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Foot and ankle surgeon education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a foot and ankle surgeon. Foot and ankle surgeons usually study podiatric medicine, biology, or kinesiology. 36% of foot and ankle surgeons hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 72 real foot and ankle surgeon resumes to see exactly what foot and ankle surgeon education sections show.

The most common colleges for foot and ankle surgeons are the Temple University and the Temple University.

There are also many online foot and ankle surgeon courses to help get the education required to be a foot and ankle surgeon.

What education do you need to become a foot and ankle surgeon?

What degree do you need to be a foot and ankle surgeon?

The most common degree for foot and ankle surgeons is bachelor's degree, with 36% of foot and ankle surgeons earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 28% and doctoral degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 36%
  • Doctorate, 28%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 16%

What should I major in to become a foot and ankle surgeon?

You should major in podiatric medicine to become a foot and ankle surgeon. 28% of foot and ankle surgeons major in podiatric medicine. Other common majors for a foot and ankle surgeon include biology and kinesiology.

Most common colleges for foot and ankle surgeons

Foot and ankle surgeons often get their degrees at Temple University, New York College of Podiatric Medicine, and Barry University. Here are the most common colleges for foot and ankle surgeons in the US based on their resumes.
Foot and ankle surgeon common collegePercentages
Temple University25.00%
New York College of Podiatric Medicine7.14%
Barry University7.14%
Florida Technical College3.57%
College of Mount Saint Vincent3.57%

Best majors for foot and ankle surgeons

RankMajorPercentages
1Podiatric Medicine27.5%
2Biology7.5%
3Kinesiology7.5%
4Medical Assisting Services7.5%
5Nursing5.0%

Best colleges for foot and ankle surgeons

The best colleges for foot and ankle surgeons are New York University, Purdue University, and Northwestern University.

A foot and ankle surgeon with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for foot and ankle surgeons. 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 foot and ankle surgeons.

1. Kent State University

Kent, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,312

Enrollment

21,793

2. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

3. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Jefferson College of Health Sciences

Roanoke, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$26,886

Enrollment

774

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

7. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Enrollment

3,553

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

20 best online courses for foot and ankle surgeons

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Top 10 most affordable universities for foot and ankle surgeons

The most affordable schools for foot and ankle surgeons are SUNY Farmingdale, purdue university, and louisiana state university at alexandria.

If the best universities for foot and ankle surgeons 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 foot and ankle surgeons.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

3. Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Alexandria, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,668

Cost of attendance

14,488

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,233

Cost of attendance

18,110

7. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$3,503

Cost of attendance

12,843

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for foot and ankle surgeons

The hardest universities for foot and ankle surgeons to get into are New York University, Purdue University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for foot and ankle surgeons 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 foot and ankle surgeons 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

5. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

6. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,303

7. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,318

8. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,261

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,269

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for foot and ankle surgeons

The easiest schools for foot and ankle surgeons to get into are AdventHealth University, midwestern state university, and washington adventist hospital.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a foot and ankle surgeon 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 foot and ankle surgeons.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

3. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

6. Mount Aloysius College

Cresson, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,062

8. Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton

Hazleton, PA • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,046

9. Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Weatherford, OK • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,085

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average foot and ankle surgeon salary by education level

Foot and ankle surgeon education levelFoot and ankle surgeon salary
Doctorate Degree$470,069

Foot and ankle surgeon 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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