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Geriatric physical therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a geriatric physical therapist. Geriatric physical therapists usually study physical therapy, social work, or psychology. 51% of geriatric physical therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 39% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 99 real geriatric physical therapist resumes to see exactly what geriatric physical therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for geriatric physical therapists are the Jacksonville State University and the Jacksonville State University.
There are also many online geriatric physical therapist courses to help get the education required to be a geriatric physical therapist.
What education do you need to become a geriatric physical therapist?
What degree do you need to be a geriatric physical therapist?
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Master's, 39%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Associate, 3%
What should I major in to become a geriatric physical therapist?
- Physical Therapy, 28%
- Social Work, 20%
- Psychology, 15%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for geriatric physical therapists
| Geriatric physical therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Jacksonville State University | 17.65% |
| Alabama A & M University | 11.76% |
| University of Georgia | 5.88% |
| University of Delaware | 5.88% |
| The University of Alabama | 5.88% |
Best majors for geriatric physical therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical Therapy | 27.8% |
| 2 | Social Work | 20.3% |
| 3 | Psychology | 15.2% |
| 4 | Counseling Psychology | 6.3% |
| 5 | Athletic Training | 2.5% |
Best colleges for geriatric physical therapists
The best colleges for geriatric physical therapists are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A geriatric 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 geriatric 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 geriatric physical therapists.
1. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
10. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
20 best online courses for geriatric physical therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for geriatric physical therapists
The most affordable schools for geriatric physical therapists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for geriatric 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 geriatric physical 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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for geriatric physical therapists
The hardest universities for geriatric physical therapists to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for geriatric 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 geriatric 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
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 geriatric physical therapists
The easiest schools for geriatric physical 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 geriatric 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 geriatric physical 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. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
5. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
6. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
10. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
Average geriatric physical therapist salary by education level
| Geriatric physical therapist education level | Geriatric physical therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $76,852 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $70,564 |
| Doctorate Degree | $73,947 |
Geriatric physical 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