Physical therapy technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a physical therapy technician. Physical therapy technicians usually study kinesiology, physical therapy, or biology. 68% of physical therapy technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 8,352 real physical therapy technician resumes to see exactly what physical therapy technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for physical therapy technicians are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.

There are also many online physical therapy technician courses to help get the education required to be a physical therapy technician.

There are certain physical therapy technician certifications that you should consider. These physical therapy technician certifications include Massage Therapy Certification (MT) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

What education do you need to become a physical therapy technician?

What degree do you need to be a physical therapy technician?

The most common degree for physical therapy technicians is bachelor's degree, with 68% of physical therapy technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Associate, 15%

High School Diploma, 8%

Master's, 4%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a physical therapy technician?

You should major in kinesiology to become a physical therapy technician. 35% of physical therapy technicians major in kinesiology. Other common majors for a physical therapy technician include physical therapy and biology.

Kinesiology, 35%

Physical Therapy, 10%

Biology, 8%

Medical Assisting Services, 7%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for physical therapy technicians

Physical therapy technicians often get their degrees at Arizona State University, Texas A&M; University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for physical therapy technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Physical therapy technician common college	Percentages
Arizona State University	11.65%
Texas A&M University	6.68%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.28%
Oakland University	6.28%
Texas State University	6.15%

Show more common physical therapy technician colleges

Best majors for physical therapy technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Kinesiology	35.3%
2	Physical Therapy	10.0%
3	Biology	8.1%
4	Medical Assisting Services	6.5%
5	Psychology	5.1%

Show more common physical therapy technician majors

Best colleges for physical therapy technicians

The best colleges for physical therapy technicians are University of Virginia, Emory University, and Northwestern University.

A physical therapy 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 therapy 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 therapy technicians.

1. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

2. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

3. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

4. Jefferson College of Health Sciences

Roanoke, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$26,886

Enrollment

774

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,914

Enrollment

4,155

7. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Enrollment

3,553

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

20 best online courses for physical therapy technicians

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3. Colombian Wood Therapy Course - Maderoterapia

4.3

(278)

Learn how to use Colombian Wood Therapy to help your clients reduce cellulite and melt fat...

4. Occupational Therapy Introduction - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

4.4

(568)

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5. Internationally Accredited Certificate in Art Therapy

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(1,022)

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6. Art Therapy: Art Therapy Exercises For Healing In Life

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7. Professional Cupping Therapy Massage Certificate Course 4 CE

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8. Sound Therapy Full Certification Course

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18. Colour Therapy Practitioner Certification

4.8

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19. (Oxford) Diploma in Art Therapy (Extended Master Course)

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Top 10 most affordable universities for physical therapy technicians

The most affordable schools for physical therapy technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and purdue university.

If the best universities for physical therapy 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 therapy technicians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for physical therapy technicians

The hardest universities for physical therapy technicians to get into are University of Virginia, Emory University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for physical therapy 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 therapy 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. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

2. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

5. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,318

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

9. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,303

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physical therapy technicians

The easiest schools for physical therapy technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, university of the incarnate word, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a physical therapy 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 therapy technicians.

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. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average physical therapy technician salary by education level

According to our data, physical therapy technicians with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $38,233 annually. Physical therapy technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $35,055.

Physical therapy technician education level	Physical therapy technician salary
Bachelor's Degree	$35,055
Some College/ Associate Degree	$38,233

Physical therapy technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Physical Therapy Technicians?

Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare support questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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