2026 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in Colorado
[Physician Assistant](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-professions/physician-assistant/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for physician assistant students.
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2026 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in Colorado
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in physician assistant, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Physician Assistant Schools
Red Rocks Community College earned the #1 spot for value among physician assistant schools in Colorado. Red Rocks Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Lakewood. In-state tuition and fees average $4,859, while out-of-state students pay about $17,459. Physician Assistant graduates carry a median of $17,885 in student loans. Physician Assistant graduates of Red Rocks Community College earn a median of $93,958 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Mesa State College one of the best values for physician assistant. Located in the city of Grand Junction, Mesa State College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,927, compared with $25,124 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $19,488. Physician Assistant graduates of Mesa State College earn a median of $54,004 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
University Of Colorado Denver is a great value for students pursuing a degree in physician assistant, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Denver, University Of Colorado Denver is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,383 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,391 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,582 to complete the physician assistant program here. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from University Of Colorado Denver generally make around $89,402. That is a strong return on a $26,582 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
