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Developmental therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a developmental therapist. Developmental therapists usually study psychology, human development, or special education. 67% of developmental therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 933 real developmental therapist resumes to see exactly what developmental therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for developmental therapists are the Boise State University and the Boise State University.
There are also many online developmental therapist courses to help get the education required to be a developmental therapist.
There are certain developmental therapist certifications that you should consider. These developmental therapist certifications include Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS) and Direct Support Professional Specialist - Health Support (DSP).
What education do you need to become a developmental therapist?
What degree do you need to be a developmental therapist?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a developmental therapist?
- Psychology, 22%
- Human Development, 11%
- Special Education, 10%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for developmental therapists
| Developmental therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Boise State University | 20.00% |
| Idaho State University | 9.09% |
| Ball State University | 7.27% |
| Purdue University | 6.82% |
| University of Idaho | 5.45% |
Best majors for developmental therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 22.2% |
| 2 | Human Development | 10.7% |
| 3 | Special Education | 10.3% |
| 4 | Early Childhood Education | 7.3% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 6.9% |
Best colleges for developmental therapists
The best colleges for developmental therapists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
A developmental 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 developmental 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 developmental therapists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for developmental therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for developmental therapists
The most affordable schools for developmental therapists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for developmental 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 developmental therapists.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for developmental therapists
The hardest universities for developmental therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for developmental 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 developmental 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for developmental therapists
The easiest schools for developmental therapists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a developmental 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 developmental therapists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average developmental therapist salary by education level
| Developmental therapist education level | Developmental therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,244 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,690 |
| Doctorate Degree | $43,257 |
Developmental therapist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025