Southern Illinois University Physician Assistant Program
Carbondale, Illinois · Masters
Tuition + fees $87,905 / $164,952 nonresident
2026–27 full-program tuition and required fees at current published rates
A closer look
A 26-month Carbondale PA program with 46 students, 3.40 overall and science GPA minimums, and healthcare experience expected without a numeric minimum.
Mission & approach
The program uses a problem-based learning curriculum and clinical rotations to prepare primary care physician assistants to practice medicine under physician supervision.
Check my fit with this school
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.
The quick check needs JavaScript.
Admissions insights
What this program looks for in applicants
Overall/science/prerequisite GPAs; academic potential; healthcare experience (preference for credentialed direct patient care and rurality); PA-C shadowing; strong references; motivation; familiarity with PA role; maturity; oral/written communication and interpersonal skills; interview performance. Criminal background check required before matriculation.
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions informationHow this program interviews
Interviews are held at SIU at the discretion of the admissions committee, usually scheduled between July and February as needed. The format itself is not published.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Medical TerminologyCourse notes & alternativesOne semester or proficiency exam. | Not publishedSemester credits unless noted | Not required | Not specified |
Chemistry with labs2 course(s)Course notes & alternativesTwo semesters; General, Organic, Inorganic or Biochemistry. | Not publishedSemester credits unless noted | Required | B |
PsychologyCourse notes & alternativesOne semester. | Not publishedSemester credits unless noted | Not required | B |
| Human Physiology with lab | Not publishedSemester credits unless noted | Required | B |
| Human Anatomy with lab | Not publishedSemester credits unless noted | Required | B |
| Microbiology with lab | Not publishedSemester credits unless noted | Required | B |
General Biology for science majorsCourse notes & alternativesGenetics or Cell/Molecular Biology may substitute. | Not publishedSemester credits unless noted | Not specified | B |
| Statistics | Not publishedSemester credits unless noted | Not required | B |
| English Composition | Not publishedSemester credits unless noted | Not required | B |
Policies that can change your plan
- Grade threshold
- B or better in prerequisite courses.
- Chemistry options
- Any two semesters from the stated chemistry fields, with labs.
Prerequisite courses require a B or higher. All prerequisites must be finished by the fall term before matriculation, except one prerequisite and Medical Terminology, which may finish in the spring. Genetics, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology and Biochemistry are recommended.
Dates & application steps
The application deadline is November 1, 2026 for June 2027 entry.
This is the expected start of the entering class.
Know what the total includes
Published cost estimate
2026–27 full-program tuition and required fees at current published rates$19,260 semester × 1 projected semesters + $34,693.5 semester × 2 projected semesters + $23,496 semester × 2 projected semesters + $11,556 semester × 2 projected semesters · Projected full-program tuition at current rates; future rates may change.
This estimate uses current Fall 2026 rates for fall and spring terms and current Summer 2026 rates for summer. Tuition totals $81,704 for residents and $158,751 for nonresidents. Fees (excluding insurance) add $6,200.92. Costs for future terms are not published, and living costs and ordinary transportation are not included.
Curriculum & clinical training
Didactic instruction
Problem-based learning, laboratory work and clinical experiences on the Carbondale campus.
Clinical rotations
Clinical training takes place at one of eleven regional locations in Illinois, with some sites in neighboring Missouri and Kentucky.
Preceptorship
A faculty-approved preceptorship in a specialty or setting selected by the student.
The seven-semester program lasts 26 months. Students are not required to solicit their own clinical sites or preceptors; the final preceptorship is part of the program, not an additional year.
The admitted class
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: 97%
- 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
- Program program page
- ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory
- Program program page
- Program program page
- Southern Illinois University PA admissions requirements
- Program program page
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?
Match AI compares your full profile with this program and every other one, then sorts your list into Reach, Target and Safety.