PAEA Program Report 32 Shows Increased Costs of Physician Assistant Education
As PA salaries rise, so does the cost of Physician Assistant education. According to a recent report by the PAEA (Physician Assistant Education Association) the cost for private tuition has increased from $81,555 in 2014-2015 to $84,349 in 2015-2016.
The PAEA is the national organization for PA education programs in the United States. The PAEA provides resources for PA programs and their faculties, as well as prospective and current students.
Every year the PAEA conducts an annual Program Survey which collects information such as program structure, student and faculty characteristics and financial information of students and programs. The survey is administered in May and completion is mandatory for all PAEA members. The reports are analyzed and released the fall of the following year so all information in the current 2017 report is from information on the previous year.
Tuition for public universities saw an increase as well, with median in-state tuition increasing by $2,632, a 6% increase; out-of-state tuition increased by $3,607. The total cost (tuition plus incidental costs) of studying at a public university PA program with in-state tuition for 2015-2016 was $49,317. For out-of-state tuition that number increased to $83,981. Incidental costs, which include textbooks, equipment, technology/software and other academic expenses, also saw increases of over $1,000 for both public and private institutions. The total median cost of attending a private institution PA program was $89,698.
[jetpack_subscription_form title=”Learn more money saving tips for PA school” subscribe_text=”Enter your email address to receive future posts by email for FREE” subscribe_button=”Sign Me Up”]
Other costs of attending PA school that were not included in the survey are the costs of living; including housing, transportation and food. These can really add to the overall cost of attending PA school; if your school of interest is an urban area, most likely your living costs are going to be more. What can really cause this to increase is the length of the program; if you have to pay for housing over 36 months compared to a 24 month program your total cost for attending PA school is going to greatly increase.
If you want to save money, try attending a public university in your state of residence or if you know of a public university that you’re interested in try to establish residency prior to starting the PA program. Every state has different requirements to get residency and some are easier than others. You can lower the cost by almost half by paying in-state tuition as median in-state tuition was $43,000 and out-of-state tuition was $77,269.
The survey includes much more information about PA programs such as PA program budgets, PA class demographics, faculty information, GRE scores for incoming students, etc. If you’re applying to PA school it is worth a look to see how you compare with the average PA student.
As with other higher education the cost of PA school continues to increase. If you’re looking at attending PA school an option to help lower the total cost is to save on incidental expenses such as books and equipment. Also, look into scholarships and other opportunities to have someone else pay for your education.
Please comment below the original post, sign up to receive future posts by email and share with your friends!
