Accreditation

PANCE Results | Program Attrition | Class Profile | PA Resources

Accreditation

Regional

Northwest University is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Professional

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Northwest University School of Physician Assistant Medicine Program sponsored by Northwest University. Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. 

Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class. 

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-northwest-university/.

PA National Certification Exam (PANCE) Scores

Students who successfully complete the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program are eligible to become certified through the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE).

NCCPA PANCE Exam Performance Summary Report (last five years) First Time Exam Takers

Note: Information in this table will be updated annually as data becomes available. A link will be posted to the annual PANCE report provided by NCCPA starting in 2026 after our first graduates complete the exam.

Program Attrition

Per ARC-PA, attrition rate includes students who withdrew or were dismissed plus any student who decelerated or took a leave of absence and joined a subsequent cohort. The Program supports students who choose to take a leave of absence or decelerate as they progress towards graduation with a new cohort.

*Graduation Rate: number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.

**Attrition Rate: number of students who have attritted (either by dismissal, deceleration, or withdrawal) divided by the entering class size.

Note: Data will be updated annually as each cohort progresses through the program.

Student Class Profile

Information will be available after the first class has matriculated.

Credentialing and Practice Requirements

Eligibility to practice as a PA is determined by the state law in which you intend to practice.  At a minimum, this will require both national certification (by successfully passing the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE) provided through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)) and graduation from a program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commissions on PA Education (ARC-PA). For additional details, review the licensure requirements for each state published by American Academic of PAs (AAPA).

Northwest University School of PA Medicine Program has applied for accreditation from the ARC-PA and students successfully completing this program are eligible to sit for the PANCE.