Mississippi State University - Meridian PA Program: Requirements, Tuition & Stats

• Career-changer friendly — At 80 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.

• Lower cost — In-state tuition of $31,550 is in the least expensive quarter of PA programs. Over a career that difference is real money.

• Residency matters — Out-of-state tuition ($56,550) runs 79% above in-state. If you can establish residency, this program gets substantially cheaper.

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

• 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.

Mississippi State University - Meridian is located in Mississippi. The details below come straight from the program and are re-checked on a rolling basis.

At a glance

• Location: Mississippi

• Institution type: Public

• Program length: 29 months

• Class size: 30 students

• Start month: January

• Application deadline: September

• Rolling admissions: Yes

• In-state tuition: $31,550

• Out-of-state tuition: $56,550

• Minimum overall GPA: 3

• Minimum science GPA: 3

• Minimum PCE hours: 80 hours

• Letters of recommendation: 3

• First-time PANCE pass rate: 92%

• Accreditation status: Continued

Admission requirements

• GRE: No

• PA-CAT: No

• CASPer: No

• TOEFL (international applicants): Yes

• Supplemental application: No

• Shadowing: Yes

• Letters of recommendation: 3 — Letters of recommendation should come from current and/or former professors, current and/or former employers, and one (1) must be from a PA

• Patient care experience: 80 hours minimum

• Interview format: Panel

Prerequisites

• Minimum prerequisite grade: C

• In-progress prerequisites accepted: Yes

• AP or CLEP credit accepted: No

Required coursework

• Upper Division Sciences: 6 semester hours (3000-4000 level courses such as Immunology, Virology, Histology, Embryology, Parasitology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology)

• Microbiology or Bacteriology for science majors: 3-4 hours (with lab if offered)

• Chemistry I and II: 8 hours (with labs)

• Anatomy: 4 hours (human with lab)

• Physiology: 4 hours (human with lab)

• Statistics: 3 hours

• Genetics: 3-4 hours (with lab if offered)

• Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry: 3-4 hours (with lab if offered)

• Behavioral Sciences: 6 hours

• College Algebra

Cost

• In-state tuition: $31,550

• Out-of-state tuition: $56,550

• Seat deposit: $750

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• Program website: Mississippi State University - Meridian

• Admissions page: Admissions information

• Prerequisite details: Prerequisite coursework

• Email: [email protected]

• Phone: 601-696-2320

• Address: Mississippi State University - Meridian Riley Campus, Rosenbaum Building 2214, 5th Street, Meridian, MS 39301

Program information last verified June 22, 2026. Requirements change — always confirm directly with the program before applying.