2026 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in Alabama

[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.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value physician assistant schools.
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2026 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in Alabama
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the physician assistant degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Physician Assistant Schools
University Of South Alabama tops our 2026 list of the best value physician assistant schools in Alabama. Set in the city of Mobile, University Of South Alabama is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,116, compared with $19,092 for out-of-state students. Physician Assistant graduates carry a median of $29,192 in student loans. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from University Of South Alabama generally make around $88,572. That is a strong return on a $29,192 median debt. The acceptance rate is 71%.
University Of Alabama At Birmingham came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value physician assistant schools. University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public school located in the city of Birmingham. In-state tuition and fees average $9,098, with out-of-state students paying around $22,562. Physician Assistant graduates carry a median of $26,162 in student loans. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $105,760. That is a strong return on a $26,162 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Students looking for strong value in physician assistant will find it at Faulkner University, which ranked #3. Faulkner University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Montgomery. Students from in state pay about $23,920 in tuition and fees. Physician Assistant graduates carry a median of $29,942 in student loans. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from Faulkner University generally make around $46,934. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Faulkner University admits about 73% of applicants.
Samford University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value physician assistant schools. Samford University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Birmingham. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,150. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $21,039. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $64,132. That is a strong return on a $21,039 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 5 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.