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Podiatrist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a podiatrist. Podiatrists usually study podiatric medicine, biology, or medical assisting services. 37% of podiatrists hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 830 real podiatrist resumes to see exactly what podiatrist education sections show.

The most common colleges for podiatrists are the New York College of Podiatric Medicine and the New York College of Podiatric Medicine.

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

There are certain podiatrist certifications that you should consider. These podiatrist certifications include Medical Assistant and Surgery.

What education do you need to become a podiatrist?

What degree do you need to be a podiatrist?

The most common degree for podiatrists is bachelor's degree, with 37% of podiatrists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 27% and doctoral degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 37%
  • Doctorate, 27%
  • Diploma, 9%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 19%

What should I major in to become a podiatrist?

You should major in podiatric medicine to become a podiatrist. 38% of podiatrists major in podiatric medicine. Other common majors for a podiatrist include biology and medical assisting services.

Most common colleges for podiatrists

Podiatrists often get their degrees at New York College of Podiatric Medicine, Temple University, and Barry University. Here are the most common colleges for podiatrists in the US based on their resumes.
Podiatrist common collegePercentages
New York College of Podiatric Medicine29.06%
Temple University21.37%
Barry University9.40%
Des Moines4.27%
University of Pennsylvania3.42%

Best majors for podiatrists

RankMajorPercentages
1Podiatric Medicine37.6%
2Biology15.0%
3Medical Assisting Services10.3%
4Business5.3%
5Health Care Administration3.6%

Best colleges for podiatrists

The best colleges for podiatrists are Northwestern University, Purdue University, and University of Pittsburgh.

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

1. Kent State University

Kent, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,312

Enrollment

21,793

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

4. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

5. Kettering College

Kettering, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$12,960

Enrollment

610

6. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$49,042

Enrollment

5,131

7. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

8. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

20 best online courses for podiatrists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for podiatrists

The most affordable schools for podiatrists are Brigham Young University - Idaho, purdue university, and tarleton state university.

If the best universities for podiatrists 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 podiatrists.

1. Brigham Young University - Idaho

Rexburg, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$4,118

Cost of attendance

12,223

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

3. Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$7,292

Cost of attendance

20,387

4. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

5. Trident University International

Cypress, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,240

Cost of attendance

17,912

6. Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Alexandria, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,668

Cost of attendance

14,488

7. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$3,503

Cost of attendance

12,843

8. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,233

Cost of attendance

18,110

9. Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Natchitoches, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,922

Cost of attendance

20,612

10. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Cost of attendance

19,235

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for podiatrists

The hardest universities for podiatrists to get into are Northwestern University, Purdue University, and University of Pittsburgh.

Some great schools for podiatrists 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 podiatrists 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

3. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

4. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,261

5. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

6. Kettering College

Kettering, OH • Private

Admissions rate

27%

SAT average

1,125

7. Clarkson College

Omaha, NE • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,035

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,303

9. Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,196

10. Saint Joseph's College, New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,109

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

The easiest schools for podiatrists to get into are AdventHealth University, clarkson college, and saint joseph's college, new york.

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

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Clarkson College

Omaha, NE • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,035

3. Saint Joseph's College, New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,109

4. Louisiana College

Pineville, LA • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,084

5. Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

55%

SAT average

1,056

6. Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Natchitoches, LA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,102

7. St. Catherine University

Saint Paul, MN • Private

Admissions rate

73%

SAT average

1,124

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

10. Kent State University

Kent, OH • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

Average podiatrist salary by education level

Podiatrist education levelPodiatrist salary
Doctorate Degree$100,580

Podiatrist 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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