Address & Contact

Our Address

Point Loma Nazarene University 9055 Balboa Ave rn San Diego, California 92123

GPS

32.669705, -117.060072

Telephone
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PROGRAM PROFILE

Point Loma Nazarene University Physician Assistant Program

San Diego, California · Masters

Application deadline Oct 1, 2026Passed · Must be CASPA-verified by this date — submit weeks earlier
Tuition Resident Not publishedNonresident Not published
Fees not published
The full-program cost for the Fall 2027 entering cohort is not published; check with the program.
Class size 34 studentsPoint Loma Nazarene University says cohorts will rise from 30 to 34.
Program length 28 monthsFull program
GRE requirement GRE and MCAT not required or considered
Patient-care minimum 1,000 paid direct patient-care hoursHours must be professional face-to-face care completed by the time you apply. Volunteer, shadowing, and student-training hours do not count.
Overall GPA minimum 3.00Published minimum.
Science GPA minimum 3.00Published minimum.
PANCE pass rate 100%First-time pass rateFive-year first-time: 97%
U.S. News PA rank Unranked2025 PA edition · Peer-assessed reputationNo published rank for this program in this edition.
THE PROGRAM

A closer look

To produce competent, professional clinicians who practice evidence-based medicine, demonstrate cultural sensitivity, and have the opportunity to manifest their faith through service to the community.

28-month programGRE and MCAT not required or considered1,000 paid direct patient-care hours
Point Loma Nazarene University College of Health Sciences at the Balboa Regional Center, home of the Physician Assistant program
PLNU’s College of Health Sciences at the Balboa Regional Center, home of the Physician Assistant program.
YOUR PROFILE & THIS PROGRAM

Check my fit with this school

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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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BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Admissions insights

What this program looks for in applicants

Weighted rubric: Prior academic performance 45%; prior health care experience 22%; volunteer & service activities 22%; miscellaneous (references, CASPA narrative) 11%. Additional consideration for PLNU graduates and grant-funded scholarship/pipeline program participants.

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

Program admissions information

How this program interviews

Virtual or on campus

Point Loma holds interviews in the fall and winter and does not commit to one delivery mode, conducting sessions either virtually or in person depending on circumstances, and the specific interview format is not published.

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

Program interview information
YOUR STARTING POINT

Admissions & prerequisites

Admission requirements

GRE / other testsGRE and MCAT not required or considered
Patient care1,000 paid direct patient-care hoursHours must be professional face-to-face care completed by the time you apply. Volunteer, shadowing, and student-training hours do not count.
Overall GPA3.00
Science GPA3.00
RecommendationsAt least 3 recommendations are required.No specific evaluator role is required.
International applicantsConfirm visa eligibility with programA bachelor degree from a U.S. or Canadian regionally accredited institution is required. The PA program does not state a citizenship or visa rule.
English proficiencyConditionalMinimum TOEFL iBT is 93 total and 26 on speaking, taken within the last two years. Required for applicants who attended a foreign or non-English-speaking high school.

Prerequisite coursework

Semester credits

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

CourseCreditsLabMin grade
Anatomy and physiology I and II2 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

Each combined A&P course must be 3 semester or 4 quarter credits. Separate anatomy and physiology courses are accepted if they total 6 semester or 8 quarter credits; confirm equivalency with the program.

6Semester creditsPreferredC
Microbiology
Course notes & alternatives

4 quarter credits also accepted.

3Semester creditsNot specifiedC
General chemistry
Course notes & alternatives

8 quarter credits also accepted.

6Semester creditsRequiredC
Organic chemistry
Course notes & alternatives

4 quarter credits also accepted.

3Semester creditsRequiredC
Biochemistry
Course notes & alternatives

4 quarter credits also accepted.

3Semester creditsNot specifiedC
Statistics
Course notes & alternatives

4 quarter credits also accepted.

3Semester creditsNot specifiedC

Policies that can change your plan

Minimum grade
C
Course age
C or higher. Prerequisites do not expire.
AP and CLEP credit are treated the same way.
No. AP and credit-by-exam do not meet any prerequisite.
Course delivery
Online, hybrid and in-person courses accepted.
Quarter-credit equivalents.
Use the quarter-credit amounts listed in each course note, and confirm equivalencies before enrolling.

Review the notes and alternative routes before choosing classes. Having completed a course does not guarantee it will be accepted as equivalent.

When courses must be complete: Complete all prerequisites before submitting your application; no outstanding prerequisites are accepted.

BUILD YOUR TIMELINE

Dates & application steps

Application deadlineOct 1, 2026 · Passed

CASPA and Point Loma Nazarene University supplemental deadline.

2026–2027
Program startsFall 2027

Program materials give conflicting start months: September in one place and August in another. The exact start day is not published.

THE FINANCIAL PICTURE

Know what the total includes

Published cost estimate

The full-program cost for the Fall 2027 entering cohort is not published; check with the program.
Resident tuitionConfirm with program
Nonresident tuitionConfirm with program
Required program feesConfirm with program
Tuition + required feesFull attendance estimate not recorded
Confirm with program

The university's current cost table lists $143,582 for the Class of 2028, not for the Class of 2029 entering in Fall 2027. A full cost schedule for your cohort has not been published.

HOW YOU’LL LEARN

Curriculum & clinical training

01

Didactic education

Face-to-face classroom and skills instruction takes place at Balboa Regional Center, with directed clinical experiences and a dedicated service month.

02

Clinical education

Supervised training uses a Southern California clinical network, with a dedicated clinical-year service month.

The San Diego program spans 28 months and 117 units. Clinical schedules may extend beyond normal classroom hours.

WHO STUDIES HERE

The admitted class

Class of 2027

Published class statistics
Overall GPA3.79
Science GPA3.80
Patient-care hours4,666

These are the published Class of 2027 averages, not minimums and not requirements for the Fall 2027 entering cohort.

Compare published cohorts
ClassPublished GPAPublished science-related GPAPublished experience hours
Class of 20273.793.804,666

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: 100%
  • Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: 97%

Accreditation history

Continued
First accreditedMarch 6, 2021
Next reviewJuly 2036
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.”

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