qualified first-year applicants can enter Chatham's integrated health-science pathways, including PA-related accelerated progression. |
| College of Saint Mary | NE | 3+2 Pre-PA Pathway | Current pathway accepts high school seniors and transfers; guaranteed admission into CSM's MSPAS if progression benchmarks are met. Note: the official PA page states the program was placed on ARC-PA Accreditation-Probation in June 2025. |
| Commonwealth University | PA | 3+2 and 4+2 Pre-PA options | The Lock Haven campus still advertises a direct-admission 3+2 option plus 4+2 routes; interview and progression requirements apply. |
| D'Youville University | NY | 4.5-year BS+MS pathway | D'Youville's official page currently describes this as a 4.5-year physician assistant program. |
| Daemen University | NY | Dual degree BS/MS pathway | The official page lists a Natural Science-Health Science, B.S. / Physician Assistant Studies, M.S. dual degree. |
| DeSales University | PA | Accelerated Medical Studies to PA pathway | DeSales continues to market the Medical Studies undergraduate pathway that feeds its PA graduate program. |
| Duquesne University | PA | Freshman-entry five-year pathway | Duquesne still advertises freshman admission and guaranteed-style progression into its PA program if standards are maintained. |
| Elon University | NC | Accelerated pathway to PA | Elon continues to advertise an accelerated PA pathway for undergraduates, with competitive progression criteria. |
| Gannon University | PA | Five-Year BS in Health Science + MPAS | Gannon's official undergraduate PA page still lists the five-year BS in Health Science / Master of Physician Assistant Science option. |
| Hofstra University | NY | Freshman-entry dual degree | Hofstra still has a dedicated freshman applicants page for its PA Studies dual-degree pathway. |
| Thomas Jefferson University | PA | 4+2 dual degree | Jefferson's official page currently lists a 4+2 Health Sciences BS / Physician Assistant Studies MS dual degree. |
| Kettering College | OH | MPAS Direct Admission | Kettering still offers direct admit status for exceptional high school students; it is available only to freshmen and requires strict progression standards. |
| King's College | PA | Accelerated undergraduate-to-PA pathway | King's continues to advertise an undergraduate route that progresses into its physician assistant program. |
| Le Moyne College | NY | Direct-entry PA Studies pathway | Le Moyne still maintains a dedicated direct-entry physician assistant studies page. |
| Marquette University | WI | Accelerated degree program | Marquette's official page still describes a biomedical sciences major with an accelerated PA degree option. |
| Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | MA | BS/MPAS pathway | MCPHS continues to list a BS in Premedical and Health Studies / MPAS pathway. |
| Mercy College of Ohio | OH | Pre-PA Direct Entry | Mercy's official page says direct-entry students are identified in high school and that admission into the direct-entry track is competitive. |
| New York Institute of Technology | NY | Life Sciences BS / PA Studies MS | New York Tech still lists a combined undergraduate-to-PA pathway. |
| Quinnipiac University | CT | Dual-degree BS / MHS in PA | Quinnipiac's official page currently describes an entry-level dual-degree BS in Health Science Studies / MHS in Physician Assistant. |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | NY | BS/MS Physician Assistant pathway | RIT still maintains an official Physician Assistant BS/MS program page. |
| Rutgers University | NJ | 3+3 BA/MS pathway | Rutgers still advertises a 3+3 BA/MS Physician Assistant pathway through Rutgers School of Health Professions. |
| Saint Francis University | PA | Accelerated PA Science pathway | Saint Francis still markets freshman-entry PA degree options through its physician assistant science pathway. |
| Seton Hall University | NJ | 3+3 dual degree | Seton Hall's current page describes a Biology BS / Physician Assistant MS dual degree, with graduate work beginning after the junior year for students in good standing. |
| Seton Hill University | PA | BS/MS direct-entry pathway | Seton Hill continues to advertise a BS/MS physician assistant pathway for first-year students. |
| Slippery Rock University | PA | SRU 3+2 pathway | SRU's official PA page still references its 3+2 pre-physician assistant route. |
| Springfield College | MA | Undergraduate-to-PA pathway | Springfield's current undergraduate PA studies page remains active and positions students for progression into the professional PA phase. |
| Union Adventist University | NE | Accelerated Pre-PA Biomedical Science (3+3) | Union still advertises a six-year accelerated pre-PA option and says its undergraduates receive preferred status when applying to Union's PA program. |
| University of Detroit Mercy | MI | Freshman-entry accelerated pathway | Detroit Mercy continues to market a freshman-entry physician assistant pathway with accelerated progression. |
| University of Evansville | IN | Accelerated undergraduate-to-PA pathway | Evansville's official physician assistant pathway page remains active for undergraduate applicants. |
| Wagner College | NY | BS/MS PA program | Wagner still maintains a dedicated BS/MS Physician Assistant Program page. |
Compare these programs side by side. The programs above are filterable on PA School Finder’s Direct Entry PA Programs page — compare them by GPA, GRE, prerequisites, tuition, and PANCE pass rate. Or use the free PA Program Match tool to narrow all 350+ accredited PA programs down to the ones that actually fit you.
