Physician Assistant Program Ranked No. 16 nationwide & No. 2 in California

This ranking is a testament to the program's commitment to providing high-quality education and training to its students.

"We are exceedingly proud of our Touro University California Physician Assistant program - its leadership, faculty and students,” said Dr. Alan Kadish, Touro University President. “These rankings confirm what we already knew that the Vallejo campus strives for excellence."

The U.S. News and World Report rankings were computed solely from the results of peer assessment surveys completed by deans, other administrators or faculty at accredited  degree programs or schools. Respondents rated the academic quality of programs on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). Touro’s average score of 3.6 was tied with three other programs nationally.

The program's success is reflected in its graduates' high pass rates on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), with a 98% first time pass rate in 2022.

“Faculty and staff's continued dedication to student success was the driving force behind our ranking increase. Dedicated faculty leaders including Josie Hunt, Kasaundra Heiberger, Jennifer Pimentel, and Michelle Wolfe are the reason we continue to produce quality PA alumni who remain committed to our mission,” said Dr. Joy Moverley, Director of the TUC Joint MSPAS/MPH Program. “We strive to continue to improve access to primary care through offering a PA education that uniquely marries public health in our joint degree program.”

Touro University California offers the only program where Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and Master of Public Health degrees are earned concurrently, integrating the material across the two disciplines.

“I am thrilled to see our rankings go up by 10 since last year in US News and World Report nationally and to be listed as #2 in the state of California. This is not surprising to me as the joint PA/Public Health program is one of a kind in the country with two degrees received accelerated over three years,” said Dr. Lisa Norton, Dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences. “The students, faculty and staff are all committed to our mission focused on public health and primary care and live our Touro mission of social justice.”  

Stanford University is the only program in California to rank higher than Touro among graduate Physician Assistant programs nationally. Stanford’s average score of 3.8 was tied for eighth with five other programs. Duke University Medical Center, the nation’s first PA Program, received the top ranking with an average score of 4.4.

"We are proud of our PA program's success and the impact our graduates are making in the health care field," said Dr. Sarah Sweitzer, Provost and CEO of Touro University California. "We look forward to continuing to provide outstanding education and training to our students."

For more information about Touro University California's Physician Assistant Program, visit https://tu.edu/programs/mspas-mph.