Address & Contact

Our Address

Xavier University of Louisiana 1 Drexel Drive New Orleans, Louisiana 70125

GPS

29.964066362507978, -90.10754885895237

Telephone
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PROGRAM PROFILE

Xavier University of Louisiana Physician Assistant Program

New Orleans, Louisiana · Masters

Application deadline Confirm current cycle
Tuition $88,256Same for residents and nonresidents
Tuition + fees $106,538
Published program total for tuition plus fees
Class size 38 students
Program length 28 monthsFull program
GRE requirement GRE, PA-CAT, or MCATYou need a score from the GRE, PA-CAT, or MCAT. Minimums are GRE 290 combined verbal and quantitative with a 3 in writing, PA-CAT 490, or MCAT 496. Xavier recommends taking the PA-CAT. Casper is also required.
Patient-care minimum 80 hours80 healthcare-experience hours are required and must be complete when CASPA is submitted. Paid or volunteer experience counts; trained direct-patient-care roles receive preference.
Overall GPA minimum 3.00Minimum overall GPA 3.0 as calculated by CASPA; applicants below 3.0 are not considered further.
Science GPA minimum 3.00Minimum undergraduate science GPA 3.0 as calculated and verified by CASPA.
PANCE pass rate 92%First-time pass rateFive-year first-time: Not available yet
U.S. News PA rank #119 (tie)2025 PA edition · Peer-assessed reputation
YOUR PROFILE & THIS PROGRAM

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THE PROGRAM

A closer look

A New Orleans PA program centered on primary care, community service, and preparation to serve diverse and underserved populations.

On campus28 months38 students

Mission & approach

To educate physician assistants to become ethical, competent, and compassionate physician assistants who are dedicated to providing superior quality healthcare that contributes to the promotion of a more just and humane society by improving the healthcare of the diverse communities we serve.

Qatar Pharmacy Pavilion at Xavier University of Louisiana
Qatar Pharmacy Pavilion, Xavier University of Louisiana.
BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Admissions insights

What this program looks for in applicants

CASPA application, academic performance (GPA & GRE V/Q min 290, AW min 3; competitive V150/Q150/AW3.0), LORs, healthcare experience, personal statement, in-person interview if invited. HBCU; Ochsner partnership.

Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.

Program admissions information

How this program interviews

On-campus

Xavier's PA program page confirms interviews begin in late summer through early fall and are conducted in person, with all invited applicants required to complete the CASPER Test beforehand, but the page does not describe whether the interview follows an MMI, panel, or individual format.

Source checked Aug 1, 2026. Interview formats and dates can change between cycles.

Program interview information
YOUR STARTING POINT

Admissions & prerequisites

Admission requirements

GREGRE, PA-CAT, or MCATYou need a score from the GRE, PA-CAT, or MCAT. Minimums are GRE 290 combined verbal and quantitative with a 3 in writing, PA-CAT 490, or MCAT 496. Xavier recommends taking the PA-CAT. Casper is also required.
Patient care80 healthcare hours required80 healthcare-experience hours are required and must be complete when CASPA is submitted. Paid or volunteer experience counts; trained direct-patient-care roles receive preference.
Overall GPA3.0 minimum, as calculated by CASPAMinimum overall GPA 3.0 as calculated by CASPA; applicants below 3.0 are not considered further.
Science GPA3.0 minimum, as calculated by CASPAMinimum undergraduate science GPA 3.0 as calculated and verified by CASPA.
Recommendations3 letters · PA or physicianThree recommendations are required; at least one must come from a practicing PA or physician, preferably a clinical supervisor.
International applicantsAccepted with conditionsAn equivalent bachelor’s degree is accepted as determined by Xavier. Applicants educated outside the U.S. and Canada must use a transcript-evaluation service; study-abroad coursework shown on U.S. or Canadian transcripts is exempt from that service rule.
English proficiencyConditionalXavier lists TOEFL (paper 550 or iBT 80) or IELTS 7.0. The page says this applies both to applicants whose first language isn't English and, separately, to anyone with a foreign degree, regardless of the school's language. Official TOEFL scores are due October 1 and are valid for two years. Confirm which applies to you.

Prerequisite coursework

Semester credits unless noted

Review each course, its lab, and the program’s policies. Your links are planning records; the program decides equivalency.

Choose one complete option in each group

Courses shown as alternatives in the table are not all required. Confirm the accepted route with the program.

