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Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist. Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists usually study medicine, osteopathic medicine, or biology. 38% of physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists hold a doctoral degree, and 25% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 36 real physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist resumes to see exactly what physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists are the University of the Sciences and the University of the Sciences.
There are also many online physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist courses to help get the education required to be a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist.
What education do you need to become a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist?
What degree do you need to be a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist?
- Doctorate, 38%
- Bachelor's, 25%
- Master's, 9%
- Associate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 22%
What should I major in to become a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist?
- Medicine, 37%
- Osteopathic Medicine, 11%
- Biology, 7%
- Physical Therapy, 7%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists
| Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of the Sciences | 5.00% |
| Temple University | 5.00% |
| Hiwassee College | 5.00% |
| New York University | 5.00% |
| Baylor College of Medicine | 5.00% |
Best majors for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medicine | 37.0% |
| 2 | Osteopathic Medicine | 11.1% |
| 3 | Biology | 7.4% |
| 4 | Physical Therapy | 7.4% |
| 5 | Nursing | 3.7% |
Best colleges for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists
The best colleges for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists. 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 physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$13,697
Enrollment
15,755
3. Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$14,460
Enrollment
39,208
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
7. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
20 best online courses for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists
The most affordable schools for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists are University of Florida, florida international university, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists 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 physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists
The hardest universities for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists to get into are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists 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 physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
10. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists
The easiest schools for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists to get into are AdventHealth University, university of the incarnate word, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist 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 physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Canton, OH • Private
Admissions rate
75%
SAT average
1,085
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist salary by education level
| Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist education level | Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $71,175 |
Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025