by our College Data Analytics TeamPhysical Therapy/Therapist was the 55th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 13,655 degrees in this year alone. This is a difference of 521 over the prior year, a growth of 3.8%.
This year's Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Schools ranking compares 241 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom physical therapy rankings further below.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents is a required skill for physical therapy majors. Required skills include talking to others to convey information effectively and using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional physical therapy certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
There are many different physical therapy degree levels. You can get anything from a in physical therapy/therapist to the highest physical therapy degree, a . Depending on the physical therapy/therapist degree you choose, obtaining your diploma can take anwhere from 1 to 4+ years.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to physical therapy, with approximately 37.3% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to physical therapy tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 37.8% |
| Doctoral Degree | 33.1% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 9.9% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 6.7% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 4.2% |
83.7% of physical therapy workers have at least a master's. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in physical therapy/therapist have obtained.
This of course varies depending on which physical therapy career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your physical therapy degree? Physical Therapy/Therapist careers are expected to grow 27.0% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to physical therapy/therapist.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapists | 306,900 | 28.0% |
| Health Specialties Professors | 294,000 | 25.9% |
As you might expect, salaries for physical therapy graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for physical therapy/therapist graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers physical therapy grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | $122,320 |
| Physical Therapists | $88,880 |
With over 343 different physical therapy degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased physical therapy school rankings to help you with this.
One of 15 majors within the Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions area of study, Physical Therapy/Therapist has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy | 9,958 |
| Rehabilitation Science | 1,161 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling | 1,046 |
| Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy | 870 |
| Art Therapy | 858 |
Image Credit: By Barbara E. Carver under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
