Best Physician Assistant colleges in North Carolina 2022

Often mentioned alongside the Ivy League schools, Duke is renowned for its commitment to academic excellence. With a $12.7 billion endowment, the school features world-class facilities and faculty providing PA students one of the best educational experiences possible. 

Indeed, Duke hails itself as the “birthplace of the PA profession!” The Duke Physician Assistant Program’s Master of Health Sciences lasts 24 months “split between the pre-clinical and clinical phases of the program.” Admission standards are high, as is the competition to get in, but graduates from Duke are well-prepared for some of the best jobs in the industry.

Often hailed as a Public Ivy school, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is home to the School of Medicine's Department of Allied Health Sciences. The department offers a rigorous Master of Health Sciences in Physician Assistant Studies featuring rotations in “Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Women’s Health, Pediatrics, Behavioral Health, Emergency Medicine and Surgery as well as Primary Care and two elective rotations.” 

UNC also hosts the student-run Carolina Pre-Physician Assistant Association, which advocates for the “rights, interests, and welfare of students planning to pursue careers as physician assistants.” UNC Online previously offered online programs, but recently announced it is retiring those.