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 (Keiser University and MCPHS University-Manchester Worcester) physician assistant (PA) schools based on a 2019 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 5-Year PANCE Pass Rates

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

Each school's score reflects its average rating on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding), based on a survey of academics at peer institutions.

Last updated 03/2019

PA school ranking data from the latest US News Best Physician Assistant Programs Raking Report. PANCE scores represent 5-year PANCE pass rates.

RANK	NAME	LOCATION	SCORE	5 Year PANCE PASS RATE
1	Duke University	Durham, NC	4.2	96
1	University of Iowa	Iowa City, IA	4.2	100
3	Baylor College of Medicine	Houston, TX	4.1	98
4	University of Utah	Salt Lake City, UT	4.0	93
5	Emory University	Atlanta, GA	3.9	95
5	George Washington University	Washington, DC	3.9	95
7	University of Colorado	Aurora, CO	3.8	98
7	University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center	Dallas, TX	3.8	100
7	Wake Forest University	Winston-Salem, NC	3.8	97
10	Drexel University	Philadelphia, PA	3.7	97
10	Interservice Physician Assistant Program	Fort Sam Houston, TX	3.7	97
10	Oregon Health and Sciences University	Portland, OR	3.7	98
10	University of Southern California	Alhambra, CA	3.7	96
14	University of Washington	Seattle, WA	3.6	96
15	Quinnipiac University	Hamden, CT	3.5	98
15	Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science	North Chicago, IL	3.5	97
15	Stony Brook University--SUNY	Stony Brook, NY	3.5	97
15	University of Nebraska Medical Center	Omaha, NE	3.5	99
15	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse-Gunderson Medical Foundation-Mayo School	LaCrosse, WI	3.5	100
15	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Madison, WI	3.5	97
21	Midwestern University	Downers Grove, IL	3.4	99
21	Rutgers University School of Health Professions	Piscataway, NJ	3.4	98
21	Shenandoah University	Winchester, VA	3.4	99
21	Stanford University	Palo Alto, CA	3.4	91
21	University of Florida	Gainesville, FL	3.4	100
26	Cornell University	New York, NY	3.3	90
26	Marquette University	Milwaukee, WI	3.3	100
26	Midwestern University	Glendale, AZ	3.3	98
26	Northeastern University	Boston, MA	3.3	97
26	Northwestern University	Chicago, IL	3.3	98
26	Touro University California	Vallejo, CA	3.3	98
26	Yale University	New Haven, CT	3.3	98
33	Eastern Virginia Medical School	Norfolk, VA	3.2	96
33	Tufts University	MA	3.2	100
33	University of North Texas Health Science Center	Fort Worth, TX	3.2	99
33	University of Texas Health Science Center	San Antonio, TX	3.2	100
37	Butler University	Indianapolis, IN	3.1	98
37	Elon University	NC	3.1	97
37	Northern Arizona University	AZ	3.1	98
37	Saint Francis University	Loretto, PA	3.1	97
37	Saint Louis University	St. Louis, MO	3.1	99
37	Seton Hall University	South Orange, NJ	3.1	99
37	University of Alabama	Birmingham, AL	3.1	96
37	University of North Dakota	Grand Forks, ND	3.1	89
37	University of South Dakota	Vermillion, SD	3.1	93
46	Arcadia University	Glenside, PA	3.0	100
46	Arizona School of Health Sciences	Mesa, AZ	3.0	92
46	CUNY School of Medicine	New York, NY	3.0	92
46	DeSales University	Center Valley, PA	3.0	99
46	Gannon University	Erie, PA	3.0	93
46	James Madison University	Harrisonburg, VA	3.0	98
46	Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania	Lock Haven, PA	3.0	96
46	Medical University of South Carolina	Charleston, SC	3.0	96
46	Mercer University	Atlanta, GA	3.0	100
46	Pennsylvania State University	PA	3.0	100
46	Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine	Philadelphia, PA	3.0	98
46	Rush University	Chicago, IL	3.0	100
46	SUNY Upstate Medical Center	Syracuse, NY	3.0	93
46	Samuel Merritt University	Oakland, CA	3.0	95
46	Southern Illinois University	Carbondale, IL	3.0	99
46	University of Oklahoma	Oklahoma City, OK	3.0	96
46	University of Oklahoma-Tulsa	Tulsa, OK	3.0	100
46	University of South Alabama	Mobile, AL	3.0	92
64	Albany Medical College	Albany, NY	2.9	99
64	Augsburg University	Minneapolis, MN	2.9	99
64	East Carolina University	Greenville, NC	2.9	100
64	Idaho State University	Pocatello, ID	2.9	95
64	Le Moyne College	Syracuse, NY	2.9	94
64	Pace University	New York, NY	2.9	100
64	Pacific University	Hillsboro, OR	2.9	97
64	SUNY Downstate Medical Center	Brooklyn, NY	2.9	89
64	Seton Hill University	Greensburg, PA	2.9	96
64	Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	Midland, TX	2.9	96
74	Bay Path University	MA	2.8	91
74	Bryant University	RI	2.8	98
