by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, physician assistant was the 71st most popular major nationwide with 11,351 degrees awarded. This represents a 5.3% increase in physician assistant degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 10,746.
Our 2023 Best Physician Assistant Schools ranking analyzes 217 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for physician assistant students. Explore this or one of our many other custom physician assistant rankings further below.
When studying Physician Assistant, you’ll learn that talking to others to convey information effectively will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents and using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems are all required skills for careers related to this major.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most physician assistant degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. Specific physician assistant careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
There are various different levels of physician assistant degrees. Physician Assistant programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest physician assistant degree you can get. How long it takes to complete some common physician assistant degree levels is shown below.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to physician assistant, with approximately 43.0% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for physician assistant workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 43.0% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 21.2% |
| Doctoral Degree | 12.5% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 9.6% |
| First Professional Degree | 7.5% |
72.5% of physician assistant workers have at least a master's. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in physician assistant have received.
The education level required is different depending on the physician assistant career you are seeking.
Want a job when you graduate with your physician assistant degree? Physician Assistant careers are expected to grow 29.5% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to physician assistant.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | 294,000 | 25.9% |
| Physician Assistants | 145,900 | 37.4% |
As you might expect, salaries for physician assistant graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for physician assistant graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers physician assistant grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | $122,320 |
| Physician Assistants | $108,430 |
With over 295 different physician assistant degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased physician assistant school rankings to help you with this.
Physician Assistant is one of 21 different types of Allied Health Professions programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) | 26,641 |
| Radiologic Technology | 9,790 |
| Surgical Technology | 7,583 |
| Respiratory Care Therapy | 6,845 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician | 5,396 |
