Physician assistant · Master's

Boston University PA program: PANCE pass rate, cost and admission

At Boston University, 100% of the PA class of 2026 passed the PANCE on the first attempt, against 94% nationally. The program reports a class size of 20.

Boston, MA ARC-PA: Accreditation-Continued, next review October 2028 Checked Oct 2026

Listed by ARC-PA as: Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine PA Program

PANCE score report, first-time takers

Source: NCCPA report posted by the program
Class of 2026
100%
Above national 3 of 5
First-time takers
20
National, class of 2026
94%
Classes shown
5
This programNational first-time rate
80%85%90%95%100%Class of 2021: 93%, national 93%, 30 takers93%2021Class of 2022: 100%, national 92%, 25 takers100%2022Class of 2023: 88%, national 92%, 25 takers88%2023Class of 2024: 96%, national 92%, 24 takers96%2024Class of 2026: 100%, national 94%, 20 takers100%2026
Table view
ClassProgramNationalTakers
202193%93%30
2022100%92%25
202388%92%25
202496%92%24
2026100%94%20

Cost, size and outcomes

  • Tuition per yearProgram page, 2026-27, first year PA students$51,683
  • Class sizeProgram page, Class of 2026 (entering class size per ARC-PA attrition table)20
  • PA degrees conferred by the institutionIPEDS completions, CIP 51.0912Not published
  • Median earnings, 1 year after completionCollege Scorecard, Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, master's degree, graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22$74,869
  • Median earnings, 4 years after completionCollege Scorecard, Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, master's degree, graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19$71,420
  • Median federal loan debtCollege Scorecard, Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, master's degreeNot published
  • Physician assistants, median wage, MassachusettsBLS OEWS, May 2025, context only$142,410

What it asks of applicants

  • Application service and deadlineAs the program states it, 2026-27 cycleCASPA · September 1, 2026
  • Minimum overall GPA3.2
  • Patient care hoursNot published
  • Program lengthNot published
  • Program startsAugust
  • Prerequisite coursesAs the program states it, 2026-27 cycleGeneral Biology or Zoology with lab, Human or Animal Physiology, General Chemistry with lab, Organic Chemistry with lab, Biochemistry, 3 upper level biology courses

Accreditation

  • StatusARC-PA list, fetched 2026-10-28Accreditation-Continued
  • First accreditedSeptember 2013
  • Next accreditation reviewOctober 2028
  • Program websiteVisit

Nearby PA programs

Attrition by class, as the program posts it

ARC-PA attrition table from the program's own page, with the entering and graduating counts it prints. A table that prints attrition as a fraction (0.20) shows here as a percent (20%).
ClassEnteredGraduatedAttrition
202326253.8%
202425244%
202620200%

What the numbers say

Boston University's newest NCCPA row is the class of 2026, in which 20 first-time takers sat the PANCE and 100% passed, with the national rate at 94%. The report has no row between the classes of 2024 and 2026; the 2024 class passed at 96%, 4 points above the national 92%. The class of 2022 also reached 100%, so 2022 and 2026 are tied for the highest rate in the window. The lowest came in 2023, when 88% of 25 takers passed, 4 points below the 92% national rate. In 2021 the program's 93% matched the national rate exactly. That leaves BU above the national rate in 3 of the 5 classes and below it in 1. The ARC-PA attrition table gives an entering class of 20 for the class of 2026, with attrition of 0%. For 2026-27, tuition for matriculating first-year PA students is $51,683, a first-year figure rather than a program total. A complete CASPA application must reach the program by September 1, 2026, in the 2026-27 cycle, and classes start in August. The minimum CASPA-calculated science GPA is 3.2. Prerequisites include general biology or zoology with lab, human or animal physiology, general chemistry with lab, organic chemistry with lab, biochemistry, and a set of upper-level biology courses. Accredited by ARC-PA since September 2013, the program is at Accreditation-Continued, and its next review is scheduled for October 2028.

Sources

  1. Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA): Entry Level Accredited Programs, fetched 28 Oct 2026
  2. www.bu.edu: How to Apply | Physician Assistant Program, fetched 29 Oct 2026
  3. www.bu.edu: About Us | Physician Assistant Program, fetched 29 Oct 2026
  4. U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data, 15 Oct 2026, fetched 26 Oct 2026
  5. www.bu.edu: Tuition and Financial Aid | Physician Assistant Program, fetched 29 Oct 2026
  6. National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), posted by the program: PANCE Exam Performance Summary Report for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine PA Program (program 6027), printed 6/09/2026, fetched 29 Oct 2026
  7. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates, May 2025, 15 May 2026, fetched 26 Oct 2026