2026 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in Missouri
[Physician Assistant](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-professions/physician-assistant/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for physician assistant students.
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2026 Best Value Physician Assistant Schools in Missouri
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the physician assistant degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Physician Assistant Schools
For return on investment in physician assistant, no school beat University Of Missouri Kansas City this year. Located in the city of Kansas City, University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,371, with out-of-state students paying around $32,271. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $23,741. Early-career physician assistant graduates make about $60,324. Set against $23,741 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Missouri Kansas City admits about 72% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Missouri State University Springfield earned it the #2 place for physician assistant. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,502, compared with $18,770 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for physician assistant graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield generally make around $99,606. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Missouri State University Springfield admits about 90% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Stephens College earned it the #3 place for physician assistant. Set in the city of Columbia, Stephens College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $28,300. Students borrow a median of $33,326 to complete the physician assistant program here. Soon after graduation, physician assistant degree recipients from Stephens College generally make around $115,261. That is a strong return on a $33,326 median debt. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in physician assistant will find it at Saint Louis University Main Campus, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Saint Louis, Saint Louis University Main Campus is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $55,760 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the physician assistant program here. Physician Assistant graduates of Saint Louis University Main Campus earn a median of $83,825 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
