Let’s be honest – the cost of applying for PA school is no joke. Some expenses may seem obvious, but there are also some costs that may not be intuitive to include. Overall, be sure to budget and prepare however you need to for the cost of applications. This may also influence the number of programs you are applying to.
CASPA
Up first is a more obvious expense: the CASPA. As the main applications for almost all programs, this will likely be the largest portion of application costs. The first program costs $179 to apply, then each additional program is $55. For example, for someone applying to 5 programs, the total cost would be $179 for the first program plus $55 for the four additional programs, totaling $399.
There is also an option that can increase the cost of CASPA if you choose to use it. They offer a transcript entry service to input the information from your official transcripts to the correct section in CASPA. This is not required, but some applicants may take advantage of the service. The pricing is determined by the number of transcripts to be input:
- 1-3 transcripts: $69
- 4-6 transcripts: $95
- 7+ transcripts: $145
GRE
The GRE is still the most commonly accepted standardized test required and accepted by PA programs. The required fees include $205 to register and take the exam. This registration allows you to select four programs to send scores to on the day of the exam. After that, it costs $27 for each additional program GRE scores are sent to.
CASPer
CASPer was something I had never heard of before applying to PA school. The CASPer, Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics, is an online situational judgement test. The test takes 90 minutes and asks questions about a series of different situations. Relatively few programs require the CASPer, but it can add up when applying to multiple programs that do require it. The total cost for CASPer includes registration for $25, plus $12 for each program you send your scores to.
Supplemental Applications
The cost for supplements applications varies greatly between programs. Of the programs I applied to that required supplemental applications, the cost for each one ranged from $25 to $75. I would say plan for an average of around $50 for each supplemental application, keeping in mind that not all programs require a supplemental application.
Summary
CASPA
- First program: $179
- Additional programs: $55 each
- Professional Transcript Entry Service: $69-$145
GRE
- Registration and test: $205
- Sending scores: 4 included on test day, $27 each additional program
CASPer
- Registration and test: $25
- Sending scores: $12 each program
Supplemental Applications
- Up to $75 each
As always, be familiar with the specific programs you plan to apply for to develop a better understanding of their application requirements and how that will impact your cost of application.