What are the Best PA Schools? Physician Assistant School Rankings

Does the PA school you attend really make a difference?

When it comes to finding a job, probably not so much, but when it comes to obtaining superb clinical experience along with solid faculty, excellent academics, and a top rate student body - then yes, the PA school you attend does matter.

Below is a list of the very best (Duke University and University of Iowa) and worst physician assistant schools based on a survey of academics at peer institutions.

This table is updated annually to reflect the most recent PA school ranking data and populated from the latest US News and World Report annual summary.

PA School Ranking by Five Year PANCE Pass Rates

Since 1998 US News has been publishing the only known ranking of PA programs. Their rankings are based on subjective peer assessment surveys of PA program faculty. Is there a better rating system? View my post on PA school rankings by PANCE pass rates

View PANCE Ranking Data

Physician Assistant School Rankings

Last updated 05/09/2016

RANK	SCHOOL NAME
#1	Duke University

	Durham, NC
#2	University of Iowa

	Iowa City, IA
#3 Tie	Emory University

	Atlanta, GA
#3 Tie	George Washington University

	Washington, DC
#5 Tie	Oregon Health and Sciences University

	Portland, OR
#5 Tie	Quinnipiac University

	Hamden, CT
#5 Tie	University of Colorado

	Aurora, CO
#5 Tie	University of Utah

	Salt Lake City, UT
#9 Tie	University of Nebraska Medical Center

	Omaha, NE
#9 Tie	Wake Forest University

	Winston-Salem, NC
#11 Tie	Interservice Physician Assistant Program

	Fort Sam Houston, TX
#11 Tie	University of Washington

	Seattle, WA
#13 Tie	Baylor College of Medicine

	Houston, TX
#13 Tie	Drexel University

	Philadelphia, PA
#15	University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

	Dallas, TX
#16 Tie	Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

	Piscataway, NJ
#16 Tie	Shenandoah University

	Winchester, VA
#16 Tie	Stony Brook University—SUNY

	Stony Brook, NY
#16 Tie	University of Alabama—Birmingham

	Birmingham, AL
#20 Tie	Midwestern University

	Downers Grove, IL
#20 Tie	Midwestern University

	Glendale, AZ
#20 Tie	Northeastern University

	Boston, MA
#20 Tie	Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

	North Chicago, IL
#20 Tie	University of Southern California (Keck)

