Best programs to become a physician assistant
BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for physician assistants. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Physician Associate/Assistant (IPEDS completions).
1 college program at 277 schools trains physician assistants, graduating 13,740 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $135,880 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About physician assistants
Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.
A physician assistant or physician associate (PA) is a type of non-physician practitioner. While these job titles are used internationally, there is significant variation in training and scope of practice from country to country, and sometimes between smaller jurisdictions such as states or provinces. Depending on location, PAs practice semi-autonomously under the supervision of a physician, or autonomously perform a subset of medical services classically provided by physicians.
Read more on Wikipedia →Best programs to study to become a physician assistant
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 51.0912 | 13,740 | 100.0% | 277 | $53,520 | $20,250 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Lynchburg Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 310 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 57% | $19,488 | 43% |
| 2 | South College Knoxville, TN Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 292 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 42% | $20,346 | — |
| 3 | Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 241 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 63% | $31,672 | 73% |
| 4 | Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 228 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 50% | $18,981 | 63% |
| 5 | A T Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 219 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 6 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 212 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 62% | $35,358 | 85% |
| 7 | Touro University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 197 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 72% | $27,110 | 61% |
| 8 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 176 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 9 | Shenandoah University Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 159 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 67% | $27,455 | 77% |
| 10 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder program | 152 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 85% | — | 58% |
| 11 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder program | 152 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 85% | — | 39% |
| 12 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 121 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 78% | $36,004 | 79% |
| 13 | Hofstra University Hempstead, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 120 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 69% | $34,539 | 68% |
| 14 | Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 118 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 69% | $26,034 | 81% |
| 15 | Pace University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 107 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 60% | $29,994 | 76% |
| 16 | University of Maryland, Baltimore Baltimore, MD Public · 1 feeder program | 103 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 17 | Touro University Nevada Henderson, NV Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 100 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 18 | Yale University New Haven, CT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 99 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 96% | $27,025 | 4% |
| 19 | Barry University Miami, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 98 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 38% | $24,719 | 77% |
| 20 | Saint Francis University Loretto, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 94 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 74% | $15,989 | 77% |
| 21 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 93 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 51% | — | 94% |
| 22 | Midwestern University - Glendale Glendale, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 92 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 23 | Gannon University Erie, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 91 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 66% | $21,409 | 74% |
| 24 | Western University of Health Sciences Pomona, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 89 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 25 | Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC Public · 1 feeder program | 87 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 26 | Arcadia University Glenside, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 84 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 67% | $23,796 | 80% |
| 27 | Bay Path University Longmeadow, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 83 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 44% | $16,859 | 85% |
| 28 | Midwestern University - Downers Grove Downers Grove, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 83 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 29 | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 81 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 30 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 80 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 89% | $20,914 | 22% |
| 31 | Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 79 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 32 | Southern Illinois University - Carbondale Carbondale, IL Public · 1 feeder program | 77 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 62% | — | 87% |
| 33 | DeSales University Center Valley, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 73 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 72% | $26,990 | 77% |
| 34 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 73 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 35 | Mercer University Macon, GA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 72 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 70% | $22,641 | 69% |
| 36 | Marquette University Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 71 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 83% | $25,376 | 81% |
| 37 | University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 71 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 38 | Idaho State University Pocatello, ID Public · 1 feeder program | 70 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 39% | — | — |
| 39 | King's College Wilkes-Barre, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 69 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 60% | $22,131 | 93% |
| 40 | D'Youville University Buffalo, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 68 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 67% | $18,846 | 81% |
| 41 | South University - Savannah Savannah, GA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 68 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 9% | $25,764 | — |
| 42 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 1 feeder program | 68 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 76% | — | 49% |
| 43 | University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center Oklahoma City, OK Public · 1 feeder program | 68 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 44 | Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 67 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 46% | — | 90% |
