Physician Assistant Program Data

PA National Certification Exam 5-Year Pass Rates

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants is the credentialing organization for physician assistants in the U.S. It administers the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam, which students must pass to practice as a certified PA.

NCCPA Exam Performance Summary Report

ClassClass
Graduation
Year		GroupNumber of
Candidates
Who Took
PANCE		Number
of Exam
Attempts		Number
of Exams
Passed		Program
Exam Pass
Rate		National
Exam Pass
Rate for the
Class
Graduation
Year		% of
Candidates
Who
Ultimately
Passed
PANCE
Class of 20232023All Takers38483675%89%95%
Class of 20232023First Time Takers38383182%92%95%
Class of 20242024All Takers45514588%89%100%
Class of 20242024First Time Takers45454191%92%100%
Class of 20252025All Takers48584679%88%96%
Class of 20252025First Time Takers48483981%91%96%
Class of 20262026All Takers42424095%90%95%
Class of 20262026First Time Takers42424095%94%95%

Program Goals and Outcomes

Goal 1: Prepare PA students with the knowledge and skills necessary to enter clinical practice.
Goal 2: Cultivate student professionalism within the PA program. 
Goal 3: Prepare students as leaders and advocates for the PA profession.

Progress Toward Program Goals

Student Attrition Rates

Graduated ClassesClass of 2024Class of 2025Class of 2026
Maximum entering class size (as approved by ARC-PA)465050
Entering class size 485050
Graduates454846
* Attrition rate6.25%4.0%8.0%
**Graduation rate93.75%96%92%

*Attrition rate calculation:  Number of students who attritted from cohort (decelerated + withdrawals + dismissals) divided by the (entering class size + number joining class cohort).
**Graduation rate calculation:  Number of cohort graduates divided by the (entering class size + number joining class cohort).