	Alhambra, CA
#20 Tie	Yale University

	New Haven, CT
#26	Eastern Virginia Medical School

	Norfolk, VA
#27 Tie	Duquesne University

	Pittsburgh, PA
#27 Tie	Northwestern University

	Chicago, IL
#27 Tie	Seton Hall University

	South Orange, NJ
#27 Tie	St. Louis University

	St. Louis, MO
#27 Tie	University of Florida

	Gainesville, FL
#27 Tie	University of Wisconsin—Madison

	Madison, WI
#33 Tie	Cornell University

	New York, NY
#33 Tie	Philadelphia University

	Philadelphia, PA
#33 Tie	Stanford University

	Palo Alto, CA
#33 Tie	St. Francis University

	Loretto, PA
#33 Tie	University of Kentucky

	Lexington, KY
#33 Tie	University of North Texas Health Science Center

	Fort Worth, TX
#33 Tie	University of Texas Health Science Center

	San Antonio, TX
#40 Tie	Arizona School of Health Sciences

	Mesa, AZ
#40 Tie	Augsburg College

	Minneapolis, MN
#40 Tie	Butler University

	Indianapolis, IN
#40 Tie	DeSales University

	Center Valley, PA
#40 Tie	Marquette University

	Milwaukee, WI
#40 Tie	New York Institute of Technology

	Old Westbury, NY
#40 Tie	Nova Southeastern University

	Fort Lauderdale, FL
#40 Tie	Pacific University

	Hillsboro, OR
#40 Tie	Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

	Philadelphia, PA
#40 Tie	Rochester Institute of Technology

	Rochester, NY
#40 Tie	Rush University

	Chicago, IL
#40 Tie	Touro University—California College of Health Sciences

	Vallejo, CA
#40 Tie	University of North Dakota

	Grand Forks, ND
#40 Tie	University of Oklahoma—Tulsa

	Tulsa, OK
#40 Tie	University of Wisconsin—La Crosse-Gunderson

	LaCrosse, WI
#40 Tie	Wayne State University

	Detroit, MI
#40 Tie	Wichita State University

	Wichita, KS
#57 Tie	Augusta University

	Augusta, GA
#57 Tie	Daemen College

	Amherst, NY
#57 Tie	Grand Valley State University

	Grand Rapids, MI
#57 Tie	Idaho State University

	Pocatello, ID
#57 Tie	Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania

	Lock Haven, PA
#57 Tie	Mercer University

	Atlanta, GA
#57 Tie	Mississippi College

	Clinton, MS
#57 Tie	Pace University

	New York, NY
#57 Tie	University of California—Davis

	Sacramento, CA
#57 Tie	University of Mount Union

	Alliance, OH
#57 Tie	University of Pittsburgh

	Pittsburgh, PA
#57 Tie	University of Texas Medical Branch—Galveston

	Galveston, TX
#57 Tie	Western Michigan University

	Kalamazoo, MI
#70 Tie	Arcadia University

	Glenside, PA
#70 Tie	East Carolina University

	Greenville, NC
#70 Tie	Hofstra University

	Hempstead, NY
#70 Tie	James Madison University

	Harrisonburg, VA
#70 Tie	Jefferson College of Health Sciences

	Roanoke, VA
#70 Tie	Loma Linda University

	Loma Linda, CA
#70 Tie	Seton Hill University

	Greensburg, PA
#70 Tie	Springfield College - Baystate Health System

	Springfield, MA
#70 Tie	SUNY Downstate Medical Center

	Brooklyn, NY
#70 Tie	University of South Alabama

	Mobile, AL
#70 Tie	University of South Dakota

	Vermillion, SD
#81 Tie	Albany Medical College

	Albany, NY
#81 Tie	Anne Arundel Community College
#81 Tie	Barry University

	Miami Shores, FL
#81 Tie	Chatham University

	Pittsburgh, PA
#81 Tie	Des Moines University

	Des Moines, IA
#81 Tie	Gannon University

	Erie, PA
#81 Tie	Missouri State University

	Springfield, MO
#81 Tie	Nova Southeastern University—Jacksonville

	Jacksonville, FL
#81 Tie	Nova Southeastern University—Southwest Florida

	Fort Myers, FL
#81 Tie	Southern Illinois University

	Carbondale, IL
#81 Tie	SUNY Upstate Medical Center

	Syracuse, NY
#81 Tie	University of Detroit Mercy

	Detroit, MI
#81 Tie	University of Saint Francis

	Fort Wayne, IN
#81 Tie	University of Texas—Pan American

	Edinburg, TX
#81 Tie	Western University of Health Sciences

	Pomona, CA
#96 Tie	Howard University

	Washington, DC
#96 Tie	Kettering College of Medical Arts

	Kettering, OH
#96 Tie	King's College

	Wilkes-Barre, PA
#96 Tie	MCPHS University—Boston

	Boston, MA
#96 Tie	Red Rocks Community College

	Lakewood, CO
#96 Tie	South University

	Savannah, GA
#96 Tie	University of New England

	Biddeford, ME
#96 Tie	University of Toledo

	Toledo, OH
#104 Tie	D'Youville College

	Buffalo, NY
#104 Tie	Harding University

	Searcy, AR
#104 Tie	Le Moyne College

	Syracuse, NY
#104 Tie	Louisiana State University—Shreveport

	Shreveport, LA
#104 Tie	Marietta College

	Marietta, OH
#104 Tie	Methodist University

	Fayetteville, NC
#104 Tie	Samuel Merritt University

	Oakland, CA
#104 Tie	Touro University—Nevada

	Henderson, NV
#104 Tie	Wagner College - Staten Island University Hospital

	Staten Island, NY
#113 Tie	Campbell University

	Buies Creek, NC
#113 Tie	CUNY Medical School—Harlem Hospital

	New York, NY
#113 Tie	CUNY—York College

	Jamaica, NY
#113 Tie	Franklin Pierce University

	West Lebanon, NH
#113 Tie	LIU Brooklyn Hospital Center

	Brooklyn, NY
#113 Tie	St. John's University

	Queens, NY
#113 Tie	Touro College—Bay Shore

	Bay Shore, NY
#113 Tie	University of St. Francis

	Albuquerque, NM
#121 Tie	Cuyahoga Community College - Cleveland State University

	Cleveland, OH
#121 Tie	Keiser University

	Fort Lauderdale, FL
#121 Tie	Marywood University

	Scranton, PA
#121 Tie	South College

	Knoxville, TN
#121 Tie	South University

	Tampa, FL
#121 Tie	Trevecca Nazarene University

	Nashville, TN
#121 Tie	University of Findlay

	Findlay, OH
#121 Tie	University of New Mexico

	Albuquerque, NM
#121 Tie	Wingate University

	Wingate, NC
#130 Tie	Alderson Broaddus University

	Philippi, WV
#130 Tie	Indiana State University
#130 Tie	Lincoln Memorial University

	Harrogate, TN
#130 Tie	MCPHS University—Manchester

	Manchester, NH
#130 Tie	Mercy College

	Dobbs Ferry, NY
#130 Tie	Miami-Dade College

	Miami, FL
#130 Tie	Pennsylvania College of Technology

	Williamsport, PA
#130 Tie	Union College

	Lincoln, NE
#130 Tie	University of Bridgeport

	Bridgeport, CT
#139 Tie	Bethel College

	Paris, TN
#139 Tie	Carroll University

	Waukesha, WI
#141	Rocky Mountain College

	Billings, MT
RNP	Our Lady of the Lake College

	Baton Rouge, LA
Unranked	Central Michigan University

	Mt. Pleasant, MI
Unranked	Medical University of South Carolina

	Charleston, SC
Unranked	Moreno Valley College

	Moreno Valley, CA
Unranked	Nova Southeastern University—Orlando

	Orlando, FL
Unranked	Salus University

	Elkins Park, PA
Unranked	San Joaquin Valley College

	Visalia, CA
Unranked	Texas Tech University

	Midland, TX
Unranked	Touro College—Manhattan

	New York, NY
Unranked	Towson University - Community College of Baltimore County Essex
Unranked	University of Maryland—Eastern Shore

	Princess Anne, MD
Unranked	University of Missouri—Kansas City

	Kansas City, MO
Unranked	University of Oklahoma

	Oklahoma City, OK