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Physical therapist technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a physical therapist technician. Physical therapist technicians usually study kinesiology, physical therapy, or biology. 59% of physical therapist technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,389 real physical therapist technician resumes to see exactly what physical therapist technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for physical therapist technicians are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online physical therapist technician courses to help get the education required to be a physical therapist technician.
There are certain physical therapist technician certifications that you should consider. These physical therapist technician certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
What education do you need to become a physical therapist technician?
What degree do you need to be a physical therapist technician?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 20%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a physical therapist technician?
- Kinesiology, 32%
- Physical Therapy, 14%
- Biology, 7%
- Psychology, 5%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for physical therapist technicians
| Physical therapist technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.14% |
| Towson University | 7.14% |
| Texas A&M University | 7.14% |
| Eastern Kentucky University | 6.25% |
| Pima Medical Institute | 5.36% |
Best majors for physical therapist technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 32.1% |
| 2 | Physical Therapy | 14.0% |
| 3 | Biology | 6.5% |
| 4 | Psychology | 5.5% |
| 5 | General Studies | 5.1% |
Best colleges for physical therapist technicians
The best colleges for physical therapist technicians are Northeastern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Emory University.
A physical therapist technician 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 therapist technicians. 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 therapist technicians.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
10. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
20 best online courses for physical therapist technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for physical therapist technicians
The most affordable schools for physical therapist technicians are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for physical therapist technicians 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 therapist technicians.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
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 physical therapist technicians
The hardest universities for physical therapist technicians to get into are Northeastern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Emory University.
Some great schools for physical therapist technicians 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 therapist technicians 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
7. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
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 physical therapist technicians
The easiest schools for physical therapist technicians to get into are Barry University, adventhealth university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a physical therapist technician 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 therapist technicians.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
Average physical therapist technician salary by education level
| Physical therapist technician education level | Physical therapist technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $77,843 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $72,002 |
| Doctorate Degree | $75,149 |
Physical therapist technician 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