Additional Direct Entry PA Program Partnership Pathway
Salus University still lists active physician assistant academic partnerships, including 3+2 and 4+2 arrangements plus guaranteed-interview agreements with selected undergraduate institutions. I did not add Salus to the main count above because these are partner-school pathways rather than a single campus-based direct-entry seat, but they are still worth knowing about if you are researching accelerated PA options and comparing similar direct entry PA programs.
Programs Removed From This Direct Entry PA Programs List
During this July 10, 2026 audit, I removed schools when the current official site now showed one of the following:
- a standard pre-PA or pre-health advising route that prepares students to apply later, but no longer advertises a true direct-entry seat or combined pathway,
- a graduate-only PA admissions page,
- an inactive, broken, or redirected legacy page, or
- an old arrangement that no longer appears on the current official site.
That group included legacy entries such as Arcadia, Butler, Drexel, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, Marywood, Nova Southeastern Fort Myers, Penn College, Shenandoah, Stockton, University of the Cumberlands, the former USP/Saint Joseph's linkage, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne, and Valparaiso. I also excluded any program page that now clearly reads as "prepare to apply later" instead of "enter an accelerated or reserved-seat PA pathway now."
How to Compare Direct Entry PA Programs
If your goal is to find the best direct entry PA programs for high school seniors, start by narrowing the list by state, pathway type, and how much progression risk you are comfortable with. A 3+2 or 4+2 structure can save time, but some programs still require a formal progression review before the master's phase begins.
Before applying, verify:
- Whether the pathway is truly direct admission or only preferred consideration,
- The minimum GPA and science GPA required to keep your seat,
- Whether patient care hours are needed before matriculation,
- Whether an interview is still required before the professional phase, and
- The program's current ARC-PA accreditation status.
If you spot a launch, closure, merger, renamed page, or pathway change, let me know in the comments. These programs change often, and I now re-check them against current official university pages before adding them here.
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What are the requirements like sat score or any essays needed in order for me to get into one of the pa programs?
Hi Mel, you can read my other response in regards to SAT scores. As far as essays, I am not sure if all schools require them. I know years ago when I applied to The University of Washington prior to the days of direct entry PA programs a personal statement of intent was required and this was a very big part of the admissions process. Probably depends a lot on the school. Do you have some schools in mind?
Stephen
Hi, thanks for compiling this list! I’m curious, can a student accepted to and enrolled in one of these programs change his/her mind while in the program and decide to pursue medical school instead? Would he/she have the proper prerequisites? Could he/she then just graduate with a bachelor degree instead? My son isn’t sure yet and may change his mind. Thank you!
Hi Christina, this is such a good question!
The pre-PA track may or may not (depending on the school) fulfill the same prerequisite coursework one would need to apply to PA school. My inclination would be that it would not by default. But it may be possible to take higher level pre-medical coursework that would fulfill both. Either way, he will be on track to graduate with a bachelors degree. In my case, I was on a pre-med track so I took all upper division science classes which were not necessarily required by many PA schools (this, in the end, helped me). During my junior year when I decided to pursue the PA track, I did change my major so that I could fulfill some of the pre-PA coursework which was not required by many medical schools such as anatomy and physiology (among others). He should definitely speak with an academic advisor at his school if he has any doubts. It may be better for him to forgo a direct entry dual degree program in order to keep his options open as he is able to get hands-on experience and nail down which route is best for him.
