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2023 Physician Assistant Degree Guide

A Recent Jump in Physician Assistant Degrees

#71 Most Popular Major
11.4k Degrees Awarded
5.3% Increase in Graduates

In 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.

2023 Best Colleges for Physician Assistant
2023 Overall Best Physician Assistant Colleges >

Best Physician Assistant Schools by Degree

Bachelor's Degrees in Physician Assistant
Master's Degrees in Physician Assistant
Doctorate Degrees in Physician Assistant

 

Requirements for Getting a Degree in Physician Assistant

A major in physician assistant prepares you for careers in which understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents is crucial. Required skills include talking to others to convey information effectively and giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Getting Accepted Into a Physician Assistant Program

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.

Physician Assistant Degree Types

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.

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The education level required is different depending on the physician assistant career you are seeking.

Career Opportunities for A Degree In Physician Assistant Graduate

Average Number of Jobs
115k Avg. Related Jobs Salary
30% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

High Growth Projected for Physician Assistant Careers

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%

How Much Money Do Physician Assistant Grads Make?

As you might expect, salaries for physician assistant graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

High Paying Careers for Physician Assistant Majors

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

Getting Your Physician Assistant Degree

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

View All Physician Assistant Related Majors >

References

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