PA School Cost by State: 2026 Tuition + Living
PA school total cost is the part of the decision most applicants underestimate at the start and over-correct at the end. The headline tuition numbers do not tell the full story - fees, living costs, in-state versus out-of-state status, and program length all change the total. Here is the working breakdown for 2026.
The total-cost equation
Total cost of attendance has four components:
- Tuition + fees for the full program length (typically 24-30 months).
- Living expenses for the program length, varying enormously by location.
- Books, equipment, and clinical year costs ($3,000-8,000 typical).
- Lost income during the program - the 2-2.5 years not spent in your previous job. This is real money even if it does not appear on a tuition invoice. (Application costs are a smaller line item but real - covered in how many PA programs to apply to.)
A program with $30,000 tuition in a low-cost-of-living city can total $90,000-110,000 over the program. A program with $80,000 tuition in San Francisco or Boston can total $200,000+. The tuition number alone is a poor signal.
Per-state tuition (real numbers, sourced from PAEA)
The table below uses the August 13, 2026 roster of 337 applicant-facing listings and computes state medians from the 248 listings with a usable published tuition figure. The Programs column shows all current listings in that state; the tuition statistic uses only listings that report a value. Eighty-eight listings report separate resident and non-resident rates.
| State | Programs | Tuition (median, range) |
|---|---|---|
| AL | 4 | $103,183 |
| AR | 2 | $128,800 |
| AZ | 7 | $125,283 ($110,240 – $219,933) |
| CA | 22 | $140,833 ($110,052 – $207,000) |
| CO | 4 | $111,896 |
| CT | 6 | $110,450 ($106,575 – $140,389) |
| DC | 2 | $90,648 |
| DE | 1 | $107,000 |
| FL | 21 | $100,331 ($85,000 – $139,820) |
| GA | 10 | $110,250 ($80,000 – $121,780) |
| HI | 1 | $118,000 |
| IA | 5 | $108,000 ($93,960 – $119,848) |
| IL | 9 | $118,850 ($109,912 – $157,230) |
| IN | 8 | $110,650 ($98,400 – $129,500) |
| KS | 4 | $104,500 |
| KY | 6 | $102,912 ($87,503 – $122,500) |
| LA | 4 | $91,899 |
| MA | 9 | $123,091 ($113,832 – $190,000) |
| MD | 6 | $99,000 ($85,000 – $131,320) |
| ME | 1 | $112,140 |
| MI | 11 | $107,098 ($93,112 – $175,000) |
| MN | 6 | $108,754 ($104,475 – $130,068) |
| MO | 5 | $104,000 ($102,050 – $106,700) |
| MS | 2 | $110,070 |
| MT | 2 | $123,003 |
| NC | 16 | $110,000 ($86,000 – $134,215) |
| NE | 4 | $102,913 ($91,650 – $121,770) |
| NH | 2 | $123,310 |
| NJ | 7 | $123,000 ($92,879 – $140,000) |
| NV | 2 | $117,749 |
| NY | 28 | $122,610 ($90,000 – $180,000) |
| OH | 17 | $105,000 ($90,090 – $119,000) |
| OK | 6 | $92,804 |
| OR | 3 | $135,000 ($101,250 – $138,000) |
| PA | 28 | $114,000 ($85,900 – $204,148) |
| RI | 3 | $114,342 ($113,576 – $114,342) |
| SC | 5 | $106,470 ($96,000 – $119,400) |
| TN | 12 | $107,976 ($97,200 – $120,001) |
| TX | 16 | $116,117 ($97,704 – $143,930) |
| UT | 4 | $135,498 |
| VA | 11 | $99,330 ($84,514 – $117,019) |
| WA | 2 | $119,682 |
| WI | 4 | $121,812 |
| WV | 5 | $89,950 |
In-state vs out-of-state at state programs
The in-state vs out-of-state delta at state programs typically runs $40,000-90,000 over the program. If you are flexible on geography, this is the largest single lever on total cost - and one a reapplicant year can be used to establish. Establishing in-state residency before applying (where the rules allow it) can save more than the cost of any other PA-school decision.
Living-cost adjustments
Cost of living adds another $36,000-108,000 to the total over a 24-month program, depending on the city. The math nobody publishes:
| Cost-of-living band | Monthly all-in | Total over 24 months | Example metros |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-COL | $1,500 – $2,000 | $36,000 – $48,000 | Most of the Midwest, much of the South, smaller college towns |
| Mid-COL | $2,000 – $2,800 | $48,000 – $67,000 | Most college towns, many regional cities (Pittsburgh, Nashville, Indianapolis, Phoenix) |
| High-COL | $3,000 – $4,500 | $72,000 – $108,000 | NYC, SF Bay Area, Boston, DC, Seattle, LA |
A high-COL program at $80,000 tuition can total $190,000+ when you add the living costs. A low-COL program at $50,000 tuition can total $90,000. The tuition number alone is a poor signal.
The strategic question
How much PA school cost matters depends on three things:
- Your starting financial position. Applicants with savings can absorb higher-cost programs more easily.
- Your expected post-PA salary. The PA salary range is narrow enough across specialties that high-cost programs do not "pay back" faster - the difference between a $100,000 program and a $200,000 program is real and lasting.
- The geography you actually want to live in post-graduation. Some high-cost programs are in cities you want to stay in; the cost is partially the cost of living there.
Where the data lives
The PA program spreadsheet covers the structural inputs that decide whether you can apply at all - accreditation status, GPA minimums, prerequisites and credit hours, PCE/HCE requirements, deadlines, GRE/CASPer policy, and program location for each of the 337 applicant-facing PA program listings in our spreadsheet. The spreadsheet includes tuition, separate resident/non-resident fields where available, and the source links used for the August 2026 refresh. Tuition can change mid-cycle, so cross-reference each shortlisted program's currently published tuition page before making a financial decision.
What I would tell a younger version of myself about cost
The cheapest program that fits your file is usually the right answer unless you have a specific reason it is not. The salary delta between a graduate of a $200,000 program and a graduate of a $80,000 program in the same specialty is approximately zero (the PA vs MD comparison walks through PA salary numbers). The debt delta is $120,000 plus interest, compounding for the next decade. The math is not subtle. If two programs are roughly equivalent on fit, training quality, and outcomes, the cheaper one is the right answer almost every time.
Frequently asked questions
How much does PA school cost?
Total cost of attendance for PA school typically ranges from $90,000 to $250,000 depending on program, in-state vs out-of-state status, and cost of living in the program's city. Tuition alone runs $30,000 to $200,000+, with another $40,000-100,000 in living expenses depending on location.
What is the cheapest PA school?
The lowest-cost PA programs are typically state programs with strong in-state tuition rates in low-cost-of-living regions. Tuition + fees can run as low as $30,000-50,000 over the program, with total cost (including living) under $90,000 for in-state students.
How much is in-state PA school tuition?
In-state tuition at state PA programs typically runs $30,000-80,000 for the full program. Out-of-state tuition at the same programs typically runs $70,000-150,000.
Is private PA school more expensive than public?
Generally yes. Private PA programs typically run $80,000-200,000 in tuition. Public programs run $30,000-80,000 in-state and $70,000-150,000 out-of-state. Some private programs in high-cost-of-living cities run higher than $200,000.
Does PA school cost vary by state?
Yes, substantially. State-by-state tuition variance is wide, and cost of living adds another $40,000-100,000 of difference between low-COL and high-COL programs over a 24-month program.