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Certified prosthetist/orthotist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a certified prosthetist/orthotist. Certified prosthetist/orthotists usually study mechanical engineering, business, or kinesiology. 71% of certified prosthetist/orthotists hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 35 real certified prosthetist/orthotist resumes to see exactly what certified prosthetist/orthotist education sections show.

The most common colleges for certified prosthetist/orthotists are the Towson University and the Towson University.

There are also many online certified prosthetist/orthotist courses to help get the education required to be a certified prosthetist/orthotist.

What education do you need to become a certified prosthetist/orthotist?

What degree do you need to be a certified prosthetist/orthotist?

The most common degree for certified prosthetist/orthotists is bachelor's degree, with 71% of certified prosthetist/orthotists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Master's, 14%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a certified prosthetist/orthotist?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a certified prosthetist/orthotist. 18% of certified prosthetist/orthotists major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a certified prosthetist/orthotist include business and kinesiology.

Most common colleges for certified prosthetist/orthotists

Certified prosthetist/orthotists often get their degrees at Towson University, California Lutheran University, and Northwestern University. Here are the most common colleges for certified prosthetist/orthotists in the US based on their resumes.
Certified prosthetist/orthotist common collegePercentages
Towson University5.88%
California Lutheran University5.88%
Northwestern University5.88%
Ramapo College of New Jersey5.88%
Spelman College5.88%

Best majors for certified prosthetist/orthotists

RankMajorPercentages
1Mechanical Engineering17.6%
2Business11.8%
3Kinesiology11.8%
4Human Development5.9%
5Biology5.9%

Best colleges for certified prosthetist/orthotists

The best colleges for certified prosthetist/orthotists are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

A certified prosthetist/orthotist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for certified prosthetist/orthotists. 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 certified prosthetist/orthotists.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

20 best online courses for certified prosthetist/orthotists

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1. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes

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5. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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6. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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Top 10 most affordable universities for certified prosthetist/orthotists

The most affordable schools for certified prosthetist/orthotists are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for certified prosthetist/orthotists 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 certified prosthetist/orthotists.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for certified prosthetist/orthotists

The hardest universities for certified prosthetist/orthotists to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for certified prosthetist/orthotists 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 certified prosthetist/orthotists 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for certified prosthetist/orthotists

The easiest schools for certified prosthetist/orthotists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a certified prosthetist/orthotist 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 certified prosthetist/orthotists.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

Average certified prosthetist/orthotist salary by education level

Certified prosthetist/orthotists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $108,122 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, certified prosthetist/orthotists earn a median annual income of $65,288 compared to $56,931 for certified prosthetist/orthotists with an Associate degree.
Certified prosthetist/orthotist education levelCertified prosthetist/orthotist salary
Master's Degree$108,122
High School Diploma or Less$47,380
Bachelor's Degree$65,288
Some College/ Associate Degree$56,931

Certified prosthetist/orthotist 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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