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Physiatrist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a physiatrist. Physiatrists usually study medicine, biology, or education. 24% of physiatrists hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 134 real physiatrist resumes to see exactly what physiatrist education sections show.

The most common colleges for physiatrists are the Brown University and the Brown University.

There are also many online physiatrist courses to help get the education required to be a physiatrist.

There are certain physiatrist certifications that you should consider. These physiatrist certifications include Certification in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

What education do you need to become a physiatrist?

What degree do you need to be a physiatrist?

The most common degree for physiatrists is bachelor's degree, with 24% of physiatrists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 24% and doctoral degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 24%
  • Doctorate, 24%
  • Associate, 10%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 34%

What should I major in to become a physiatrist?

You should major in medicine to become a physiatrist. 28% of physiatrists major in medicine. Other common majors for a physiatrist include biology and education.

Most common colleges for physiatrists

Physiatrists often get their degrees at Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, and Wayne State University. Here are the most common colleges for physiatrists in the US based on their resumes.
Physiatrist common collegePercentages
Brown University10.71%
University of Pennsylvania7.14%
Wayne State University7.14%
Howard University7.14%
Concorde Career College7.14%

Best majors for physiatrists

RankMajorPercentages
1Medicine28.3%
2Biology16.7%
3Education6.7%
4Nursing6.7%
5Physical Therapy5.0%

Best colleges for physiatrists

The best colleges for physiatrists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A physiatrist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for physiatrists. 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 physiatrists.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

7. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for physiatrists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for physiatrists

The most affordable schools for physiatrists are Augusta University, florida international university, and stanford university.

If the best universities for physiatrists 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 physiatrists.

1. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,604

Cost of attendance

20,618

2. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Cost of attendance

69,109

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

6. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

7. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

8. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Cost of attendance

19,235

9. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Cost of attendance

24,568

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for physiatrists

The hardest universities for physiatrists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for physiatrists 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 physiatrists 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physiatrists

The easiest schools for physiatrists to get into are Augusta University, university of colorado denver, and washington state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a physiatrist 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 physiatrists.

1. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,172

2. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

3. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

4. Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, IL • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,124

5. Wright State University

Dayton, OH • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

1,100

6. Quinnipiac University

Hamden, CT • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,190

7. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,120

8. Rowan University

Glassboro, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

73%

SAT average

1,122

9. University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,135

10. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,111

Average physiatrist salary by education level

Physiatrist education levelPhysiatrist salary
Doctorate Degree$319,848

Physiatrist 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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