Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program
Rochester, Minnesota · Masters
A closer look
Mayo Clinic program committed to educating local community providers, with preference for applicants from communities Mayo serves in the Midwest.
Mission & approach
To develop extraordinary PAs through transformational learning, providing optimal health care within patient-centered care teams, distinguished by the exceptional leadership and professionalism common to Mayo Clinic values.
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Admissions insights
What this program looks for in applicants
Three goals: academic potential, commitment to health care, familiarity with PA role. Preference factors: maturity, compassion/service, resilience, leadership, commitment to practice locally (Midwest residents served by Mayo Clinic Health System), military service. Mayo employees demonstrating local commitment favored. Most seats filled via 3+2 pipeline; only ~1 Pre-PA seat for Class of 2029 —…
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions informationAdmissions & prerequisites
Admission requirements
Prerequisite coursework
Semester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specifiedReview each course, its lab, and the program’s policies. Your links are planning records; the program decides equivalency.
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade |
|---|---|---|---|
Anatomy with labCourse notes & alternativesOne course; the minimum credits are not published. This science prerequisite must be completed within 7 years of admission. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Required | C |
Physiology with labCourse notes & alternativesOne course; the minimum credits are not published. This science prerequisite must be completed within 7 years. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Required | C |
Biology or Zoology2 course(s)Course notes & alternativesTwo courses, at least one with lab; credits per course are not published. This science prerequisite must be completed within 7 years. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Not specified | C |
Microbiology with labCourse notes & alternativesOne course; the minimum credits are not published. This science prerequisite must be completed within 7 years. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Required | C |
General/Inorganic Chemistry with labCourse notes & alternativesOne course, counting toward the chemistry total of 15 semester hours, at least 3 of them upper-division. The total is spread across your chemistry courses and is not an additional course requirement. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Required | C |
Organic Chemistry with labCourse notes & alternativesOne course, counting toward the chemistry minimum of 15 semester hours. The total is spread across your chemistry courses and is not an additional course requirement. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Required | C |
BiochemistryCourse notes & alternativesOne course; lab is not specified. It counts toward the chemistry minimum of 15 semester hours (including 3 upper-division). The total is spread across your chemistry courses and is not an additional course requirement. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Not specified | C |
Additional Chemistry coursesCourse notes & alternativesThe how-to-apply page lists 1–2 additional chemistry courses; the 2026 prerequisite form has three additional chemistry lines. The chemistry total is at least 15 semester hours, 3 of them upper-division, spread across your chemistry courses. Plan for up to three additional courses and confirm with the program how many you need. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Not specified | C |
Statistics or BiostatisticsCourse notes & alternativesOne course, counting toward a Math minimum of 3 semester hours. Science prerequisites must be within 7 years, and this course is not treated as a science prerequisite unless the program classifies it as one. | 3Semester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Not specified | C |
Developmental PsychologyCourse notes & alternativesOne course, counting toward at least 6 semester hours of Psychology across Developmental and Abnormal Psychology. There is no time limit on non-science prerequisites. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Not specified | C |
Abnormal PsychologyCourse notes & alternativesOne course, counting toward at least 6 semester hours of Psychology. There is no time limit on non-science prerequisites. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Not specified | C |
English Composition I and II / writing-intensive courses2 course(s)Course notes & alternativesOne course for each of two composition requirements. The how-to-apply page says English needs a minimum of 7 semester hours; the 2026 prerequisite form says 6. Plan for 7 and confirm with the program, including whether Medical Terminology counts toward the total. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Not specified | C |
Medical TerminologyCourse notes & alternativesOne course listed under the English requirements. The minimum credits for this course, and whether it counts toward the English credit total, are unclear. | Not publishedSemester hours; minimums are given by category, and credits for individual courses are mostly not specified | Not specified | C |
Policies that can change your plan
This applies to the traditional pre-PA pathway only; the 3+2 pathway follows partner-institution requirements. All prerequisites require a C or better, science coursework must be within 7 years, and all prerequisites must be complete at application. Biology: at least 16 semester hours total, including at least 7 upper-division hours, across your biology courses (not an extra 16-credit course). Chemistry: at least 15 semester hours total, including at least 3 upper-division hours, across your chemistry courses (not an extra course). English: the how-to-apply page says a minimum of 7 semester hours, while the March 17, 2026 prerequisite form says 6, so plan for 7. Additional chemistry: the page lists 1–2 courses, while the form has three lines, so plan for up to three. Confirm both with the program, along with how course credits are counted and whether Medical Terminology counts toward the English total.
Dates & application steps
Application, transcripts, and 2 references must be received by the deadline.
Know what the total includes
Published cost estimate
Confirm current cohortConfirm rates for your entering cohort
Total tuition is $110,000 (tuition only) at the 2026–2027 rate for the 24-month cohort entering July/August 2026. A $4,017 per-year program fee is not included.
Curriculum & clinical training
Didactic studies and clinical integration
Classroom work at Saint Mary’s Cascade Meadow campus in Rochester combines active medical-science learning with early Mayo Clinic patient-care experiences.
Clinical rotations
Consecutive one-month experiences include family medicine I and II, cardiology, emergency and internal medicine, pediatrics, behavioral medicine, OB/gynecology, surgery and three electives.
The Minnesota program is 24 months. Rotations span southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin and northern Iowa. Sequence depends on student needs and preceptor availability; schedules may include nights, weekends and on-call work.
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: 96%
No 5-year average yet - only FOUR graduating cohorts (2022-2025); 89% first-time across all four (80/90)
- Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: Not available yet
Five-year first-time results are not yet available.
Accreditation history
Accredited-ContinuedSources you can open
Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.
- PA School Finder contact record
- Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences curriculum
- Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences program page
- 2026 PA Prerequisite Review Form
- ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory
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.”
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