2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant
19
Ranked Colleges
1,216
Degrees Awarded
$34,100
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant” 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.
Across Pennsylvania, there were 1,216 physician assistant graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physician assistant. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physician assistant programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the physician assistant program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant
The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania vets studying physician assistant.
Top 19 Best Physician Assistant Colleges for Veterans in Pennsylvania
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant that were part of this year’s ranking, Drexel University landed the #1 spot on the list. Drexel is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 74 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
Drexel also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 23,589 students enrolled at Drexel University, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Drexel University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 88%.
Full Drexel Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Francis University landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Loretto, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 100 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
Saint Francis also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 2,769 students enrolled at Saint Francis University, 35 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,233. In addition to receiving other benefits, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Saint Francis University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Saint Francis]](/colleges/saint-francis-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duquesne University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant. This medium-sized school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 91 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
Duquesne also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 8,830 students enrolled at Duquesne, 219 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 127 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,403. In addition to receiving other benefits, 43 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Duquesne]](/colleges/duquesne-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 32,277 students enrolled at Pitt, 509 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 364 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,281. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus]](/colleges/university-of-pittsburgh-pittsburgh-campus/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Marywood University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant. Marywood University is a small school located in Scranton, Pennsylvania that handed out 53 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
Marywood also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 60 of the 2,613 students enrolled at Marywood University were GI Bill® students, of which 33 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,240. To help with additional expenses, 16 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Marywood]](/colleges/marywood-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #6, Pennsylvania College of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant list. Williamsport, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physician assistant degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Penn College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 4,565 students enrolled at Penn College, 289 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 206 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,863. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Pennsylvania College of Technology]](/colleges/pennsylvania-college-of-technology/student-life/veterans/)
DeSales University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant list. DeSales University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 77 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
DeSales also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 90 of the 3,302 students enrolled at DeSales were GI Bill® students, of which 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,236. During this same period, 9 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full DeSales University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #8, Gannon University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant list. This small school is located in Erie, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 57 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
Gannon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 4,251 students enrolled at Gannon University, 51 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 31 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,740. During this same period, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Gannon]](/colleges/gannon-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #9, Seton Hill University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant list. Seton Hill University is a small school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 40 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
Seton Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 1,935 students enrolled at Seton Hill University, 47 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,090. On top of their other funding sources, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Temple University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant ranking. Temple University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania vets studying physician assistant list, Temple has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Temple University supports 37,236 students, and 830 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 510 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,479. To help with additional expenses, 9 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Temple University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Temple Veteran Student Life Report
Mercyhurst University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant ranking. Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania vets studying physician assistant list, Mercyhurst has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,790 students enrolled at Mercyhurst University, 104 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 69 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,325. During this same period, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Mercyhurst Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #12, Lock Haven University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant list. Located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania vets studying physician assistant list, LHU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,163 students enrolled at LHU, 129 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,581. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant ranking. SRU is a medium-sized school located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania that handed out 42 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
SRU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 8,860 students enrolled at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, 313 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 136 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,015. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SRU]](/colleges/slippery-rock-university-of-pennsylvania/student-life/veterans/)
King’s College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 65 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
King’s College PA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, King’s College PA supports 2,320 students, and 37 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 19 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,453. During this same period, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Full King’s College PA Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #15, Chatham University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 73 degrees to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.
Chatham not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 2,353 students enrolled at Chatham University, 54 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 27 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,888. In addition to receiving other benefits, 10 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Chatham University]](/colleges/chatham-university/student-life/veterans/)
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant ranking. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine supports 3,133 students, and 16 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 12 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,396. To help with additional expenses, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine]](/colleges/philadelphia-college-of-osteopathic-medicine/student-life/veterans/)
Salus University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant ranking. Salus University is located in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s physician assistant degrees to qualified students.
Salus University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,280 students enrolled at Salus University, 9 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,267. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read More…
Thomas Jefferson University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant list. Thomas Jefferson University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 121 ’s physician assistant degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania vets studying physician assistant list, Thomas Jefferson University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 65 of the 8,286 students enrolled at Thomas Jefferson University were GI Bill® students, of which 42 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,572. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Thomas Jefferson University]](/colleges/thomas-jefferson-university/student-life/veterans/)
Arcadia University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Pennsylvania for Physician Assistant ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 100 degrees to qualified ’s physician assistant students in 2020-2021.
Arcadia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Arcadia supports 3,300 students, and 59 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 25 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,563. During this same period, 8 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Arcadia Veteran Student Life Report
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.