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Per diem physical therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a per diem physical therapist. Per diem physical therapists usually study physical therapy, psychology, or social work. 44% of per diem physical therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,064 real per diem physical therapist resumes to see exactly what per diem physical therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for per diem physical therapists are the Northeastern University and the Northeastern University.
There are also many online per diem physical therapist courses to help get the education required to be a per diem physical therapist.
There are certain per diem physical therapist certifications that you should consider. These per diem physical therapist certifications include Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and Certification in Orthopedic Manual Therapy (COMT).
What education do you need to become a per diem physical therapist?
What degree do you need to be a per diem physical therapist?
- Bachelor's, 44%
- Master's, 27%
- Doctorate, 21%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a per diem physical therapist?
- Physical Therapy, 61%
- Psychology, 6%
- Social Work, 6%
- Other Majors, 23%
Most common colleges for per diem physical therapists
| Per diem physical therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northeastern University | 12.25% |
| New York University | 8.33% |
| Ithaca College | 6.86% |
| Boston University | 6.37% |
| University of Connecticut | 5.88% |
Best majors for per diem physical therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical Therapy | 60.7% |
| 2 | Psychology | 6.0% |
| 3 | Social Work | 5.6% |
| 4 | Occupational Therapy | 4.2% |
| 5 | Health Sciences And Services | 3.0% |
Best colleges for per diem physical therapists
The best colleges for per diem physical therapists are Washington University in St Louis, Boston University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A per diem 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 per diem 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 per diem physical therapists.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
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. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Enrollment
11,559
20 best online courses for per diem physical therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for per diem physical therapists
The most affordable schools for per diem physical therapists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for per diem 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 per diem 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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for per diem physical therapists
The hardest universities for per diem physical therapists to get into are Washington University in St Louis, Boston University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for per diem 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 per diem 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,326
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
9. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,307
10. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
1,365
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for per diem physical therapists
The easiest schools for per diem physical therapists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and adventhealth university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a per diem 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 per diem 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. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
7. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Dominican College of Blauvelt
Orangeburg, NY • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,038
10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
Average per diem physical therapist salary by education level
| Per diem physical therapist education level | Per diem physical therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $82,101 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $76,238 |
| Doctorate Degree | $79,401 |
Per diem 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