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2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

178 Ranked Colleges
11,351 Degrees Awarded
$6,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 11,351 people earned their degree in physician assistant, making the major the 71st most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 178 colleges that offer a degree in physician assistant. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physician assistant programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the physician assistant program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Physician Assistant Schools

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The physician assistant school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physician Assistant (Income $30-$48k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 89 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke is $-927 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Duke Physician Assistant Report

2
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 96 degrees to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k list, Yale has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale University is $3,083 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Yale Physician Assistant Report

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 178 schools in the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 36 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwestern has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $917 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern Physician Assistant Report

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 178 schools in the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 62 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

UF excels when it comes to physician assistant quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $2,857 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UF Physician Assistant Report

5
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Out of the 178 schools in the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wake Forest University landed the #5 spot on the list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 85 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Wake Forest University is also in the top of our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $5,612 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at Wake Forest University

6

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 126 students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $6,399 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at UW Seattle

7
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tufts is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Tufts is also in the top of our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $7,987 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at Tufts University

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 52 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison excels when it comes to physician assistant quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,788 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at UW - Madison

9

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It costs about $5,729 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physician Assistant at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

10

With a ranking of #10, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 117 diplomas to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $2,912 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at UT Rio Grande Valley

11
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 52 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emory, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emory is $8,976 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at Emory University

12

The City College of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. The City College of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,035 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The City College of New York.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at CCNY

13

With a ranking of #13, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 44 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $8,216 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at IUPUI

14

With a ranking of #14, South University, Savannah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Savannah, Georgia, this small private for-profit school awarded 70 diplomas to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full South University, Savannah Physician Assistant Report

15

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - La Crosse also did well on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $10,075 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full UW - La Crosse Physician Assistant Report

16
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 47 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $7,349 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at Florida State

17

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 48 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $5,632 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full USF Tampa Physician Assistant Report

18
York crest
York College
Jamaica, New York

With a ranking of #18, York College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. York is a medium-sized public school situated in Jamaica, New York. It awarded 28 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,585 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend York.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full York College Physician Assistant Report

19

Florida International University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 46 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $4,882 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full FIU Physician Assistant Report

19
Augusta University crest
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia

With a ranking of #19, Augusta University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Augusta University is located in Augusta, Georgia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $10,221 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at Augusta University

21
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Stony Brook, New York, and it awarded 72 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, SUNY Stony Brook is in the top on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It costs about $14,163 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SUNY Stony Brook.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full SUNY Stony Brook Physician Assistant Report

22
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Arizona University is $11,320 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at Northern Arizona University

23
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,345 for physician assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at University of Southern California

24

Florida Gulf Coast University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Fort Myers, Florida, and it awarded 20 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend FGCU is $7,969 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full FGCU Physician Assistant Report

25
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,679 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at University of Saint Francis

Rest of the Best 27 in Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 27 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
27
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

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