Best programs to become a physical therapist
BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education for physical therapists. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Physical Therapy/Therapist and Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist (IPEDS completions).
2 college programs at 282 schools train physical therapists, graduating 13,891 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $102,760 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About physical therapists
Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
Best programs to study to become a physical therapist
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical Therapy/Therapistmain feeder CIP 51.2308 | 13,795 | 99.3% | 277 | $35,966 | $26,323 |
| 2 | Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapistmain feeder CIP 51.2311 | 96 | 0.7% | 6 | $35,966 | $26,323 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences San Marcos, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 797 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 2 | The University of Montana Missoula, MT Public · 1 feeder program | 301 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 48% | — | 96% |
| 3 | Arcadia University Glenside, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 287 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 67% | $23,796 | 80% |
| 4 | South College Knoxville, TN Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 265 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 42% | $20,346 | — |
| 5 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 184 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 85% | — | 58% |
| 6 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 133 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 7 | The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 131 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 71% | $21,150 | 93% |
| 8 | Baylor University Waco, TX Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 126 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 80% | $35,682 | 51% |
| 9 | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 114 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 10 | Creighton University Omaha, NE Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 109 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 83% | $27,353 | 80% |
| 11 | Ithaca College Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 109 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 76% | $28,970 | 69% |
| 12 | Franklin Pierce University Rindge, NH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 105 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 54% | $26,344 | 93% |
| 13 | Texas Woman's University Denton, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 102 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 49% | — | 96% |
| 14 | Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Provo, UT Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 101 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 15 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 98 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 16 | Western University of Health Sciences Pomona, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 98 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 17 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 96 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 95% | $14,799 | 8% |
| 18 | Hawaii Pacific University Honolulu, HI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 93 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 35% | $30,299 | 86% |
| 19 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ Public · 1 feeder program | 93 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 61% | — | 90% |
| 20 | Hanover College Hanover, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 92 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 67% | $20,442 | 84% |
| 21 | Regis University Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 90 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 61% | $22,407 | 86% |
| 22 | Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 84 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 94% | $14,126 | 12% |
| 23 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH Public · 1 feeder program | 83 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 64% | — | 81% |
| 24 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 82 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 25 | Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 82 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 63% | $31,672 | 73% |
| 26 | Touro University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 78 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 72% | $27,110 | 61% |
| 27 | A T Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 77 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 28 | Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 77 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 80% | $24,886 | 75% |
| 29 | Springfield College Springfield, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 77 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 74% | $26,290 | 72% |
| 30 | Chapman University Orange, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 76 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 82% | $42,965 | 65% |
| 31 | Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 76 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 32 | Bellarmine University Louisville, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 72 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 64% | $22,542 | 86% |
| 33 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO Public · 1 feeder program | 72 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 46% | — | 75% |
| 34 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 72 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 91% | — | 24% |
| 35 | University of Maryland, Baltimore Baltimore, MD Public · 1 feeder program | 71 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 36 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 1 feeder program | 70 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 76% | — | 49% |
| 37 | Carroll University Waukesha, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 69 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 71% | $22,601 | 67% |
| 38 | Gannon University Erie, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 69 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 66% | $21,409 | 74% |
| 39 | Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC Public · 1 feeder program | 69 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 40 | Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 68 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 73% | $23,011 | 68% |