  • Biology: General Biology I and II with labs (8 credits), or General Biology I with lab + upper-level Biology (7–8 credits): General Biology I with lab + General Biology II with lab OR General Biology I with lab + Upper-level Biology alternative
  • Organic Chemistry II or Biochemistry: Organic Chemistry II OR Biochemistry
  • Math: Pre-Calculus or Calculus (3 credits), or Trigonometry + Algebra (6 credits total): Pre-Calculus OR Calculus OR College Trigonometry + College Algebra
CourseCreditsLabMin grade
General Biology I with lab

The Biology I plus Biology II route totals 8 credits, and the Biology I plus upper-level Biology route totals 7–8 credits. The credits for each individual course are not stated.

Not publishedSemester credits unless notedRequiredC
General Biology II with lab

Biology I plus Biology II totals 8 credits. The credits for each individual course are not stated.

Not publishedSemester credits unless notedRequiredC
Upper-level Biology alternative

Biology I plus upper-level Biology totals 7–8 credits. The credit and lab requirement for the upper-level course is not stated separately.

Not publishedSemester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
General Chemistry I and II with labs2 course(s)8Semester credits unless notedRequiredC
Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs2 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

Combined sequence accepted; seven-credit combined course may be considered individually following syllabus approval.

8Semester credits unless notedRequiredC
Organic Chemistry I with lab4Semester credits unless notedRequiredC
Organic Chemistry II

3 or 4 credits; minimum three semester hours or equivalent quarter hours.

3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Biochemistry

3 or 4 credits; minimum three semester hours or equivalent quarter hours.

3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Microbiology with lab
Course notes & alternatives

Molecular Biology, Cell Biology or Bacteriology alone do not satisfy.

4Semester credits unless notedRequiredC
Genetics3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
English Composition3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
General Psychology3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Statistics3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Pre-Calculus3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Calculus3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
College Trigonometry

The Trigonometry + Algebra route requires 6 credits combined. The credits for each individual course are not stated.

Not publishedSemester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
College Algebra

The Trigonometry + Algebra route requires 6 credits combined. The credits for each individual course are not stated.

Not publishedSemester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Sociology3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Medical Terminology
Course notes & alternatives

1–3 credits. Accredited college credit is required; test-out and experiential or certification substitutions are not accepted.

1Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC

Policies that can change your plan

Variable course credits
Credit ranges are shown in the notes. Confirm equivalency and how courses are counted with the school.

No prerequisite expiration. Science prerequisites must be for science majors. Online lectures from accredited institutions accepted; online labs not accepted. Upper-level Biology electives (3–8 credits) strongly recommended; Medical Ethics recommended, neither added as mandatory.

When courses must be complete: All prerequisites and undergraduate degree completed and verified by CASPA by August 1 deadline.

BUILD YOUR TIMELINE

Dates & application steps

Application deadlineConfirm current cycle

The prior-cycle deadline of 2026-08-01 has passed; the next deadline is not published.

THE FINANCIAL PICTURE

Know what the total includes

Published cost estimate

Published program total for tuition plus fees
Resident tuition$88,256 published full-program tuition
Nonresident tuition$88,256 published full-program tuition

Published nonresident full-program tuition

Required program feesConfirm with program
Tuition + required feesExcludes living and other expenses
$106,538

Xavier's published program total of $106,538 covers tuition plus institutional and program fees. Textbooks and other program costs are extra.

HOW YOU’LL LEARN

Curriculum & clinical training

0112 months

Didactic instruction

Consecutive foundational and clinical-science instruction prepares students for supervised practice.

0216 months

Clinical training

Clinical education takes place within Ochsner Health settings.

The program is a 28-month sequence in New Orleans. Clinical training takes place within Ochsner Health settings. The number of rotations is not published.

WHO STUDIES HERE

The admitted class

Recorded average GPANot recorded
Recorded science GPANot recorded

Published class statistics describe the named cohort or population. They are not admission minimums or acceptance probabilities.

OUTCOMES & OVERSIGHT

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: 92%

No 5-year average yet - only FOUR graduating cohorts (2022-2025); 89% first-time across them (128/144)

  • Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: Not available yet

Five-year first-time results are not yet available.

Accreditation history

Continued
First accreditedSeptember 28, 2019
Next reviewJuly 2034
CHECK THE EVIDENCE

Sources you can open

Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.

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.”

YOUR NEXT STEP

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