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Outpatient physical therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an outpatient physical therapist. Outpatient physical therapists usually study social work, psychology, or physical therapy. 49% of outpatient physical therapists hold a master's degree, and 43% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 5,839 real outpatient physical therapist resumes to see exactly what outpatient physical therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for outpatient physical therapists are the Temple University and the Temple University.
There are also many online outpatient physical therapist courses to help get the education required to be an outpatient physical therapist.
There are certain outpatient physical therapist certifications that you should consider. These outpatient physical therapist certifications include Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and Academy of Certified Social Workers Credential (ACSW).
What education do you need to become an outpatient physical therapist?
What degree do you need to be an outpatient physical therapist?
- Master's, 49%
- Bachelor's, 43%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an outpatient physical therapist?
- Social Work, 22%
- Psychology, 21%
- Physical Therapy, 9%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for outpatient physical therapists
| Outpatient physical therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Temple University | 7.53% |
| Wayne State University | 7.39% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 6.35% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 6.35% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 6.35% |
Best majors for outpatient physical therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Work | 21.9% |
| 2 | Psychology | 21.5% |
| 3 | Physical Therapy | 8.8% |
| 4 | Counseling Psychology | 7.7% |
| 5 | Mental Health Counseling | 7.7% |
Best colleges for outpatient physical therapists
The best colleges for outpatient physical therapists are Boston University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
An outpatient 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 outpatient 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 outpatient physical therapists.
1. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Enrollment
58,392
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for outpatient physical therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for outpatient physical therapists
The most affordable schools for outpatient 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 outpatient 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 outpatient 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 outpatient physical therapists
The hardest universities for outpatient physical therapists to get into are Boston University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for outpatient 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 outpatient 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for outpatient physical therapists
The easiest schools for outpatient physical therapists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an outpatient 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 outpatient physical therapists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
10. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
Average outpatient physical therapist salary by education level
| Outpatient physical therapist education level | Outpatient physical therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,382 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,314 |
| Doctorate Degree | $72,105 |
Outpatient 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