2026 Best Physician Assistant Schools in Iowa
Physician Assistant is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their physician assistant programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for physician assistant students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Physician Assistant in Iowa
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the physician assistant degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Physician Assistant
No school ranked higher than University Of Iowa this year for physician assistant. This very large public university is located in the city of Iowa City. Roughly 75% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 50 physician assistant students who graduated with this degree at University Of Iowa in the most recent data year. Students who receive their physician assistant degree from University Of Iowa earn around $96,948 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete this degree.
Read more about the physician assistant program at University Of Iowa
Northwestern College Iowa is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in physician assistant, ranking #2. Northwestern College Iowa is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Orange City. About 66% of students finish within six years. About 29 physician assistant degrees were awarded at Northwestern College Iowa in the most recent year. Students who receive their physician assistant degree from Northwestern College Iowa earn around $54,845 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,415.
More information about a degree in physician assistant from Northwestern College Iowa
Students looking for a strong physician assistant program will find one at Saint Ambrose University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Davenport, Saint Ambrose University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Saint Ambrose University graduates 61% of students within six years. There were roughly 31 physician assistant students who graduated with this degree at Saint Ambrose University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the physician assistant program make about $117,805 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,528.
More information about a degree in physician assistant from Saint Ambrose University
Students looking for a strong physician assistant program will find one at Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center, which ranked #4. Located in the rural area of West Des Moines, Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center is a small private not-for-profit university. Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center awarded about 47 physician assistant degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their physician assistant degree from Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center earn around $108,630 in the first couple years of their career.
See the full physician assistant program report for Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center
University Of Dubuque came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best physician assistant schools. Located in the city of Dubuque, University Of Dubuque is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Roughly 40% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 23 physician assistant degrees were awarded at University Of Dubuque in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from University Of Dubuque generally make around $120,504. Students borrow a median of $27,204 to complete this degree.
See the full physician assistant program report for University Of Dubuque
More Physician Assistant Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.
- 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.