74	CUNY--York College	Jamaica, NY	2.8	87
74	Campbell University	Buies Creek, NC	2.8	94
74	Chatham University	Pittsburgh, PA	2.8	97
74	D'Youville College	Buffalo, NY	2.8	95
74	Daemen College	Amherst, NY	2.8	98
74	Hofstra University	Hempstead, NY	2.8	98
74	LIU-Brooklyn	Brooklyn, NY	2.8	100
74	Marietta College	Marietta, OH	2.8	94
74	New York Institute of Technology	Old Westbury, NY	2.8	98
74	Nova Southeastern University	Fort Lauderdale, FL	2.8	98
74	Springfield College	Springfield, MA	2.8	97
74	Thomas Jefferson University-Center City Campus	PA	2.8	100
74	Thomas Jefferson University	Philadelphia, PA	2.8	100
74	Touro University	Henderson, NV	2.8	93
74	University of California Davis	Sacramento, CA	2.8	97
74	University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	Edinburg, TX	2.8	89
74	Western University of Health Sciences	Pomona, CA	2.8	95
93	Augusta University	Augusta, GA	2.7	96
93	Barry University	Miami Shores, FL	2.7	92
93	Clarkson University	NY	2.7	96
93	Duquesne University	Pittsburgh, PA	2.7	96
93	Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences	IN	2.7	96
93	Jefferson College of Health Sciences	Roanoke, VA	2.7	97
93	Kettering College	Kettering, OH	2.7	99
93	Methodist University	Fayetteville, NC	2.7	98
93	Missouri State University	Springfield, MO	2.7	95
93	Nova Southeastern University--Fort Myers	Fort Myers, FL	2.7	94
93	Nova Southeastern University--Orlando	Orlando, FL	2.7	100
93	St. John's University	Queens, NY	2.7	97
93	University of Arkansas	AR	2.7	93
93	University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, PA	2.7	92
93	University of Saint Francis	Fort Wayne, IN	2.7	99
108	Alderson-Broaddus University	Philippi, WV	2.6	94
108	Bethel University	MN	2.6	98
108	Des Moines University	Des Moines, IA	2.6	98
108	Harding University	Searcy, AR	2.6	97
108	King's College	Wilkes-Barre, PA	2.6	99
108	Loma Linda University	Loma Linda, CA	2.6	94
108	MCPHS University	Boston, MA	2.6	97
108	Nova Southeastern University--Jacksonville	Jacksonville, FL	2.6	93
108	Red Rocks Community College	Lakewood, CO	2.6	93
108	Rochester Institute of Technology	Rochester, NY	2.6	93
108	Salus University	Elkins Park, PA	2.6	96
108	University of Kentucky	Lexington, KY	2.6	94
108	University of Mount Union	Alliance, OH	2.6	96
108	University of New Mexico	Albuquerque, NM	2.6	96
108	Wayne State University	Detroit, MI	2.6	99
108	Western Michigan University	Kalamazoo, MI	2.6	91
108	Wichita State University	Wichita, KS	2.6	99
108	Wingate University	Wingate, NC	2.6	99
126	Anne Arundel Community College	MD	2.5
126	Baldwin Wallace University	OH	2.5
126	Bethel University	Paris, TN	2.5
126	Eastern Michigan University	MI	2.5
126	Franklin Pierce University	West Lebanon, NH	2.5
126	Indiana State University	IN	2.5
126	Lincoln Memorial University	Harrogate, TN	2.5
126	Marywood University	Scranton, PA	2.5
126	Mississippi College	Clinton, MS	2.5
126	Rocky Mountain College	Billings, MT	2.5
126	Saint Catherine University	MN	2.5
126	South University	Savannah, GA	2.5
126	Towson University - Community College of Baltimore County Essex	MD	2.5
126	University of Bridgeport	Bridgeport, CT	2.5
126	University of Detroit Mercy	Detroit, MI	2.5
126	University of Missouri--Kansas City	Kansas City, MO	2.5
126	University of New England	Biddeford, ME	2.5
126	University of St. Francis	Albuquerque, NM	2.5
144	Central Michigan University	Mt. Pleasant, MI	2.4
144	Concordia University	WI	2.4
144	Grand Valley State University	Grand Rapids, MI	2.4
144	Louisiana State University--New Orleans	LA	2.4
144	Ohio Dominican University	OH	2.4
144	Pennsylvania College of Technology	Williamsport, PA	2.4
144	South University--Tampa	Tampa, FL	2.4
144	Trevecca Nazarene University	Nashville, TN	2.4
144	University of Charleston	WV	2.4
144	University of Texas Medical Branch--Galveston	Galveston, TX	2.4
144	West Liberty University	WV	2.4
155	Louisiana State University--Shreveport	Shreveport, LA	2.3
155	South College	Knoxville, TN	2.3
155	Touro College--Bay Shore	Bay Shore, NY	2.3
158	Carroll University	Waukesha, WI	2.2
158	Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University	Baton Rouge, LA	2.2
158	Gardner-Webb University	NC	2.2
158	Touro College--Manhattan	New York, NY	2.2
158	Union College	Lincoln, NE	2.2
158	University of Findlay	Findlay, OH	2.2
158	Wagner College	Staten Island, NY	2.2
155	Mary Baldwin University	VA	2.1
165	Mercy College	Dobbs Ferry, NY	2.1
165	Sullivan University	KY	2.1
165	University of Toledo	Toledo, OH	2.1
169	Keiser University	Fort Lauderdale, FL	2.0
169	MCPHS University-Manchester/Worcester	Manchester, NH	2.0

