Best Physician Assistant colleges in California 2025

Physician assistants are medical professionals that perform a range of functions in a medical setting to evaluate, treat, and observe patients seeking healthcare. It is common for students interested in this role to get their bachelor’s before applying to master’s programs with a required residency at a hospital or doctor’s office. 

Given the size of the state, California has over 10,000 practicing physician assistants that receive competitive compensation that can exceed $130,000 annually. Those that choose to pursue this career must be observant, communicative, and maintain a positive bedside manner with their patients. 

Students can earn their bachelor’s degree in-person or online, though most programs require in-person lab time and face-to-face interactions with patients to prepare them for their future roles.

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Best Physician Assistant colleges in California for 2025

University of Southern California offers 1 Physician Assistant degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 61 Physician Assistant students graduated with students earning 61 Master's degrees.

Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA

Loma Linda University offers 1 Physician Assistant degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2023, 39 Physician Assistant students graduated with students earning 39 Master's degrees.

Dominican University of California offers 1 Physician Assistant degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2023, 32 Physician Assistant students graduated with students earning 32 Master's degrees.

California State University-Monterey Bay offers 1 Physician Assistant degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, four-year university in a midsize suburb. In 2023, 25 Physician Assistant students graduated with students earning 25 Master's degrees.

California Baptist University offers 1 Physician Assistant degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 30 Physician Assistant students graduated with students earning 30 Master's degrees.

Chapman University
Orange, CA

Chapman University offers 1 Physician Assistant degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2023, 53 Physician Assistant students graduated with students earning 53 Master's degrees.

University of the Pacific offers 1 Physician Assistant degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 41 Physician Assistant students graduated with students earning 41 Master's degrees.

Point Loma Nazarene University offers 1 Physician Assistant degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city.

Samuel Merritt University offers 1 Physician Assistant degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 38 Physician Assistant students graduated with students earning 38 Master's degrees.

Stanford University
Stanford, CA
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Stanford University offers 1 Physician Assistant degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2023, 27 Physician Assistant students graduated with students earning 27 Master's degrees.

Find local colleges with Physician Assistant majors in California

List of all Physician Assistant colleges in California

School Average Tuition Student Teacher Ratio Enrolled Students
University of Southern California Logo University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
5/5
22 : 1 47,147
Loma Linda University Logo Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA
5/5
13 : 1 4,202
Dominican University of California Logo Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA
5/5
19 : 1 2,026
California State University-Monterey Bay Logo California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
2/5
30 : 1 6,742
California Baptist University Logo California Baptist University Riverside, CA
5/5
31 : 1 11,407