Johnson & Wales University PA Program: Requirements, Tuition & Stats

• Middle-of-the-pack GPA: The average accepted overall GPA (3.72) is close to the national middle, so a solid-but-not-spectacular academic record is genuinely competitive here.

• Career-changer friendly: At 250 required patient care hours, this is one of the lower bars in the country, worth a look if you are switching fields and building hours while you apply.

• Faster to practice: At 24 months, this program is shorter than most. That means less tuition and earlier income, but a denser schedule with little slack.

• Higher cost: In-state tuition of $127,535 is in the most expensive quarter nationally. Worth weighing against your expected starting salary and loan burden.

• No extra standardized testing: No GRE, PA-CAT, or CASPer required, one less hurdle if standardized tests are not your strength.

• Strong PANCE outcomes: A first-time PANCE pass rate of 97% is above the national average.

• Apply early: Admissions are rolling, so seats come off the board as the cycle goes. An application submitted in the first few weeks is worth more than the same application submitted in month four.

Johnson & Wales University is located in Rhode Island. The details below come straight from the program and are re-checked on a rolling basis.

At a glance

• Location: Rhode Island

• Institution type: Private

• Program length: 24 months

• Class size: 36 students

• Start month: June

• Application deadline: September

• Rolling admissions: Yes

• In-state tuition: $127,535

• Out-of-state tuition: $108,834

• Average overall GPA: 3.72

• Average science GPA: 3.64

• Minimum overall GPA: 3.5

• Minimum science GPA: 3.2

• Minimum PCE hours: 250 hours

• Letters of recommendation: 1

• First-time PANCE pass rate: 97%

• Accreditation status: Continued

Admission requirements

• GRE: No

• PA-CAT: No

• CASPer: No

• Supplemental application: No

• Shadowing: Yes

• Letters of recommendation: 1, 1 pre-health advisor

• Patient care experience: 250 hours minimum

• Interview format: In-person

Prerequisites

• Minimum prerequisite grade: C

• In-progress prerequisites accepted: Yes

• AP or CLEP credit accepted: No

• Pass/Fail coursework accepted: Yes

• Online coursework accepted: Yes

Required coursework

• 2 Biology classes with labs

• Microbiology

• Genetics

• 2 Chemistry classes with labs

• 2 Anatomy & Physiology classes with labs

• 1 class Psychology; Intro to Psychology or Abnormal Psychology. If AP credit has been awarded for Intro to Psychology, an upper level Psychology course will be acceptable.

• 1 college-level math class; Statistics preferred

Recommended: Upper level (300/3000 level or above) Biology and Chemistry coursework is preferred. Stronger candidates will have more than the minimum prerequisite science courses. Some examples are Cell Biology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Immunology and Pathophysiology.

Cost

• In-state tuition: $127,535

• Out-of-state tuition: $108,834

• Seat deposit: $1,000

Want to compare your stats to this program? Pre-PA Bestie is a free, always-updated PA program database where you can save schools and see how your numbers line up. Check out Pre-PA Bestie.

• Program website: Johnson & Wales University

• Admissions page: Admissions information

• Prerequisite details: Prerequisite coursework

• Email: [email protected] (to inquire about the admissions process or general program-related questions)

• Phone: 401-598-4886

• Address: 8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI 02903

Program information last verified June 17, 2026. Requirements change, always confirm directly with the program before applying.