2023 Best Value Colleges for Physician Assistant in the Plains States Region
19
Ranked Colleges
770
Degrees Awarded
$20,800
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 11,351 people earned their degree in physician assistant, making the major the 71st most popular in the United States.
Across the Plains States region, there were 770 physician assistant graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Physician Assistant Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Physician Assistant in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bethel University Minnesota. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region list. Bethel University Minnesota is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region physician assistant students list, Bethel University Minnesota has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bethel University Minnesota is $28,178 for plains states region physician assistant students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physician Assistant at Bethel University Minnesota
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri State University - Springfield. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.
Missouri State also made our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,718 for Plains States Region Physician Assistant students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Full Missouri State Physician Assistant Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska Medical Center. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.
UNMC also made our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 2 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physician Assistant at University of Nebraska Medical Center
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stephens College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region list. Stephens is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 29 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
Stephens also made our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $22,460 for plains states region physician assistant students per year to attend Stephens College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physician Assistant at Stephens College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Dakota. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region list. University of South Dakota is a medium-sized school located in Vermillion, South Dakota that handed out 26 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
USD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for USD is $19,389 for Plains States Region Physician Assistant students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of South Dakota Physician Assistant Report
St Catherine University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region physician assistant students list, St. Kate’s has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Kate’s is $17,814 for Plains States Region Physician Assistant students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physician Assistant at St. Kate’s
University of North Dakota came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. UND is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UND also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $16,966 for plains states region physician assistant students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Dakota Physician Assistant Report
Saint Louis University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis University is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 40 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SLU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Louis University is $25,039 for Plains States Region Physician Assistant students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 90%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Physician Assistant at Saint Louis University
Augsburg University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region physician assistant students list, Augsburg has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augsburg University is $23,898 for Plains States Region Physician Assistant students.
Read full report on Physician Assistant at Augsburg
The College of Saint Scholastica landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 degrees to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Scholastica, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $22,545 for plains states region physician assistant students per year to attend St. Scholastica.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 St. Scholastica
Wichita State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.
WSU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,859 for Plains States Region Physician Assistant students per year to attend WSU.
Read more about Physician Assistant at Wichita State University
University of Dubuque came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Dubuque, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $27,592 for Plains States Region Physician Assistant students per year to attend University of Dubuque.
Full University of Dubuque Physician Assistant Report
Saint Ambrose University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Davenport, Iowa, and it awarded 30 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Ambrose University also took the #9 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $26,292 for plains states region physician assistant students per year to attend St. Ambrose University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Saint Ambrose University Physician Assistant Report
With a ranking of #14, Des Moines University - Osteopathic Medical Center did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region physician assistant students list, Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Physician Assistant at Des Moines University - Osteopathic Medical Center
College of Saint Mary landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Mary is a small school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 21 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
Saint Mary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Mary is $14,345 for Plains States Region Physician Assistant students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Read more about Physician Assistant at Saint Mary
With a ranking of #16, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 48 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $19,401 for Plains States Region Physician Assistant students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physician Assistant at University of Iowa
Union College Nebraska came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 29 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
Union College also made our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Union College Nebraska is $22,357 for plains states region physician assistant students.
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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physician Assistant at Union College Nebraska
University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMKC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $15,702 for Plains States Region Physician Assistant students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Read more about Physician Assistant at University of Missouri - Kansas City
With a ranking of #19, A T Still University of Health Sciences did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region list. Kirksville, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 160 students in 2020-2021.
A T Still University of Health Sciences not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools in the Plains States Region” list.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physician Assistant at A T Still University of Health Sciences
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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