Rehab aide education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a rehab aide. Rehab aides usually study kinesiology, physical therapy, or psychology. 55% of rehab aides hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,915 real rehab aide resumes to see exactly what rehab aide education sections show.

The most common colleges for rehab aides are the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh.

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

There are certain rehab aide certifications that you should consider. These rehab aide certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a rehab aide?

What degree do you need to be a rehab aide?

The most common degree for rehab aides is bachelor's degree, with 55% of rehab aides earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 55%

Associate, 18%

High School Diploma, 10%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 12%

What should I major in to become a rehab aide?

You should major in kinesiology to become a rehab aide. 27% of rehab aides major in kinesiology. Other common majors for a rehab aide include physical therapy and psychology.

Kinesiology, 27%

Physical Therapy, 13%

Psychology, 9%

Nursing, 6%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for rehab aides

Rehab aides often get their degrees at University of Pittsburgh, University of Illinois at Chicago, and California State University - San Bernardino. Here are the most common colleges for rehab aides in the US based on their resumes.

Rehab aide common college	Percentages
University of Pittsburgh	11.51%
University of Illinois at Chicago	9.35%
California State University - San Bernardino	6.47%
Temple University	5.76%
University of Massachusetts Boston	5.76%

Show more common rehab aide colleges

Best majors for rehab aides

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Kinesiology	26.7%
2	Physical Therapy	12.8%
3	Psychology	8.8%
4	Nursing	6.0%
5	Biology	5.8%

Show more common rehab aide majors

Best colleges for rehab aides

The best colleges for rehab aides are University of Tulsa, Northeastern University, and Clemson University.

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

1. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

3,747

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

4. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

20 best online courses for rehab aides

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Top 10 most affordable universities for rehab aides

The most affordable schools for rehab aides are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and university of florida.

If the best universities for rehab aides 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 rehab aides.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for rehab aides

The hardest universities for rehab aides to get into are University of Tulsa, Northeastern University, and Clemson University.

Some great schools for rehab aides 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 rehab aides 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 Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

4. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

8. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for rehab aides

The easiest schools for rehab aides to get into are Wayland Baptist University, felician university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a rehab aide 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 rehab aides.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average rehab aide salary by education level

According to our data, rehab aides with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $28,201 annually. Rehab aides with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $27,042.

Rehab aide education level	Rehab aide salary
Bachelor's Degree	$27,042
Some College/ Associate Degree	$28,201

Rehab aide education FAQs

What is the best college for Rehab Aides?

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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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