| 45 | Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science North Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 67 | Physician Associate/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 46 | St. John's University - New York Queens, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 67 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 66% | $27,359 | 83% |
| 47 | Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 66 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 73% | $20,356 | 83% |
| 48 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 66 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 70% | $28,133 | 67% |
| 49 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 1 feeder program | 66 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 65% | — | 86% |
| 50 | Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 64 | Physician Associate/Assistant | 69% | $27,376 | 73% |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What physician assistants earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $127,070 | 9,020 | 1.43× | 26 | 1,483 |
| New York | $160,880 | 19,140 | 1.90× | 26 | 1,476 |
| Tennessee | $118,240 | 2,240 | 0.65× | 10 | 809 |
| Virginia | $135,940 | 4,340 | 1.01× | 9 | 730 |
| California | $165,650 | 13,600 | 0.72× | 19 | 728 |
| Florida | $129,620 | 9,310 | 0.90× | 11 | 725 |
| Texas | $134,550 | 10,110 | 0.69× | 12 | 608 |
| North Carolina | $129,360 | 7,490 | 1.45× | 10 | 585 |
| Ohio | $132,090 | 4,900 | 0.85× | 17 | 548 |
| Massachusetts | $142,410 | 4,470 | 1.18× | 7 | 518 |
| Illinois | $131,950 | 3,790 | 0.60× | 9 | 416 |
| Michigan | $131,510 | 6,310 | 1.37× | 9 | 370 |
| Missouri | $135,130 | 2,300 | 0.75× | 5 | 337 |
| Georgia | $115,390 | 5,610 | 1.10× | 6 | 303 |
| Indiana | $132,050 | 2,110 | 0.63× | 8 | 294 |
| Connecticut | $139,860 | 3,570 | 2.02× | 5 | 260 |
| New Jersey | $165,690 | 4,790 | 1.07× | 6 | 238 |
| Wisconsin | $133,950 | 3,580 | 1.17× | 5 | 220 |
| South Carolina | $122,490 | 2,250 | 0.94× | 5 | 212 |
| Alabama | $104,960 | 930 | 0.42× | 5 | 196 |
| Marylandmoderate | $137,560 | 2,950 | 1.02× | 4 | 179 |
| Utahmoderate | $134,740 | 1,610 | 0.89× | 4 | 163 |
| Kentuckymoderate | $120,760 | 1,360 | 0.65× | 3 | 161 |
| Minnesota | $141,190 | 3,660 | 1.19× | 6 | 161 |
| Washingtonlimited | $164,360 | 3,540 | 0.96× | 1 | 152 |
| Oklahomamoderate | $136,550 | 1,770 | 0.99× | 4 | 147 |
| Arizonalimited | $134,650 | 3,750 | 1.11× | 2 | 145 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $133,040 | 1,330 | 1.24× | 4 | 139 |
| Coloradomoderate | $134,540 | 3,270 | 1.09× | 4 | 137 |
| Louisianamoderate | $128,870 | 1,360 | 0.68× | 4 | 134 |
| Iowa | $134,770 | 1,200 | 0.74× | 5 | 129 |
| Nevadalimited | $134,660 | 1,090 | 0.67× | 2 | 123 |
| West Virginiamoderate | $128,610 | 1,080 | 1.47× | 4 | 122 |
| Oregonmoderate | $155,780 | 2,250 | 1.09× | 3 | 118 |
| Kansaslimited | $125,640 | 890 | 0.59× | 2 | 81 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $139,930 | 810 | 1.56× | 2 | 81 |
| Arkansaslimited | $118,430 | 850 | 0.62× | 2 | 70 |
| Idaholimited | $133,790 | 1,320 | 1.48× | 1 | 70 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $150,960 | 1,060 | 1.49× | 1 | 61 |
| District of Columbialimited | $135,140 | 470 | 0.64× | 1 | 58 |
| Mississippilimited | $105,920 | 320 | 0.26× | 2 | 56 |
| Mainelimited | $131,170 | 1,030 | 1.54× | 1 | 49 |
| Montanalimited | $141,470 | 600 | 1.13× | 1 | 45 |
| North Dakotalimited | $133,450 | 510 | 1.15× | 1 | 33 |
| South Dakotalimited | $133,200 | 680 | 1.43× | 1 | 23 |
| New Mexicolimited | $139,920 | 700 | 0.78× | 1 | 22 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
- Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.
- Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
- Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests.
- Instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance.
- Perform therapeutic procedures, such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care, and infection management.
Skills
- Active Listening4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Monitoring3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Active Learning3.7
- Writing3.6
- Science3.3
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry4.5
- English Language4.3
- Biology4.1
- Customer and Personal Service3.9
- Education and Training3.7
- Psychology3.6
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension4.1
- Problem Sensitivity4.1
- Inductive Reasoning4.0
- Deductive Reasoning4.0
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Oral Expression3.9
Core activities
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.6
- Getting Information4.6
- Assisting and Caring for Others4.5
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.5
- Documenting/Recording Information4.5
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.4
How to get in
How to become a physician assistant
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 22 majors mapped to Physician Assistants1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.0912Physician Associate/Assistant
- 60.0901Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program, General(no graduates reported)
- 60.0902Combined Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0903Acute Care Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0904Acute Care Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0905Cardiology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0906Cardiothoracic Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0907Critical Care Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0908Critical Care and Trauma Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0909Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0910ENT Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0911Family Medicine Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0912Geriatrics Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0913Hematology-Oncology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0914Hepatobiliary Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0915Hospitalist Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0916Neurosurgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0917Orthopedic Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0918Pediatric Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0919Transplant Surgery Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0920Urology Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0999Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Program, Other(no graduates reported)
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a physician assistant?+
BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for physician assistants. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Physician Associate/Assistant (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a physician assistant?+
The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Physician Associate/Assistant (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 program to this job, which graduates about 13,740 people a year.
How much do physician assistants earn?+
The median is $135,880 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $99,380 at the 10th percentile to $190,280 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for physician assistants growing?+
BLS projects a +20.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 12,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
277 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 program that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do physician assistants work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Anesthesia Assistant, Anesthesia Technician, Physician's Assistant, Physician Assistant (PA), Anesthesiologist Assistant, Family Practice Physician Assistant among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1071.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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