by our College Data Analytics Team
[Physician Assistant](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-professions/physician-assistant/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong physician assistant education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for physician assistant students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the physician assistant degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is Idaho State University, our #1 best value for physician assistant in Idaho. Idaho State University is a large public school located in the city of Pocatello. In-state tuition and fees average $8,610, compared with $27,720 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $29,173 to complete the physician assistant program here. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $77,877. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.