Not sure if this was posted yet, Since their merge, Philadelphia University is now called Jefferson, in case anyone tries to look it up.
Thanks so much, Karen I have updated the chart to reflect the changes.
Stephen
Valparaiso University (IN) has a 3+2 program:
https://www.valpo.edu/physician-assistant-program/programs/bshs/
Thanks so much, Jon I have updated the table and added Valparaiso Universit to the list of 3 + 2 accelerated BS/MS PA programs.
Stephen
Does Maryland have any PA schools? Or the surrounding DMV (D.C, Maryland, Virginia) area?
Philadelphia University has now combined with Thomas Jefferson University and offer a 3+2 pa program and a 4+2 pa program!
Thanks, Kathryn, I have updated the table and have combined the programs into the new Thomas Jefferson University BS/MS 3 + 2 PA program.
Stephen
So happy my daughter got into the Seton Hall pa program!!!
Hi Angela, thanks for your comment, what is your daughter’s favorite aspect of the Seton Hall 3 + 2 BS/MS PA program? Is she happy she went the direct admit route?
Stephen
Any five-year PA Programs that accept transfer students if I am a freshman at another university?
Pace doesn’t have a dual degree program.
Thank’s Angela, I have updated the table. I appreciate you taking the time to point this out!
Stephen
Hello,
Why are there no Dual Programs is in the West Coast? Do you know of any?
Hi Maria, this is a great question. In my experience, West Coast PA Schools like MEDEX, OHSU, UCDAVIS (among many others) have notoriously required more HCE hours prior to admissions. This may have something to do with it, but I think it warrants further investigation.
Hi! I am trying to transfer into an undergraduate PA program. Can you tell me wwhat programs accept transfer students? I know Quinnipiac doesn’t. Thank you!
Hi Amitha, I am sorry I don’t have this information but it can be found on the PAEA website: http://directory.paeaonline.org/programs
Unfortunately, it is not in the list of search modifiers so you have to go through each program individually and on the PAEA website it shows that Quinnipiac does not accept transfer students but I find the information in their database can often be outdated. Best to contact the programs and find out for sure.
I may do a post on this in the future! Thanks for your questions.
Stephen
I’m 27 with a degree in Economics and a minor in Sport Management, with work experience in corporate tech presales and various roles in executive recruiting. I am looking at medicine from the former athlete and recent infection victim with a compassion for helping others not only overcome health afflictions but to go beyond treatment and use cutting edge research to give athletes a competitive edge.
I am considering PA school to revisit the academic work attributable to treating patients, which I abandoned after my freshman year for lack of interest in plant biology. I have a sense that at this point, another year of prereqs + 2-2.5 years of PA school puts such a gap between me and others who, I am now learning, are not only coming straight from college but even high school! I cannot help but think there is a more practical career option for me, despite the “follow your passion” narrative.
What other kinds of medical professions could I work today where I could perhaps use my current educational and professional background that would not place me at the bottom of the barrel?
I feel as though I have many other outside interests as well but am struggling to find where my strengths, personality, and skills line up within fulfilling responsibilities.
Hi Chase, I don’t think your experience places you at the bottom of the barrel at all, in fact, I think it is quite the contrary. So, I believe the PA profession could still be a very viable option… Possibly the best option. But it depends on what you really want to do. Other options include MD, DO, PT, athletic trainer, OT, or nutritionist. There are probably a host of other career options as well depending on your interests. Don’t sell yourself short for PA school. They are looking for experienced, qualified applicants like yourself.
Stephen
Hi Stephen!
I’m a junior in high school interested in being a PA. In your opinion, do you think it is worth it to go to a direct admission program? I have looked at this list many times, but not many of the colleges have what I want outside of the PA program. I am concerned about getting my undergrad and then having to apply to PA school, because I know that the demand is increasing and I don’t want to miss my shot. Thanks in advance!
