Director of physical therapy education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of physical therapy. Directors of physical therapy usually study physical therapy, kinesiology, or biology. 60% of directors of physical therapy hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,070 real director of physical therapy resumes to see exactly what director of physical therapy education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of physical therapy are the Northeastern University and the Northeastern University.

There are also many online director of physical therapy courses to help get the education required to be a director of physical therapy.

There are certain director of physical therapy certifications that you should consider. These director of physical therapy certifications include Massage Therapy Certification (MT) and Certification in Orthopedic Manual Therapy (COMT).

What education do you need to become a director of physical therapy?

What degree do you need to be a director of physical therapy?

The most common degree for directors of physical therapy is bachelor's degree, with 60% of directors of physical therapy earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 60%

Master's, 16%

Doctorate, 11%

Associate, 8%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a director of physical therapy?

You should major in physical therapy to become a director of physical therapy. 61% of directors of physical therapy major in physical therapy. Other common majors for a director of physical therapy include kinesiology and biology.

Physical Therapy, 61%

Kinesiology, 8%

Biology, 5%

Business, 3%

Other Majors, 23%

Most common colleges for directors of physical therapy

Directors of physical therapy often get their degrees at Northeastern University, Temple University, and Ithaca College. Here are the most common colleges for directors of physical therapy in the US based on their resumes.

Director of physical therapy common college	Percentages
Northeastern University	12.35%
Temple University	6.79%
Ithaca College	6.17%
University of Pittsburgh	6.17%
Loma Linda University	5.56%

Show more common director of physical therapy colleges

Best majors for directors of physical therapy

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Physical Therapy	60.9%
2	Kinesiology	8.3%
3	Biology	5.3%
4	Business	3.4%
5	Health Sciences And Services	3.1%

Show more common director of physical therapy majors

Best colleges for directors of physical therapy

The best colleges for directors of physical therapy are Northwestern University, Tufts University, and Loyola Marymount University.

A director of physical therapy with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of physical therapy. 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 directors of physical therapy.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,382

Enrollment

5,597

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

20 best online courses for directors of physical therapy

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7. Deep Tissue Massage: Neuromuscular Therapy Certificate

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of physical therapy

The most affordable schools for directors of physical therapy are Brigham Young University, hunter college of the city university of new york, and florida international university.

If the best universities for directors of physical therapy 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 directors of physical therapy.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

7. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,604

Cost of attendance

20,618

8. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Cost of attendance

24,514

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$7,292

Cost of attendance

20,387

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of physical therapy

The hardest universities for directors of physical therapy to get into are Northwestern University, Tufts University, and Loyola Marymount University.

Some great schools for directors of physical therapy 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 directors of physical therapy 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

3. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,321

4. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

9. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of physical therapy

The easiest schools for directors of physical therapy to get into are AdventHealth University, notre dame de namur university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of physical therapy 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 directors of physical therapy.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

931

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Clarke University

Dubuque, IA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,058

Average director of physical therapy salary by education level

According to our data, directors of physical therapy with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $123,667 annually. Directors of physical therapy with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $117,871.

Director of physical therapy education level	Director of physical therapy salary
Master's Degree	$123,667
Bachelor's Degree	$111,192
Doctorate Degree	$117,871

Director of physical therapy education FAQs

What is the best college for Directors Of Physical Therapy?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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