diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/classic/dataframe.py b/python/pyspark/sql/classic/dataframe.py
index a4288270a5ad4..dfe67a64aa53a 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/classic/dataframe.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/classic/dataframe.py
@@ -1356,7 +1356,7 @@ def dropna(
         if how is not None and how not in ["any", "all"]:
             raise PySparkValueError(
                 errorClass="VALUE_NOT_ANY_OR_ALL",
-                messageParameters={"arg_name": "how", "arg_type": how},
+                messageParameters={"arg_name": "how", "arg_value": how},
             )
 
         if subset is None:
diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/connect/dataframe.py b/python/pyspark/sql/connect/dataframe.py
index 7551210036c9e..6ee47341639c5 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/connect/dataframe.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/connect/dataframe.py
@@ -1394,7 +1394,7 @@ def dropna(
                 min_non_nulls = None
             else:
                 raise PySparkValueError(
-                    errorClass="CANNOT_BE_EMPTY",
+                    errorClass="VALUE_NOT_ANY_OR_ALL",
                     messageParameters={"arg_name": "how", "arg_value": str(how)},
                 )
 
diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/tests/test_stat.py b/python/pyspark/sql/tests/test_stat.py
index e3655e24c968d..441198f190f2d 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/tests/test_stat.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/tests/test_stat.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 from pyspark.errors import (
     AnalysisException,
     PySparkTypeError,
+    PySparkValueError,
 )
 from pyspark.testing.sqlutils import ReusedSQLTestCase
 
@@ -127,6 +128,16 @@ def test_dropna(self):
             },
         )
 
+        # Regression test: invalid 'how' should raise PySparkValueError, not AssertionError
+        with self.assertRaises(PySparkValueError) as pe:
+            self.spark.createDataFrame([("Alice", 50, 80.1)], schema).dropna(how="foo")
+
+        self.check_error(
+            exception=pe.exception,
+            errorClass="VALUE_NOT_ANY_OR_ALL",
+            messageParameters={"arg_name": "how", "arg_value": "foo"},
+        )
+
     def test_fillna(self):
         schema = StructType(
             [