Hi Kathryn, I think this is a great question. Honestly, I am not sold that a direct entry dual degree program is the way to go. I loved being able to complete my 4-years of undergrad in Seattle, work and travel a bit and then go back to PA school, which for me was a three-year program. But I also see the value of a more direct route. I don’t think you have to sweat it though, and I would focus on what you want in a college over the direct entry route. In my humble opinion.
Stephen
i was wondering what college in seattle is good for pa. i just visited seattle and i really love it. wondering if there any good colleges over there
Medex is the place to be 🙂 https://depts.washington.edu/medex/
When do you plan on adding new universities to this list. I am currently a highschool freshman. Do you think this list will subject to change. I want more options for dual/direct entry pa programs, hopefully more in the state of NJ
Yes, Yeng, schools are adding/changing/updating their offerings all the time. I update this table whenever I become aware of a new direct entry PA program. If you know of any that are not on this list please share!
Thanks, Stephen
Are there any accelerated/5yr/direct-entry PA programs within the state of Texas?
Hi Megha, I don’t know off the top of my head. I would suggest using my PA Program Picker (put in the search query “Texas”) and see what you find. You can also search by state at my companion website PASchoolFinder – here are all the programs in Texas: https://www.paschoolfinder.com/?s=&category=&location=410&a=true
I will add these accelerated programs to my program picker!
Stephen
Hi! I have looked at this list many times, because I am very interested in the PA profession. Thank you so much for making it and keeping it updated! I was just wondering if you like being a PA and what you think the pros and cons are of being a PA? Thank you so much:)
Hi Ashley, yes I love being a PA.
Pro’s: I get to work with people that I love every day from all walks of life, my profession is a helping profession, I get to make a good living doing good work that fills the soul, I get to laugh every day at work, as a PA you get to experieince life at it’s most vulnerable, it’s about humanity, caring, holding hands, hugging, being part of families, kids lives, well child checks, new babies, sometimes sad moments, painful moments, joyful moments. It is the entire scope of the human experience. The schedule can be what you need it to be if you work at it, we are in incredibly high demand, we have skills that can be used in International aid work, my kids think my stethoscope is cool, learning is endless, science and medicine are fascinating, collaboration, it is technology forward, and… did I mention that because of my job I get to speak with people like you! 🙂
Con’s: Long days, paperwork, insurance companies, many barriers to good care, insurance companies (did I already say that), working inside (sometimes I wish I could get some sun for gosh sakes), hospitals (I really don’t like hospitals but I don’t mind clinics), it is hard to be spontaneous with things like vacation and days off without canceling on all my patients, I don’t get summers off (my mom in this sense was right when she said I should become a teacher).
The Pro’s outweigh the Con’s in my mind by a margin of a lot.
What is your Pro’s and Con’s list?
Stephen
Are there any opportunities like this for non-traditional students interested in PA school?
University of New England no longer offers the program.
Thanks so much, I have removed the University of New England from the table!
Stephen
Dear Stephen! We got acceptances to Arcadia, Hofstra, Albany PA programs. Trying to make the best choice. Based on your knowledge, can you discuss pros and cons for each program? Thank you very much in advance!
Hi Elena, I would love to help but I am not really in the best position to do this. After going to the interviews and visiting the campus, faculty, and students… can you tell me the pros and cons? Then take a look at program accreditation, PANCE pass rates (although I am not sure this is always the best indicator), location, costs, etc. etc. I would recommend setting up a pro’s and cons list or using a weighted decision matrix like the one I created here: https://www.thepalife.com/decision-matrix/
Although it compares two variables (PA vs. MD) you can use the downloadable Excel spreadsheet to compare each of these schools side by side giving each variable a weighted average. At the end of the process, I think you will have made your decision. Would love it if you have time to drop on by and let me know your findings!
Stephen
We’re your sat scores really high? My daughter is going to start applying to colleges and is nervous since some schools only take 25ish students.
I believe College of Saint Mary does as well
Thank’s so much, I have added College of Saint Mary to the list.