2026 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in Florida
[Physician Assistant](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-professions/physician-assistant/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong physician assistant education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for physician assistant students.
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2026 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in Florida
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in physician assistant, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Physician Assistant Schools
For return on investment in physician assistant, no school beat University Of Florida this year. Located in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,381 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,659. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $17,669. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $107,126. Set against $17,669 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 24%.
Florida International University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value physician assistant schools. Set in the suburb of Miami, Florida International University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,565, with out-of-state students paying around $18,964. Physician Assistant graduates carry a median of $19,349 in student loans. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $99,899. That is a strong return on a $19,349 median debt. Florida International University admits about 55% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in physician assistant will find it at University Of South Florida Main Campus, which ranked #3. University Of South Florida Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Tampa. Students from in state pay about $6,410 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,324. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $21,829. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from University Of South Florida Main Campus generally make around $63,300. Set against $21,829 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 43% of applicants are accepted.
Florida State University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value physician assistant schools. Set in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,517, while out-of-state students pay about $21,683. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $20,750. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $68,066. Set against $20,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 24%.
Florida Gulf Coast University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value physician assistant schools. Set in the suburb of Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,118, with out-of-state students paying around $25,162. Physician Assistant graduates carry a median of $17,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from Florida Gulf Coast University generally make around $113,432. Set against $17,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 63%.
South University West Palm Beach earned the #6 position for value in physician assistant this year. Located in the suburb of Royal Palm Beach, South University West Palm Beach is a small private for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $17,895. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $47,605. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $107,029. That is a strong return on a $47,605 median debt.
Barry University landed the #7 spot for physician assistant value this year. Barry University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Miami. In-state tuition and fees average $34,350. Students borrow a median of $31,250 to complete the physician assistant program here. Physician Assistant graduates of Barry University earn a median of $129,419 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
South University Tampa ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value physician assistant schools. Located in the city of Tampa, South University Tampa is a small private for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $17,895. Students borrow a median of $50,198 to complete the physician assistant program here. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $107,029. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Nova Southeastern University placed #9 among the best values for physician assistant. Nova Southeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale. In-state tuition and fees average $38,700. Physician Assistant graduates carry a median of $32,250 in student loans. Physician Assistant graduates of Nova Southeastern University earn a median of $93,694 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $32,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Adventist University Of Health Sciences came in at #10 for value in physician assistant this year. Adventist University Of Health Sciences is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Orlando. In-state tuition and fees average $21,420. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $28,687. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from Adventist University Of Health Sciences generally make around $81,077. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The University Of Tampa landed the #11 spot for physician assistant value this year. Located in the city of Tampa, The University Of Tampa is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $34,408. Students borrow a median of $25,191 to complete the physician assistant program here. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from The University Of Tampa generally make around $45,401. Set against $25,191 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 40%.
More Physician Assistant Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 ranked schools only.
- 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.
