2026 Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Schools in Illinois
Physical Therapy/Therapist is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their physical therapy/therapist programs.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools to find the best for physical therapy/therapist students.
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Best Schools for Physical Therapy/Therapist in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall physical therapy/therapist education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Physical Therapy/Therapist
No school ranked higher than Midwestern University Downers Grove this year for physical therapy/therapist. Set in the city of Downers Grove, Midwestern University Downers Grove is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 46 physical therapy/therapist degrees were awarded at Midwestern University Downers Grove in the most recent year. Students who receive their physical therapy/therapist degree from Midwestern University Downers Grove earn around $76,040 in the first couple years of their career.
Read more about the physical therapy/therapist program at Midwestern University Downers Grove
A rank of #2 makes Northwestern University one of the top schools for physical therapy/therapist. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Evanston. Northwestern University graduates 95% of students within six years. About 87 physical therapy/therapist degrees were awarded at Northwestern University in the most recent year. Students who receive their physical therapy/therapist degree from Northwestern University earn around $60,280 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete this degree.
Get the full physical therapy/therapist details for Northwestern University
University Of Illinois At Chicago came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best physical therapy/therapist schools. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. About 62% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 57 physical therapy/therapist students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Chicago in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, physical therapy/therapist degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Chicago generally make around $59,408. Students borrow a median of $16,666 to complete this degree.
See the full physical therapy/therapist program report for University Of Illinois At Chicago
Students looking for a strong physical therapy/therapist program will find one at Bradley University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Bradley University graduates 76% of students within six years. About 27 physical therapy/therapist degrees were awarded at Bradley University in the most recent year. Graduates of the physical therapy/therapist program make about $68,874 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $26,380 to complete this degree.
Get the full physical therapy/therapist details for Bradley University
Northern Illinois University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in physical therapy/therapist, landing the #5 spot this year. Northern Illinois University is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. Northern Illinois University graduates 49% of students within six years. There were roughly 24 physical therapy/therapist students who graduated with this degree at Northern Illinois University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, physical therapy/therapist degree recipients from Northern Illinois University generally make around $74,259. Students borrow a median of $25,209 to complete this degree.
Read more about the physical therapy/therapist program at Northern Illinois University
Rosalind Franklin University Of Medicine And Science placed #6 among the best physical therapy/therapist schools. Located in the suburb of North Chicago, Rosalind Franklin University Of Medicine And Science is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. There were roughly 44 physical therapy/therapist students who graduated with this degree at Rosalind Franklin University Of Medicine And Science in the most recent data year. Graduates of the physical therapy/therapist program make about $71,190 in their early career.
See the full physical therapy/therapist program report for Rosalind Franklin University Of Medicine And Science
Governors State University earned the #7 position for physical therapy/therapist this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the suburb of University Park. About 21% of students finish within six years. Governors State University awarded about 29 physical therapy/therapist degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their physical therapy/therapist degree from Governors State University earn around $69,605 in the first couple years of their career. Governors State University graduates carry a median of $24,990 in student loans.
Read more about the physical therapy/therapist program at Governors State University
More Physical Therapy/Therapist Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 11 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
