Best institutions to study Pre-Physician Assistant
A program that prepares individuals for admission to a professional physician assistant program.
12 U.S. institutions graduated 135 Pre-Physician Assistant students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 51.1111, a specialization of Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (CIP 51.11).
About Pre-Physician Assistant programs
A program that prepares individuals for admission to a professional physician assistant program.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Pre-Physician Assistant program is designed to prepare individuals for admission to a professional physician assistant program. This program falls under the broader category of Health/Medical Preparatory Programs and is ideal for students aspiring to enter the healthcare field as physician assistants.
Students in the Pre-Physician Assistant program will gain foundational knowledge and skills necessary for advanced studies in healthcare. Coursework typically includes subjects related to health professions, medical terminology, and patient care practices.
Credentials awarded
What Pre-Physician Assistant graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Bachelor's degree121 graduates / yr · 9 institutions90%
- Postbaccalaureate certificate9 graduates / yr · 1 institution6.7%
- Associate's degree5 graduates / yr · 2 institutions3.7%
Graduates over time
Pre-Physician Assistant completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2021 | 48 |
| 2022 | 53 |
| 2023 | 67 |
| 2024 | 127 |
| 2025 | 135 |
CIP 51.1111 was introduced in CIP 2020, so the series starts when institutions began reporting under the new code.
Top 12 institutions for Pre-Physician Assistant, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Field earnings* (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeSales University Center Valley, PAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 32 | 72% | $26,990 | — |
| 2 | Seton Hill University Greensburg, PAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 30 | 67% | $19,887 | — |
| 3 | Oakland University Rochester Hills, MIPublicBachelor's | 19 | 58% | — | — |
| 4 | University of New England Biddeford, MEPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 16 | 68% | $34,673 | — |
| 5 | Keck Graduate Institute Claremont, CAPrivate not-for-profitPost-degree cert. | 9 | — | — | — |
| 6 | Lee University Cleveland, TNPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 7 | 63% | $18,918 | — |
| 7 | Grand View University Des Moines, IAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 6 | 54% | $20,840 | — |
| 8 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TNPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 5 | 53% | $14,286 | — |
| 9 | Hofstra University Hempstead, NYPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 4 | 69% | $34,539 | — |
| 10 | Holmes Community College Goodman, MSPublicAssociate's | 3 | 39% | — | $21,326 |
| 11 | Butler Community College El Dorado, KSPublicAssociate's | 2 | 32% | — | — |
| 12 | Kettering College Kettering, OHPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 2 | 65% | $15,131 | — |
* Median earnings 1 year after graduation for the broader Health/Medical Preparatory Programs field (CIP 51.11) at these institutions; College Scorecard does not publish earnings at the 6-digit level.
Offered in 10 states
Where Pre-Physician Assistant graduates come from. Each state links to all Health/Medical Preparatory Programs programs offered there.
| State | Institutions | Graduates / yr | Top institution by graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 62 | DeSales University32 / yr |
| Michigan | 1 | 19 | Oakland University19 / yr |
| Maine | 1 | 16 | University of New England16 / yr |
| Tennessee | 2 | 12 | Lee University7 / yr |
| California | 1 | 9 | Keck Graduate Institute9 / yr |
| Iowa | 1 | 6 | Grand View University6 / yr |
| New York | 1 | 4 | Hofstra University4 / yr |
| Mississippi | 1 | 3 | Holmes Community College3 / yr |
| Kansas | 1 | 2 | Butler Community College2 / yr |
| Ohio | 1 | 2 | Kettering College2 / yr |
Other Health/Medical Preparatory Programs specializations
The 10 other 6-digit CIP codes under Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (CIP 51.11).
- Health/CIP 51.1199
Medical Preparatory Programs 3,642 graduates / yr110 institutions - Pre-Nursing StudiesCIP 51.11052,938 graduates / yr73 institutions
- Pre-Medicine/CIP 51.1102
Pre-Medical Studies 1,641 graduates / yr111 institutions - Pre-Physical Therapy StudiesCIP 51.1109258 graduates / yr33 institutions
- Pre-Pharmacy StudiesCIP 51.1103225 graduates / yr30 institutions
- Pre-Occupational Therapy StudiesCIP 51.1107105 graduates / yr18 institutions
- Pre-Dentistry StudiesCIP 51.110159 graduates / yr12 institutions
- Pre-Art TherapyCIP 51.1110partial data18 graduates / yr7 institutions
- Pre-Chiropractic StudiesCIP 51.1106limited data2 graduates / yr1 institutions
- Pre-Optometry StudiesCIP 51.1108limited data2 graduates / yr1 institutions
Common questions
What degree do I earn from this program?+
You can earn a Bachelor's degree, a Postbaccalaureate certificate, or an Associate's degree.
How many colleges offer the Pre-Physician Assistant program?+
There are 12 colleges offering this program in the U.S.
What is the average number of graduates per year?+
Approximately 135 students graduate from this program each year.
What is the focus of the Pre-Physician Assistant program?+
The program focuses on preparing students for admission to professional physician assistant programs.
What is the CIP code for Pre-Physician Assistant?+
Pre-Physician Assistant is CIP 51.1111 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (CIP 51.11). NCES defines it as: A program that prepares individuals for admission to a professional physician assistant program.
How many institutions offer Pre-Physician Assistant programs?+
12 U.S. institutions reported Pre-Physician Assistant graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 10 states, awarding 135 credentials in the year. That is 1.5% of all Health/Medical Preparatory Programs graduates.
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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