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Occupational therapy assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an occupational therapy assistant. Occupational therapy assistants usually study occupational therapy, psychology, or business. 69% of occupational therapy assistants hold a associate degree, and 19% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 4,059 real occupational therapy assistant resumes to see exactly what occupational therapy assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for occupational therapy assistants are the Keiser University and the Keiser University.
There are also many online occupational therapy assistant courses to help get the education required to be an occupational therapy assistant.
There are certain occupational therapy assistant certifications that you should consider. These occupational therapy assistant certifications include Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
What education do you need to become an occupational therapy assistant?
What degree do you need to be an occupational therapy assistant?
- Associate, 69%
- Bachelor's, 19%
- Master's, 4%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become an occupational therapy assistant?
- Occupational Therapy, 72%
- Psychology, 5%
- Business, 3%
- Other Majors, 17%
Most common colleges for occupational therapy assistants
| Occupational therapy assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Keiser University | 41.82% |
| New England Institute of Technology | 5.03% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 4.09% |
| Mercy College | 4.09% |
| University of Phoenix | 3.77% |
Best majors for occupational therapy assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Occupational Therapy | 72.2% |
| 2 | Psychology | 5.3% |
| 3 | Business | 3.2% |
| 4 | Health Sciences And Services | 2.8% |
| 5 | Kinesiology | 2.5% |
Best colleges for occupational therapy assistants
The best colleges for occupational therapy assistants are Northwestern University, University of Pittsburgh, and Purdue University.
An occupational therapy assistant 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 assistants. 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 assistants.
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 assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for occupational therapy assistants
The most affordable schools for occupational therapy assistants are Brigham Young University - Idaho, purdue university, and tarleton state university.
If the best universities for occupational therapy assistants 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 assistants.
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 assistants
The hardest universities for occupational therapy assistants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pittsburgh, and Purdue University.
Some great schools for occupational therapy assistants 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 assistants 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
8%
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 assistants
The easiest schools for occupational therapy assistants 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 assistant 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 assistants.
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 assistant salary by education level
| Occupational therapy assistant education level | Occupational therapy assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,024 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $55,398 |
Occupational therapy assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025