Tuition and costs | PA Program

Your career starts here.

Our highly competitive PA program has an almost 100% job placement rate within six months of graduation. With a growing career industry, graduates enjoy a strong starting wage. 

This page outlines costs for the graduate program. To learn more about costs for our undergraduate programs, click here.

Graduate tuition and costs

2023/2024 academic year

Graduate costs for 2024-25

Here are the tuition costs for Union's physician assistant graduate program. Please note some costs, such as health insurance and books, can only be estimated and may vary due to circumstances out of our control.


2024-2025

Year 1

2025-2026

Year 2

2026-2027

Year 3

Tuition

$38,220

$45,864

$30,576

General fee

$1,350

$1,350

$1,350

Program fee

$2,500

$3,000

$2,000

Health Insurance

$2,038*

$2,038*

$2,038*

Books, materials, and equipment

$3,000

$2,700

$2,350

Total

$47,108

$54,952

$38,314

NOTE: the information in these tables is based on current tuition rates. The amounts listed for future years will change because tuition typically increases 2-4% per year.

The cost per credit hour for the PA Program is $1,274.

The general fee supports Union campus infrastructure that is necessary for learning and enrichment of all students.

*Items with an asterisk (*) are estimates and may vary based on your situation.

The program fee helps support the ancillary functions of the PA program including but not limited to: housing for remote clinical locations, patient simulations, software management fees, testing fees, guest lecture remuneration, offsite instruction, and association membership for students.

You'll need books and health insurance too.

Potential additional costs

Books: You can buy books through our bookstore, online or from friends. Often times books are cheaper rented or used. Most required textbooks are available digitally, with no additional cost to the student. We recommend budgeting $1,625 (maximum cost for new textbooks)  annually if you prefer in-hand (as opposed to digital) textbooks. 

Medical Equipment: Each incoming student will make a one-time medical equipment purchase costing approximately $1,500. This equipment must be obtained during the first fall semester. 

Computer: A laptop computer with internet access is required of all PA students and is necessary upon matriculation into the PA Program. 

Travel: Costs associated with travel are the responsibility of the student, both during the didactic and clinical years. While expenses relating to this can vary greatly, the student should be prepared for potential expenses of approximately $1,800-$3000 annually. 

Health insurance: All full-time students are required to have health insurance. You’ll need to provide proof of insurance at registration, or you can purchase plans through Union College for an annual fee of $2,038. Prices vary year-to-year. For more information contact Student Services (402.486.2507).

More about housing, eating and payments.

Other things to know

To get financial clearance, follow the financial checklistNote: If you get accepted into the Physician Assistant Program, you do not need to pay the $100 confirmation deposit. 

Find scholarships. As a Union College student, you have access to ScholarshipUniverse, a tool that helps you access millions in scholarships from thousands organizations and walks you through the application process. Set up your account to get started!

Payment plan. Most graduate students take out enough student loans to cover their cost of living. However, if you would like to make a monthly payment plan while in school, you can. 

Refund policy. The policies and procedures for refunds of tuition and fees may be found in the Union College Bulletin.

Housing. College apartments are available, on space available basis, to married students, students who are parents, or students 22 years of age or older. We are also in a residential section of town with many housing options available. During clinical rotations, some housing costs are borne by the student. While these expense can vary greatly, the student should be prepared for potential additional housing expenses of at least $1000 during the final year of the program.

Union Market. Union College's dining hall offers a wide variety of options sure to please any palette. Food is charged by weight. If you would like to have a meal plan in Union Market, the cost is $250 per semester and you will receive a 20% discount every time you make a purchase in Union Market. If you go without a meal plan, you can still buy food by paying with cash, debit or credit card at the cashier. 

Student working policy. PA students are generally discouraged from maintaining employment while in their PA studies, due to the rigorous nature of the curriculum. If academic difficul­ties arise and the student is employed, academic advisors will include counsel to resign from employment. No concessions or time off will be granted to students to maintain employment of any kind.

PA students are never required to work for the program. In general, PA students are not permitted to work for the program; however, on rare occasions, a PA student will request work during a school break and may be hired for temporary non-of­fice duties (e.g., janitor over Christmas vacation).
Students are not permitted to substitute for or function as instructional faculty in di­dactic and/or laboratory sessions. During clinical rotations, students cannot function as a substitute for clinical or administrative staff and cannot receive any payment for services provided.

Students with specific prior knowledge, experiences, and skills may assist faculty in didactic and laboratory sessions to share their knowledge and skills. (See the PA Student Handbook Section 9.9 STUDENT WORK POLICY)

There’s always fine print.

The fine print

Union College reserves the right to make changes to any provision or requirement at any time with particular reference to admission, registration, tuition and fees, financial aid and scholarship programs.