2026 Best Physician Assistant Schools in Virginia
Physician Assistant is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools to find the best for physician assistant students.
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Best Schools for Physician Assistant in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall physician assistant education in Virginia.
Top Schools in Physician Assistant
Leading the list is James Madison University, our #1 school for physician assistant. This very large public university is located in the city of Harrisonburg. The six-year graduation rate is 80%. There were roughly 32 physician assistant students who graduated with this degree at James Madison University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the physician assistant program make about $120,817 in their early career. James Madison University graduates carry a median of $21,218 in student loans.
Read more about the physician assistant program at James Madison University
Lynchburg College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in physician assistant, landing the #2 spot this year. Lynchburg College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. About 57% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 440 physician assistant students who graduated with this degree at Lynchburg College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from Lynchburg College generally make around $138,322.
Get the full physician assistant details for Lynchburg College
Students looking for a strong physician assistant program will find one at Shenandoah University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Winchester, Shenandoah University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 66% of students finish within six years. About 130 physician assistant degrees were awarded at Shenandoah University in the most recent year. Physician Assistant graduates of Shenandoah University earn a median of $100,464 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $26,005 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in physician assistant from Shenandoah University
Emory And Henry College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in physician assistant, ranking #4. Located in the rural area of Emory, Emory And Henry College is a small private not-for-profit university. Roughly 56% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 31 physician assistant students who graduated with this degree at Emory And Henry College in the most recent data year. Physician Assistant graduates of Emory And Henry College earn a median of $47,255 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,938.
See the full physician assistant program report for Emory And Henry College
A rank of #5 makes Radford University one of the top schools for physician assistant. This moderately-sized public university is located in the town of Radford. Radford University graduates 49% of students within six years. Radford University awarded about 40 physician assistant degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their physician assistant degree from Radford University earn around $83,490 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,250.
More information about a degree in physician assistant from Radford University
Mary Baldwin College earned the #6 position for physician assistant this year. Set in the city of Staunton, Mary Baldwin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 39% of students finish within six years. About 38 physician assistant degrees were awarded at Mary Baldwin College in the most recent year. Students who receive their physician assistant degree from Mary Baldwin College earn around $105,021 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $29,562.
See the full physician assistant program report for Mary Baldwin College
South Universityrichmond ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best physician assistant schools. This small private for-profit university is located in the suburb of Glen Allen. South Universityrichmond graduates 33% of students within six years. There were roughly 34 physician assistant students who graduated with this degree at South Universityrichmond in the most recent data year. Students who receive their physician assistant degree from South Universityrichmond earn around $107,029 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $51,009 to complete this degree.
Read more about the physician assistant program at South Universityrichmond
Eastern Virginia Medical School earned the #8 position for physician assistant this year. Set in the city of Norfolk, Eastern Virginia Medical School is a small public institution. There were roughly 83 physician assistant students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Virginia Medical School in the most recent data year. Graduates of the physician assistant program make about $113,425 in their early career.
Read more about the physician assistant program at Eastern Virginia Medical School
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
