2027 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in Iowa
[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 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for physician assistant students.
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2027 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in physician assistant, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Physician Assistant Schools
For return on investment in physician assistant, no school beat University Of Iowa this year. Located in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $28,000. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $96,948. Set against $28,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Dubuque is a great value for students pursuing a degree in physician assistant, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Dubuque is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Dubuque. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,095. Physician Assistant graduates carry a median of $27,204 in student loans. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $120,504. That is a strong return on a $27,204 median debt. University Of Dubuque admits about 89% of applicants.
Saint Ambrose University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value physician assistant schools. Located in the city of Davenport, Saint Ambrose University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,658. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $27,528. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $117,805. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Saint Ambrose University admits about 77% of applicants.
Northwestern College Iowa came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value physician assistant schools. Set in the town of Orange City, Northwestern College Iowa is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $36,710 in tuition and fees. Physician Assistant graduates carry a median of $25,415 in student loans. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $54,845. Set against $25,415 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 4 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.
