Filter every ARC-PA accredited US PA program by state, tuition, program length, PANCE pass rate, GRE requirement, and admission stats. Each entry links to the program's official page.
There are 280+ PA programs in the US accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). They vary widely on cost (28× swing from cheapest to most expensive), length (24 to 36 months), admissions stringency (lowest median GPA accepted ~3.2; top programs ~3.8+), and PANCE pass rate (the licensing exam, a quality proxy). The good ones get 1,500+ applications for 30-60 seats; admission rates of 2-5% are typical.
This finder covers every accredited program with filterable data: location, total tuition, program length, PANCE first-time pass rate (5-year average), GRE requirement (most programs dropped this; some still require it), average GPA and GRE of admitted applicants, average direct patient care hours required, and the program's CASPA verification process notes.
Practical use: applicants typically apply to 8-15 programs. Use the finder to identify programs where your GPA + patient care hours + GRE puts you in or above the admitted cohort. Cost should be factored in once you have admission offers — the lowest-cost program you can get into is often the best ROI choice unless the higher-cost program has substantially better post-grad placement.
Step 1 — Filter by state and tuition range. Geography matters for cost-of-living during school + post-grad licensure (PA licensure is state-based, so programs in your target practice state have an edge for clinical-rotation networking).
Step 2 — Add academic filters. Average admitted GPA, GRE status, patient care hour requirement. Match these to your actual stats — applying to programs where you're below the median admitted is wasted application fees.
Step 3 — Sort by PANCE pass rate. First-time PANCE pass rate is the cleanest quality signal — programs with 90%+ are doing something right. Below 80% is a red flag for outcome quality.
Filter the full ARC-PA accredited list by state, tuition, GRE requirement, average GPA accepted, and PANCE pass rate. Side-by-side comparison for your top picks.
Open the finder →Most successful applicants apply to 8-15 programs. The CASPA application fee is $190 for the first program and $80 per additional program, so the cost ladders quickly. Strategy: 2-3 'reach' (your stats below admitted median), 4-6 'target' (your stats at admitted median), 3-4 'safety' (your stats above median, programs in less-competitive geography).
First-time PANCE pass rate is published by ARC-PA for every program. Above 95% = excellent. 90-95% = strong. 85-90% = adequate. Below 85% = serious red flag — either the program isn't preparing students or it's admitting underqualified candidates. The 5-year rolling average is more useful than a single year (programs have variance).
Mostly no. As of 2025-2026 cycle, the majority of US PA programs have dropped GRE requirements (started during COVID, mostly made permanent). Check each program's current requirement; about 80 programs still require or recommend GRE. If your target program list is GRE-optional, skip the test — it doesn't add value for admissions.
The CASPA-tracked 'Patient Care Experience' hours vary by program: minimum requirement is typically 500-1,000 hours; average admitted candidates have 2,000-4,000 hours. Higher is better — admissions committees view PCE as a proxy for understanding the clinical environment. Qualifying experience: EMT, scribe, CNA, medical assistant, phlebotomist, paramedic, RN, athletic trainer with hands-on care.