University of South Carolina SOM Physician Assistant Program
Columbia, South Carolina · Masters
Tuition + fees $65,310 / $106,491 nonresident
June 2026 rates projected over seven semesters
A closer look
A 27-month, 114-credit PA program in Columbia with a 30-student cohort and a 500-hour combined healthcare-exposure requirement.
Mission & approach
To educate and train competent, compassionate, and collaborative PAs to deliver patient centered care as part of an interprofessional team.
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Check three basics
Enter any GPA or patient care hours you know. We’ll compare them with this school’s published numbers. This is a starting point, not an eligibility decision.
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Admissions insights
What this program looks for in applicants
Scored on GRE (300+ preferred), patient-care hours, LORs, personal statement. Preference: SC residents, USC alumni, US veterans, cumulative GPA >=3.2, science GPA >=3.2, GRE >=300, 2000+ HCE hours.
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
How this program interviews
In-person interviews on the School of Medicine campus are required for all applicants and are held at the invitation of the Admissions Committee, with early decision interview days offered in June and July and additional interviews in August. Candidates must complete a graduate school questionnaire before interviewing, and decisions are typically released within about two weeks afterward.
Source checked Aug 1, 2026. Interview formats and dates can change between cycles.
Program interview informationAdmissions & prerequisites
Admission requirements
Prerequisite coursework
Semester credits unless notedReview each course, its lab, and the program’s policies. Your links are planning records; the program decides equivalency.
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade |
|---|---|---|---|
Human Anatomy and/or Human Physiology with labsCourse notes & alternativesSix lecture credits plus two laboratory credits; comparative, animal and mammalian coursework not accepted. | 8Semester credits unless noted | Required | C |
| Genetics | 3Semester credits unless noted | Not specified | C |
General Chemistry with labsCourse notes & alternativesSix lecture credits plus two laboratory credits. | 8Semester credits unless noted | Required | C |
| Organic Chemistry with lab | 4Semester credits unless noted | Required | C |
| Microbiology | 3Semester credits unless noted | Not specified | C |
| Introductory or higher-level Psychology | 3Semester credits unless noted | Not required | C |
| Statistics | 3Semester credits unless noted | Not required | C |
Medical TerminologyCourse notes & alternativesCertificate or CEU route accepted; may be Pass/Fail. | 1Semester credits unless noted | Not required | C |
Policies that can change your plan
- Conflicting program policies
- The program's published policies conflict on whether Pass/Fail is accepted. Confirm with the program.
- Cycle-specific recency
- The published Anatomy/Physiology cutoff is Fall 2019. Verify the cutoff for your application cycle.
Anatomy/Physiology taken before Fall 2019 is not accepted for the current cycle; other prerequisites do not expire. AP/IB and community-college courses are accepted. The minimum prerequisite GPA is 3.2. The program's published policies conflict on Pass/Fail: one accepts Pass/Satisfactory, while another calls for letter grades except for terminology. Confirm with admissions before relying on a Pass/Fail science course.
When courses must be complete: All prerequisite coursework complete and CASPA-verified at application; no pending prerequisites.
Dates & application steps
The anticipated CASPA deadline for students matriculating in January 2028 is August 1, 2027. CASPA opens April 2027.
This is the expected start of the entering class.
Know what the total includes
Published cost estimate
June 2026 rates projected over seven semesters$13,128 term × 7 documented semesters · Projected full-program tuition at current rates; fees and living costs are separate, and rates may change.
Tuition: $52,815 resident, $91,896 nonresident. Required fees over seven semesters: $12,495 resident, $14,595 nonresident. Total: $65,310 resident, $106,491 nonresident. Nonresidents may later qualify for resident rates, but the timing is unknown.
Curriculum & clinical training
Didactic education
Primarily in-person systems-based medical instruction includes cadaver anatomy, simulation, clinical skills and interprofessional learning.
Clinical education
Core specialties, orthopedics, urgent/primary care and two electives lead to a longitudinal capstone portfolio and campus summative experience.
27-month, seven-semester Columbia curriculum with 114 credit hours. The program arranges all clinical sites and preceptors.
The admitted class
Class 2028
Published class statisticsThese figures cover Class of 2028 students at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine who accepted offers. The average prerequisite GPA is 3.80. Healthcare experience averages 3,070 hours, which are not necessarily all patient-care hours.
Compare published cohorts
| Class | Published GPA | Published science-related GPA | Published experience hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 2028 | 3.78Mean Overall/cumulative GPA | 3.77Mean Science GPA | 3,070Mean health-care exposure hours |
Published class statistics describe the named cohort or population. They are not admission minimums or acceptance probabilities.
The program’s track record
Graduate outcomes
PANCE pass rates
See first-time program performance with clearly dated national context.
- First-time PANCE pass rate: 100%
- Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: 98%
Accreditation history
ContinuedSources you can open
Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.
- Program program page
- Program program page
- University of South Carolina SOM program page-qualified class profile
- University of South Carolina SOM curriculum/program program page
- Program program page
- ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory
- University of South Carolina SOM PA coursework requirements
About the U.S. News rank
The U.S. News PA rank uses the 2025 PA edition, matched to the listed program and campus. It reflects peer-assessed reputation, not admissions odds or a personal fit score. Programs without a separate entry are labeled “Unranked.”
How competitive are you for this program?
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