GPA-competitive: The average accepted overall GPA here (3.91) sits in the top quarter of PA programs nationally. If your GPA is below about 3.66, you will want the rest of your application, hours, letters, upward trend, to do real work.
Experience-heavy: A 1,000-hour patient care minimum is at or above the national 75th percentile. Plan on a year or more of full-time work before you apply.
Higher cost: In-state tuition of $123,378 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.
ONE-ON-ONE HELP
Book a Pre-PA Counseling session and spend thirty minutes one-on-one with a practicing PA who knows what admissions committees look for. We will go through your GPA, patient care hours, and school list together, and you will get a written plan for your next steps in your inbox within 24 hours.
Pacific University is located in Oregon. The details below come straight from the program and are re-checked on a rolling basis.
At a glance
Location: Oregon
Institution type: Private
Program length: 27 months
Class size: 60 students
Start month: May
Application deadline: September
Rolling admissions: No
In-state tuition: $123,378
Average overall GPA: 3.91
Average science GPA: 3.69
Minimum science GPA: 3
Minimum PCE hours: 1,000 hours
Letters of recommendation: 2
First-time PANCE pass rate: 92%
Accreditation status: Continued
Admission requirements
GRE: No
PA-CAT: No
CASPer: No
TOEFL (international applicants): Yes
Supplemental application: Yes (fee $60)
Letters of recommendation: 2: At least one evaluation from a PA who you have worked with or shadowed and who is not a relative or personal relation
Patient care experience: 1,000 hours minimum
Interview format: Virtual
Prerequisites
Minimum prerequisite grade: C
Prerequisite expiration: 7 years for Anatomy and Physiology; all other prerequisites must be completed by Dec. 31 of the year prior to entering the program
In-progress prerequisites accepted: Yes
AP or CLEP credit accepted: Yes
Pass/Fail coursework accepted: Yes
Online coursework accepted: Yes
Required coursework
Year-long series of Human Anatomy and Human Physiology with Labs (may be satisfied with combined series or separate terms; last term must be within seven years from matriculation)
1 Microbiology or Bacteriology course (Lab not required)
1 General Chemistry course series with labs (year-long; may not be introductory)
1 Organic or Biochemistry course (Lab not required, may not be a combined course)
1 Statistics course (Minimum 3 semester credits or 4 quarter credits)
1 Psychology or Sociology course (Minimum 3 semester credits or 4 quarter credits)
Recommended: Pharmacology, Medical Terminology, Spanish, Abnormal Psychology, Development Psychology, Aging and Disabilities, Public Health, Technical Writing, Communications
Cost
In-state tuition: $123,378
Supplemental application fee: $60
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.
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Adam found out what a PA was in middle school, at his own doctor's appointment.
Adam found out what a PA was in middle school, at his own doctor's appointment.
He's now a didactic year student at Pacific University Pennsylvania, and he got there by starting early and staying consistent. EMT work for patient care hours. Volunteering. A pre-health advisor who actually knew what PA programs wanted.
That advisor piece matters more than people realize. A bad advisor will hand you a pre-med checklist and let you find out two years later that you're missing prerequisites. Find someone who knows this specific path, and if your school doesn't have one, go find one somewhere else.
His advice on hours is simple and correct: start accumulating them now. Not after you decide you're serious. Now. Hours are the one part of your application that only time can fix.
We also talk personal statement, because he put real work into his and it shows.
What we cover
Resources
Follow The Pre-PA Club: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · All episodes
Program website: Pacific University
Admissions page: Admissions information
Prerequisite details: Prerequisite coursework
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503-352-7224
Address: 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116
Program information last verified June 24, 2026. Requirements change, always confirm directly with the program before applying.
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