Physician Assistant, MS: Accreditation & Program Data
Professional Accreditation, Certification, and Licensure
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the SUNY Upstate Medical University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the State University of New York. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2026. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
Program accreditation is a requirement for the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE) as well as for physician assistant practice in the United States. Students enrolled in an accredited program are eligible to take the PANCE.
The program's accreditation history may be viewed on the ARC-PA site.
NCCPA Pass Rate 2019-2024
PA Program Enrollment & Graduation Data
Graduation Rate
Cohort | Admitted | Graduated | Percentage |
Class of 2019 | 35 | 35 | 100% |
Class of 2020 | 34 | 32 | 94.1% |
Class of 2021 | 35 | 34 | 97.1% |
Class of 2022 | 35 | 33 | 94.3% |
Class of 2023 | 36 (35 new + 1 decelerated) | 34 | 94.4% |
5 Year Average | 175 | 168 | 96.0% |
NCCPA Board Pass Rate
Cohort | First Time Test Takers | Number of Exams Passed on First Attempt | Upstate First Time Pass Rate - % | Upstate PA Program Overall Pass Rate - # candidates | Upstate PA Program % of Candidates Who Ultimately Passed |
Class of 2019 | 35 | 34 | 97% | 35 | 100% |
Class of 2020 | 32 | 28 | 88% | 32 | 100% |
Class of 2021 | 34 | 31 | 91% | 33 | 100% |
Class of 2022 | 33 | 32 | 97% | 31 | 100% |
Class of 2023 | 34 | 30 | 88% | 34 | 100% |
5 Year Average | 168 | 155 | 92.2% | 168 | 100% |
Attrition Rate
Cohort | Admitted | Program Completion - # Students | Program Attrition - # Students | Percent Attrition |
Class of 2019 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 0.0% |
Class of 2020 | 34 | 32 | 2 | 5.9% |
Class of 2021 | 35 | 34 | 1 | 2.9% |
Class of 2022 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 5.7% |
Class of 2023 | 36 (35 new + 1 decelerated) | 34 | 2 | 5.6% |
5 Year Average | 175 |
168 |
7 | 4.0% |
Employment Rate
(Of all graduates who sought employment, # employed within 4 months of graduation)
Cohort | # graduates employed / # graduates | Percent of graduates employed |
Class of 2019 | 35/35 | 100% |
Class of 2020 | 32/32 | 100% |
Class of 2021 | 34/34 | 100% |
Class of 2022 | 33/33 | 100% |
Class of 2023 | 34/34 | 100% |
5 Year Average | 168/168 |
100% |
Graduate Employment in Primary Care
Primary Care includes Family Med, General Internal Medicine, OB/GYN and Pediatrics
(# employed in Primary Care within 12 months of graduation)
Cohort | Primary Care: # grads working in primary care / total # graduates | Primary Care: % graduates working in primary care |
Class of 2019 | 7/35 | 20.0% |
Class of 2020 | 5/35 | 15.6% |
Class of 2021 | 6/34 | 17.6% |
Class of 2022 | 5/33 | 15.2% |
Class of 2023 | 8/34 | 23.5% |
5 Year Average | 31/168 | 18.5% |
Graduates' Community of Origin & Community Setting for First PA Position
Community setting for first PA position within 12 months of graduation
Cohort | Rural: # grads originating from rural communities / total # graduates | Rural: % grads originating from rural communities | Rural: # grads who return to rural / # grads who originate from rural | Rural: % grads who return to rural hometown | Rural: # grads working in rural communities | Rural: % grads working in rural communities |
Class of 2019 | 6/35 | 17.1% | 4/6 | 66.7% | 7/35 | 20.0% |
Class of 2020 | 8/32 | 25.0% | 3/8 | 37.5% | 10/32 | 31.2% |
Class of 2021 | 7/34 | 20.6% | 5/7 | 66.7% | 5/34 | 14.7% |
Class of 2022 | 8/33 | 24.2% | 5/8 | 62.5% | 6/33 | 18.2% |
Class of 2023 | 9/34 | 26.5% | 3/9 | 33.3% | 12/34 | 35.3% |
5 Year Average | 38/168 | 22.6% | 20/38 | 52.6% | 38/168 | 22.6% |