Do you live in Texas and want to become a physician’s assistant? Good for you. Being a physician assistant (PA) can be incredibly rewarding. It is an in-demand job that can be financially rewarding as well as fulfilling. The feeling of helping people is an incredible one. We are glad to help you on your journey to becoming a PA. We have prepared a list of the PA schools in Texas for your consideration. This list is meant to help you during the research phase before or during the application process. Remember, only you can determine which is the best program for you and your circumstances. That being said, we are glad that we are able to help you. Good luck on your applications and good luck with becoming a licensed and practicing physician assistant.
Best 4 PA Schools in Texas
1. Baylor College of Medicine
Location: Houston
Program Length: 2.5 years
Tuition: $39,801
The Baylor College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program can prepare you for a long career in the medical field. It is based out of the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical campus in the entire world. This means that your education will take place in a revolutionary and innovative medical center. In addition to its excellent location, the PA program has an incredibly high retention and graduation rate. Over the past three years, the program at Baylor has graduated over 95 percent of their students on time. This means that once admitted, the faculty is committed to your sustained success as a burgeoning PA. Beyond that, the program at Baylor has a 100 percent job placement rate. That means you do not have to stress about getting a job following graduation. A PA degree from Baylor will open plenty of doors for you as you hit the job market. The application is competitive. In 2019, Baylor received 897 applications to their PA program. Of those 897, 140 applicants were interviewed. After the interview process, 40 students were admitted into the PA program. Accepted students averaged a 3.72 undergraduate GPA. If this sounds like the home for you and if you are ready to accept the challenge, then we suggest you get on their website and see if Baylor is the right place for you.
2. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Location: Lubbock
Program Length: 3 years
Tuition: $9,499
Earn a Masters of Physician Assistant Studies degree by studying at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center based in Lubbock. The PA program at Texas Tech has a proven record of equipping PAs for success in the job market. For example, Tech PA graduates have an stellar record on the National Certification Examination. Over the past five years, an average of 95.8% graduates from Tech passed their national licensure examination on the first attempt. This means you will not have to wait long to be a licensed PA and that you will get the jobs you want. As a PA student, you will take a number of interesting courses. Some of the classes that you will take as a PA student include: Human Anatomy, Medical Psychology, Pediatrics, and Emergency Medicine Clerkship. Sound exciting? The competition for a spot in the program is stiff. At minimum, you need a 3.0 undergraduate GPA to apply. You need to have taken all of the prerequisite courses, which include Genetics, Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry, and Statistics. If you would like to be a part of Texas Tech’s tradition of success, then you should get on their website and investable their curriculum and admission data.
3. Hardon Simmons University
Location: Abilene
Program Length: 27 months (full-time)
Tuition: $18,720
Hardon Simmons University is home to a competitive, high-quality Master of Physician Assistant Program. Like the previous programs we have listed here, Hardon Simmons is committed to retaining their admitted students and supporting them through graduation and beyond. Over the past two years, Hardon Simmons 98.5% of their admitted students. We include this statistic because it illustrates how the faculty and staff at the Hardon Simmons are focused on graduating students and getting them employed. Like the other programs featured on this list, you must have excellent academic credentials to be admitted to this program. Successful applicants admitted to this most recent class; they had a 3.58 overall GPA (3.45 in sciences courses) and scored the following on the GRE: 153 Verbal, 152 quantitative , and a 4 on the Analytical Writing portion. Beyond the classroom, admitted applicants averaged 591 community service hours prior to admission. The stakes are high, but achievable. If you are interested in applying to the program at Hardon Simmons, get on their website.
4. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Location: Belton
Program Length: 28 months
Tuition: $38,215
The Master of Science in Physician Assistant program at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is a new PA program in Texas. It is slated to begin in January 2021. The addition of another PA program in the state of Texas means that more qualified applicants be trained to help people. Although they are a new program, the admission standards for the MPA program at Mary Hardin-Baylor. Candidates need to have performed well over their academic career, particularly in science courses and over the last 60 credit hours of your undergraduate education. Some applicants will proceed to the interview phase. Those who interview well will be given an offer of admission. If you want to get in on the ground floor of this exciting new program, then get on the Hardin-Baylor website and see if you have what it takes.
We hope that our list has been helpful in guiding your research into graduate school and programs. Our list does not include any paid or preferred listings. It is prepared subjectively, using several metrics, including (but not limited to): tuition per credit hour, acceptance rate, number of programs offered, and availability of funding. If you are a representative for a university and want to contact us about a) your schools ranking or b) the fact your school is not included, please feel free to get in touch. We welcome feedback and input. Thank you for reading our list!
