SUNY Upstate Medical Center PA Program: Requirements, Tuition & Stats

• 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.

• Lower cost — In-state tuition of $56,770 is in the least expensive quarter of PA programs. Over a career that difference is real money.

• Residency matters — Out-of-state tuition ($107,555) runs 89% 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.

SUNY Upstate Medical Center is located in New York. The details below come straight from the program and are re-checked on a rolling basis.

At a glance

• Location: New York

• Institution type: Public

• Program length: 27 months

• Class size: 35 students

• Start month: June

• Application deadline: November

• Rolling admissions: Yes

• In-state tuition: $56,770

• Out-of-state tuition: $107,555

• Minimum overall GPA: 3

• Minimum science GPA: 3

• Minimum PCE hours: 1,000 hours

• Letters of recommendation: 3

• First-time PANCE pass rate: 92%

• Accreditation status: Continued

Admission requirements

• GRE: No

• PA-CAT: No

• CASPer: No

• Supplemental application: Yes (fee $65)

• Shadowing: No

• Letters of recommendation: 3 — One letter of recommendation from a science faculty is recommended but not required

• Patient care experience: 1,000 hours minimum

• Interview format: Virtual Multiple Mini Interview (MMI); Two individual 20-minute interviews for Early Assurance applicants

Prerequisites

• Minimum prerequisite grade: C

• Prerequisite expiration: One biology and one chemistry must be taken within five years prior to matriculation

• In-progress prerequisites accepted: Yes

• AP or CLEP credit accepted: No

• Pass/Fail coursework accepted: Yes

• Online coursework accepted: Yes

Required coursework

• General Biology I and II with labs

• Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs OR one semester of anatomy and one semester of physiology, each with labs

• General Chemistry I and II with Labs

• Organic Chemistry with lab OR Biochemistry with lab

• Microbiology with lab

• Genetics (lab not required)

• Statistics

• English Composition

• English Elective

• Medical Terminology

• Two (2) Social/Behavioral Science electives

Recommended: Recommended GPA of 3.0 or higher One letter of recommendation from a science faculty is recommended but not required

Cost

• In-state tuition: $56,770

• Out-of-state tuition: $107,555

• Supplemental application fee: $65

• Seat deposit: $150

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• Program website: SUNY Upstate Medical Center

• Admissions page: Admissions information

• Prerequisite details: Prerequisite coursework

• Email: [email protected]

• Phone: 315-464-4570

• Address: 750 E. Adams Street, College of Health Professions, Syracuse, NY 13210

Program information last verified June 29, 2026. Requirements change — always confirm directly with the program before applying.