Occupational therapy aide education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an occupational therapy aide. Occupational therapy aides usually study occupational therapy, psychology, or kinesiology. 65% of occupational therapy aides hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,225 real occupational therapy aide resumes to see exactly what occupational therapy aide education sections show.

The most common colleges for occupational therapy aides are the California State University - San Bernardino and the California State University - San Bernardino.

There are also many online occupational therapy aide courses to help get the education required to be an occupational therapy aide.

There are certain occupational therapy aide certifications that you should consider. These occupational therapy aide certifications include Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and Massage Therapy Certification (MT).

What education do you need to become an occupational therapy aide?

What degree do you need to be an occupational therapy aide?

The most common degree for occupational therapy aides is bachelor's degree, with 65% of occupational therapy aides earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 12%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an occupational therapy aide?

You should major in occupational therapy to become an occupational therapy aide. 29% of occupational therapy aides major in occupational therapy. Other common majors for an occupational therapy aide include psychology and kinesiology.

Occupational Therapy, 29%

Psychology, 18%

Kinesiology, 17%

Health Sciences And Services, 5%

Other Majors, 31%

Most common colleges for occupational therapy aides

Occupational therapy aides often get their degrees at California State University - San Bernardino, Florida International University, and West Virginia University. Here are the most common colleges for occupational therapy aides in the US based on their resumes.

Occupational therapy aide common college	Percentages
California State University - San Bernardino	14.53%
Florida International University	8.55%
West Virginia University	6.84%
San Jose State University	5.98%
Ithaca College	5.13%

Show more common occupational therapy aide colleges

Best majors for occupational therapy aides

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Occupational Therapy	29.4%
2	Psychology	17.8%
3	Kinesiology	16.8%
4	Health Sciences And Services	5.4%
5	Physical Therapy	3.3%

Show more common occupational therapy aide majors

Best colleges for occupational therapy aides

The best colleges for occupational therapy aides are Northwestern University, University of Pittsburgh, and Purdue University.

An occupational therapy aide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for occupational therapy aides. 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 occupational therapy aides.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

3. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

4. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$49,042

Enrollment

5,131

5. Kettering College

Kettering, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$12,960

Enrollment

610

6. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

9. Clarkson College

Omaha, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$13,392

Enrollment

646

10. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

20 best online courses for occupational therapy aides

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3. Occupational Therapy Introduction - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

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(568)

How to become occupational therapist, basic Psychology, Physiology & Anatomy, working with disabilities, children adults...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for occupational therapy aides

The most affordable schools for occupational therapy aides are Brigham Young University - Idaho, purdue university, and tarleton state university.

If the best universities for occupational therapy aides 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 occupational therapy aides.

1. Brigham Young University - Idaho

Rexburg, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$4,118

Cost of attendance

12,223

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

3. Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$7,292

Cost of attendance

20,387

4. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

5. Trident University International

Cypress, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,240

Cost of attendance

17,912

6. Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Alexandria, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,668

Cost of attendance

14,488

7. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$3,503

Cost of attendance

12,843

8. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,233

Cost of attendance

18,110

9. Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Natchitoches, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,922

Cost of attendance

20,612

10. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Cost of attendance

19,235

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for occupational therapy aides

The hardest universities for occupational therapy aides to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pittsburgh, and Purdue University.

Some great schools for occupational therapy aides 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 occupational therapy aides 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. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

4. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,261

5. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

6. Kettering College

Kettering, OH • Private

Admissions rate

27%

SAT average

1,125

7. Clarkson College

Omaha, NE • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,035

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,303

9. Saint Joseph's College, New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,109

10. Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,196

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for occupational therapy aides

The easiest schools for occupational therapy aides to get into are AdventHealth University, clarkson college, and saint joseph's college, new york.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an occupational therapy aide 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 occupational therapy aides.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Clarkson College

Omaha, NE • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,035

3. Saint Joseph's College, New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,109

4. Louisiana College

Pineville, LA • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,084

5. Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

55%

SAT average

1,056

6. Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Natchitoches, LA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,102

7. St. Catherine University

Saint Paul, MN • Private

Admissions rate

73%

SAT average

1,124

8. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

9. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average occupational therapy aide salary by education level

According to our data, occupational therapy aides with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $37,617 annually. Occupational therapy aides with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $34,258.

Occupational therapy aide education level	Occupational therapy aide salary
Bachelor's Degree	$34,258
Some College/ Associate Degree	$37,617

Occupational therapy aide education FAQs

What is the best college for Occupational Therapy Aides?

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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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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