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2023 Best Value Colleges for Physician Assistant (Income $0-$30k)

179 Ranked Colleges
11,351 Degrees Awarded
$6,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Physician Assistant is the 71st most popular major in the country with 11,351 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 179 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physician assistant. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physician assistant programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the physician assistant program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Physician Assistant Schools

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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 For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physician Assistant (Income $0-$30k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 89 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke is $371 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Duke Physician Assistant Report

2
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Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 179 schools in the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 36 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 more about Physician Assistant at Northwestern University

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Yale is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 96 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Yale also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $961 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Yale Physician Assistant Report

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 62 diplomas to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $65 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Florida Physician Assistant Report

5

Out of the 179 schools in the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 52 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Madison is in the top on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,981 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at University of Wisconsin - Madison

6
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 85 degrees to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

Wake Forest University excels when it comes to physician assistant quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $10,401 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at Wake Forest University

7
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #7, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tufts is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.

Tufts excels when it comes to physician assistant quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $8,122 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physician Assistant at Tufts University

8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to physician assistant quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physician Assistant at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

9

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 126 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $5,194 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 UW Seattle Physician Assistant Report

10
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

The City College of New York ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $1,254 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The City College of New York Physician Assistant Report

11

With a ranking of #11, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 117 diplomas to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $2,191 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Rio Grande Valley Physician Assistant Report

12

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $7,026 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 IUPUI Physician Assistant Report

13

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

UW - La Crosse excels when it comes to physician assistant quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $7,517 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

14
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Emory University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 52 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $8,538 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Emory University Physician Assistant Report

15
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Florida State Physician Assistant Report

16

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 48 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Physician Assistant Report

17
York crest
York College
Jamaica, New York

With a ranking of #17, York College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Jamaica, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for York is $2,316 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at York

18
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Stony Brook, New York, this large public school awarded 72 degrees to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

SUNY Stony Brook also claimed a top spot on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Stony Brook University is $11,863 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physician Assistant at Stony Brook University

19
Augusta University crest
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia

Augusta University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Augusta University is a public institution located in Augusta, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Augusta University is $9,740 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at Augusta University

20

Florida International University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,196 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FIU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Florida International University

21
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, Maryland

Towson University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Towson University is a large public school situated in Towson, Maryland. It awarded 29 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,956 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Towson.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Towson Physician Assistant Report

22
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.

USC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,287 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at University of Southern California

23
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #23, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,431 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Utah.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Full University of Utah Physician Assistant Report

24
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

With a ranking of #24, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $12,593 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physician Assistant at UK

25
LMU crest
Lincoln Memorial University
Harrogate, Tennessee

Lincoln Memorial University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Harrogate, Tennessee, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 122 degrees to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Lincoln Memorial University is $10,724 for physician assistant students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lincoln Memorial University Physician Assistant Report

Rest of the Best 27 in Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 27 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

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