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Cardiopulmonary physical therapist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a cardiopulmonary physical therapist. Cardiopulmonary physical therapists usually study medical technician, kinesiology, or physical therapy. 69% of cardiopulmonary physical therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 24 real cardiopulmonary physical therapist resumes to see exactly what cardiopulmonary physical therapist education sections show.

The most common colleges for cardiopulmonary physical therapists are the St. Louis and the St. Louis.

There are also many online cardiopulmonary physical therapist courses to help get the education required to be a cardiopulmonary physical therapist.

What education do you need to become a cardiopulmonary physical therapist?

What degree do you need to be a cardiopulmonary physical therapist?

  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Associate, 31%

What should I major in to become a cardiopulmonary physical therapist?

You should major in medical technician to become a cardiopulmonary physical therapist. 29% of cardiopulmonary physical therapists major in medical technician. Other common majors for a cardiopulmonary physical therapist include kinesiology and physical therapy.

Most common colleges for cardiopulmonary physical therapists

Cardiopulmonary physical therapists often get their degrees at St. Louis, Western Washington University, and Winona State University. Here are the most common colleges for cardiopulmonary physical therapists in the US based on their resumes.
Cardiopulmonary physical therapist common collegePercentages
St. Louis8.33%
Western Washington University8.33%
Winona State University8.33%
University of Maryland - College Park8.33%
California College-San Diego8.33%

Best majors for cardiopulmonary physical therapists

RankMajorPercentages
1Medical Technician29.4%
2Kinesiology23.5%
3Physical Therapy17.6%
4Nursing11.8%
5Medicine5.9%

Best colleges for cardiopulmonary physical therapists

The best colleges for cardiopulmonary physical therapists are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A cardiopulmonary physical therapist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for cardiopulmonary physical therapists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become cardiopulmonary physical therapists.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

9. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

20 best online courses for cardiopulmonary physical therapists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for cardiopulmonary physical therapists

The most affordable schools for cardiopulmonary physical therapists are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for cardiopulmonary physical therapists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for cardiopulmonary physical therapists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cardiopulmonary physical therapists

The hardest universities for cardiopulmonary physical therapists to get into are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for cardiopulmonary physical therapists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for cardiopulmonary physical therapists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cardiopulmonary physical therapists

The easiest schools for cardiopulmonary physical therapists to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and adventhealth university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cardiopulmonary physical therapist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for cardiopulmonary physical therapists.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average cardiopulmonary physical therapist salary by education level

According to our data, cardiopulmonary physical therapists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $78,450 annually. Cardiopulmonary physical therapists with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $75,515.
Cardiopulmonary physical therapist education levelCardiopulmonary physical therapist salary
Master's Degree$78,450
Bachelor's Degree$72,096
Doctorate Degree$75,515

Cardiopulmonary physical therapist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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