| 41 | Shenandoah University Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 67 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 67% | $27,455 | 77% |
| 42 | Marquette University Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 66 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 83% | $25,376 | 81% |
| 43 | MGH Institute of Health Professions Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 66 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 44 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 66 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 84% | $26,589 | 19% |
| 45 | University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center Oklahoma City, OK Public · 1 feeder program | 66 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 46 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder program | 65 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 84% | — | 58% |
| 47 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 64 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 48 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 64 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 49 | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 64 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 50 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public · 1 feeder program | 64 | Physical Therapy/Therapist | 71% | — | 93% |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What physical therapists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $124,190 | 26,580 | 0.85× | 17 | 1,647 |
| Pennsylvania | $101,380 | 11,710 | 1.12× | 23 | 1,358 |
| New York | $100,660 | 20,940 | 1.26× | 22 | 913 |
| Texas | $105,810 | 21,870 | 0.90× | 14 | 748 |
| Ohio | $103,050 | 10,280 | 1.08× | 14 | 542 |
| Tennessee | $100,140 | 4,800 | 0.85× | 8 | 525 |
| Florida | $101,040 | 16,290 | 0.95× | 11 | 490 |
| North Carolina | $99,910 | 7,350 | 0.86× | 11 | 484 |
| Missouri | $99,310 | 4,900 | 0.97× | 8 | 464 |
| Massachusetts | $103,790 | 6,850 | 1.09× | 11 | 440 |
| Illinois | $105,250 | 9,800 | 0.93× | 8 | 359 |
| Wisconsin | $101,840 | 5,580 | 1.10× | 8 | 349 |
| Virginia | $101,450 | 7,630 | 1.08× | 9 | 338 |
| Indiana | $101,560 | 6,130 | 1.11× | 7 | 320 |
| Michigan | $100,900 | 8,630 | 1.14× | 7 | 318 |
| Montanalimited | $91,450 | 1,180 | 1.35× | 1 | 301 |
| Georgia | $102,700 | 6,780 | 0.81× | 7 | 300 |
| Minnesota | $102,010 | 5,180 | 1.02× | 5 | 290 |
| Iowa | $97,560 | 2,530 | 0.95× | 6 | 202 |
| Connecticutmoderate | $104,360 | 4,060 | 1.39× | 4 | 198 |
| Kentuckymoderate | $100,710 | 3,390 | 0.98× | 4 | 192 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $97,090 | 2,140 | 1.22× | 3 | 190 |
| Alabama | $97,290 | 3,040 | 0.84× | 5 | 187 |
| Arkansas | $99,010 | 2,680 | 1.20× | 5 | 169 |
| South Carolinamoderate | $101,330 | 3,930 | 0.99× | 4 | 163 |
| Utahmoderate | $99,880 | 2,300 | 0.77× | 3 | 163 |
| Coloradolimited | $102,030 | 5,630 | 1.14× | 2 | 162 |
| Washington | $105,950 | 5,370 | 0.88× | 5 | 159 |
| New Jerseymoderate | $112,140 | 9,750 | 1.32× | 4 | 154 |
| Arizonalimited | $103,220 | 5,170 | 0.93× | 2 | 148 |
| Kansasmoderate | $98,290 | 2,660 | 1.07× | 3 | 135 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $99,850 | 1,960 | 1.67× | 2 | 132 |
| Oregonmoderate | $103,510 | 3,210 | 0.95× | 3 | 126 |
| North Dakotamoderate | $85,330 | 830 | 1.12× | 3 | 125 |
| Oklahomamoderate | $98,590 | 2,560 | 0.87× | 3 | 107 |
| Louisianamoderate | $98,530 | 3,280 | 0.99× | 3 | 99 |
| South Dakotalimited | $92,660 | 1,060 | 1.35× | 2 | 99 |
| Marylandlimited | $106,890 | 3,940 | 0.83× | 2 | 98 |
| Hawaiilimited | $101,700 | 950 | 0.88× | 1 | 93 |
| Nevadamoderate | $111,250 | 2,030 | 0.76× | 3 | 93 |
| Mainelimited | $99,720 | 1,860 | 1.69× | 2 | 84 |
| West Virginiamoderate | $96,600 | 1,310 | 1.08× | 3 | 80 |
| Mississippimoderate | $99,990 | 1,980 | 0.99× | 4 | 74 |
| Delawarelimited | $102,050 | 1,260 | 1.51× | 1 | 57 |
| Idahomoderate | $99,000 | 1,030 | 0.70× | 3 | 54 |
| District of Columbialimited | $101,640 | 610 | 0.50× | 2 | 46 |
| Vermontlimited | $97,970 | 760 | 1.45× | 1 | 37 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $99,400 | 1,020 | 1.18× | 1 | 35 |
| New Mexicolimited | $106,880 | 1,330 | 0.89× | 1 | 24 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
- Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
- Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
- Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
- Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
- Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.
- Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
- Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Writing3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Learning Strategies3.1
- Active Learning3.1
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.6
- Therapy and Counseling4.6
- Medicine and Dentistry4.6
- Psychology4.1
- Education and Training4.0
- English Language4.0
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.0
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Inductive Reasoning3.9
- Deductive Reasoning3.9
- Information Ordering3.9
Core activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others4.7
- Documenting/Recording Information4.7
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.5
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.4
- Getting Information4.4
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.3
How to get in
How to become a physical therapist
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 2 majors mapped to Physical Therapists2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.2308Physical Therapy/Therapist
- 51.2311Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a physical therapist?+
BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education for physical therapists. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Physical Therapy/Therapist and Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a physical therapist?+
The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Physical Therapy/Therapist and Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this job, which together graduate about 13,891 people a year.
How much do physical therapists earn?+
The median is $102,760 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $77,140 at the 10th percentile to $135,140 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for physical therapists growing?+
BLS projects a +10.9% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 13,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
282 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do physical therapists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT), Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT), Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1123.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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