Comments

Renee Funk says

September 23, 2021 at 3:02 pm

I know nothing specific about these PA school rankings but if the ranking methodology is similar to the undergrad rankings, the schools can, and will, game them. Case study Northeastern- made a concerted effort to drive up undergrad applications to drive their acceptance rate down and therefore raise their ranking – other case studies are the safety schools behind Ivies – will put top tier candidates on the waiting list because they know these students aren’t likely to choose them without serious money thrown into the mix – keeps the ratio of accept/offer high and therefore higher ranking. Objective measures of outcomes should be the primary criteria.

Dan Forsberg says

June 28, 2021 at 7:24 am

It is always fascinating to me that this popularity contest between schools is taken seriously. These rankings are performed by survey to programs not by objective measures.
To me, the best PA school is the one that gets you a license to practice least expensively. The most important aspect of any PA school is the student. It is all up to you. Schools that have above average pass rates demonstrate that they work to ensure success. So, the objective measures of a good school are PANCE pass rates and average student debt.

- Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
  
  July 3, 2021 at 2:06 pm
  
  I tend to agree with you Dan, I am not sure if anybody has ever applied rigorous study to the current ranking system. I am not even sure PANCE pass rates are a good measure of a PA school’s quality. To top it off you are starting to see PA programs skirt around this issue in interesting ways that tend to hurt students with an end goal of trying to making the program look better. You are right about debt being a huge factor that should weigh heavily in everyone’s decision!
  
  Stephen
  
Larry Colart says

May 17, 2020 at 12:52 pm

Well now I feel dumb for going to une.

NPM says

October 24, 2019 at 3:30 pm

Northwestern University has had 100% pass rate for the past 6 years.