by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study physician associate/assistant, you’ve come to the right place. We have ranked 198 programs that stand out for veteran physician associate/assistant students, using our 2026 methodology.
We measure this ranking on the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students: affordability and veteran financial benefits (including GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon support), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community. So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluated colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ready to build your own comparison? Check out our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Narrow this ranking to a degree level below:
Here are the top-ranked physician associate/assistant colleges for veterans:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tops our 2026 ranking of the best physician associate/assistant colleges for veterans. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill scores 90.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the physician associate/assistant program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A rank of #2 makes James Madison University one of the top physician associate/assistant colleges for veteran students. The school's overall veterans score is 89.6 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the physician associate/assistant program at James Madison University
Veteran students seeking a strong physician associate/assistant program will find one at University of South Florida, which ranked #3. University of South Florida scores 89.0 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about physician associate/assistant at University of South Florida
Veteran students seeking a strong physician associate/assistant program will find one at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, which ranked #4. It scores 88.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about physician associate/assistant at Rutgers University-New Brunswick
A rank of #5 makes East Carolina University one of the top physician associate/assistant colleges for veteran students. It scores 88.2 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0.
More about the physician associate/assistant program at East Carolina University
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University of Alabama at Birmingham landed the #6 spot for veterans pursuing physician associate/assistant. The school's overall veterans score is 87.7 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. See the full physician associate/assistant report for University of Alabama at Birmingham
Stony Brook University came in at #7 for veteran physician associate/assistant students this year. Stony Brook University scores 87.1 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full physician associate/assistant report for Stony Brook University
University of Florida came in at #8 for veteran physician associate/assistant students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 86.4 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about physician associate/assistant at University of Florida
Western Michigan University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best physician associate/assistant colleges for veterans. Western Michigan University scores 85.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the physician associate/assistant program at Western Michigan University
University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best physician associate/assistant colleges for veterans. It scores 85.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7.
More about the physician associate/assistant program at University of Washington-Seattle Campus
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University of Wisconsin-La Crosse landed the #11 spot for veterans pursuing physician associate/assistant. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse scores 85.0 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about physician associate/assistant at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
University of New Mexico-Main Campus landed the #12 spot for veterans pursuing physician associate/assistant. The school's overall veterans score is 85.0 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about physician associate/assistant at University of New Mexico-Main Campus
University of Kentucky placed #13 among the best physician associate/assistant colleges for veterans. It scores 84.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the physician associate/assistant program at University of Kentucky
Eastern Michigan University came in at #14 for veteran physician associate/assistant students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 84.3 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the physician associate/assistant program at Eastern Michigan University
Ohio University-Main Campus placed #15 among the best physician associate/assistant colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 84.1 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7.
Read more about physician associate/assistant at Ohio University-Main Campus
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Florida State University came in at #16 for veteran physician associate/assistant students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 82.4 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. More about the physician associate/assistant program at Florida State University
University of South Dakota placed #17 among the best physician associate/assistant colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 82.2 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the physician associate/assistant program at University of South Dakota
University of Nevada-Reno ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best physician associate/assistant colleges for veterans. University of Nevada-Reno scores 81.7 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the physician associate/assistant program at University of Nevada-Reno
University of South Carolina-Columbia came in at #19 for veteran physician associate/assistant students this year. University of South Carolina-Columbia scores 81.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full physician associate/assistant report for University of South Carolina-Columbia
Grand Valley State University came in at #20 for veteran physician associate/assistant students this year. Grand Valley State University scores 81.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7.
See the full physician associate/assistant report for Grand Valley State University
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Wayne State University ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the best physician associate/assistant colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 81.2 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full physician associate/assistant report for Wayne State University
University of Iowa came in at #22 for veteran physician associate/assistant students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 81.1 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the physician associate/assistant program at University of Iowa
Towson University placed #23 among the best physician associate/assistant colleges for veterans. It scores 80.9 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. Read more about physician associate/assistant at Towson University
University of Toledo came in at #24 for veteran physician associate/assistant students this year. It scores 80.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about physician associate/assistant at University of Toledo
Samford University came in at #25 for veteran physician associate/assistant students this year. Samford University scores 80.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 71.1, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full physician associate/assistant report for Samford University
Not far behind, these physician associate/assistant colleges also rank among the best for veterans this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is based on the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students studying physician associate/assistant: affordability and veteran financial benefits (GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community.
These rankings are produced by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
