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2023 Best Value Colleges for Physician Assistant (Income $48-$75k)

177 Ranked Colleges
11,351 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 177 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Physician Assistant Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physician Assistant (Income $48-$75k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Duke University 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 also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $7,160 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at Duke University

2
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 96 students in 2020-2021.

Yale also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale University is $2,815 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Yale University

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 177 schools in the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $5,849 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at Northwestern

4

Out of the 177 schools in the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 126 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $8,393 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

5
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 177 schools in the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 62 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $8,394 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Florida Physician Assistant Report

6

With a ranking of #6, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 117 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,452 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 UT Rio Grande Valley Physician Assistant Report

7
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Wake Forest University also did well on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It costs about $10,228 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 Wake Forest University

8

With a ranking of #8, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well 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 UNC Chapel Hill is $11,619 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Physician Assistant at UNC Chapel Hill

9

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Madison, Wisconsin 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.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Madison also did well on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $10,364 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison 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 $48-$75k list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,521 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The City College of New York.

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
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 50 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Tufts also did well on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $19,827 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Tufts University Physician Assistant Report

12

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 29 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UW - La Crosse is in the top on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $13,198 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

13
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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 yearly cost to attend Florida State is $11,506 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 Florida State University

14
Augusta University crest
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia

Augusta University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Augusta University is a medium-sized school located in Augusta, Georgia that handed out 41 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,276 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Augusta University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Augusta University Physician Assistant Report

15

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,306 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IUPUI.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at IUPUI

16

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $9,669 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at USF Tampa

17
York crest
York College
Jamaica, New York

York College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. York College is a public institution located in Jamaica, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,462 for Physician Assistant students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend York College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.

Read more about Physician Assistant at York College

18

Florida International University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 46 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $7,292 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida International University Physician Assistant Report

19
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Utah is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Utah is $13,842 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at University of Utah

20

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 39 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,499 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

21
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emory, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,646 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Emory University.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Full Emory Physician Assistant Report

22
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Arizona University is $14,142 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NAU Physician Assistant Report

23
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this large public school awarded 52 degrees to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $16,708 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at UK

24
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. University of St Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 35 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $16,055 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Saint Francis Physician Assistant Report

25
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #25, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 59 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Physician Assistant Schools” ranking. It costs about $22,826 for physician assistant students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Southern California.

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. 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%.

Read full report on Physician Assistant at University of Southern California

Rest of the Best 27 in Best Value Physician Assistant Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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

26
Heritage University crest
Heritage University
Toppenish, Washington
27
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

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