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Manual arts therapist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a manual arts therapist. Manual arts therapists usually study physical therapy, medicine, or kinesiology. 43% of manual arts therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 46 real manual arts therapist resumes to see exactly what manual arts therapist education sections show.

The most common colleges for manual arts therapists are the Palm Beach Atlantic University and the Palm Beach Atlantic University.

There are also many online manual arts therapist courses to help get the education required to be a manual arts therapist.

What education do you need to become a manual arts therapist?

What degree do you need to be a manual arts therapist?

The most common degree for manual arts therapists is bachelor's degree, with 43% of manual arts therapists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 22% and associate degree degree at 17%.
  • Bachelor's, 43%
  • Associate, 22%
  • Doctorate, 17%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a manual arts therapist?

You should major in physical therapy to become a manual arts therapist. 11% of manual arts therapists major in physical therapy. Other common majors for a manual arts therapist include medicine and kinesiology.

Most common colleges for manual arts therapists

Manual arts therapists often get their degrees at Palm Beach Atlantic University, University of Florida, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for manual arts therapists in the US based on their resumes.
Manual arts therapist common collegePercentages
Palm Beach Atlantic University15.38%
University of Florida15.38%
University of Houston7.69%
Metropolitan State University of Denver7.69%
St. Catherine University7.69%

Best majors for manual arts therapists

RankMajorPercentages
1Physical Therapy11.1%
2Medicine11.1%
3Kinesiology11.1%
4Nursing7.4%
5Theology7.4%

Best colleges for manual arts therapists

The best colleges for manual arts therapists are New York University, Purdue University, and SUNY Stony Brook.

A manual arts 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 manual arts 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 manual arts therapists.

1. Rowan University

Glassboro, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$13,697

Enrollment

15,755

2. Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$14,460

Enrollment

39,208

3. Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$22,010

Enrollment

1,861

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. Marian University

Indianapolis, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$34,000

Enrollment

2,226

6. University of New England

Biddeford, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$37,620

Enrollment

2,379

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

9. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

20 best online courses for manual arts therapists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for manual arts therapists

The most affordable schools for manual arts therapists are SUNY Farmingdale, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for manual arts 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 manual arts therapists.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Alexandria, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,668

Cost of attendance

14,488

10. Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences

Memphis, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$11,900

Cost of attendance

21,002

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for manual arts therapists

The hardest universities for manual arts therapists to get into are New York University, Purdue University, and SUNY Stony Brook.

Some great schools for manual arts 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 manual arts 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. 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. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

5. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

7. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

8. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,365

9. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for manual arts therapists

The easiest schools for manual arts therapists to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, adventhealth university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a manual arts 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 manual arts therapists.

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

6. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

7. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average manual arts therapist salary by education level

According to our data, manual arts therapists with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $75,039 annually. Manual arts therapists with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $63,615.
Manual arts therapist education levelManual arts therapist salary
High School Diploma or Less$54,491
Bachelor's Degree$75,039
Some College/ Associate Degree$63,615

Manual arts therapist 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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