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Rehabilitation specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a rehabilitation specialist. Rehabilitation specialists usually study psychology, social work, or business. 61% of rehabilitation specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,450 real rehabilitation specialist resumes to see exactly what rehabilitation specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for rehabilitation specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online rehabilitation specialist courses to help get the education required to be a rehabilitation specialist.
There are certain rehabilitation specialist certifications that you should consider. These rehabilitation specialist certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP).
What education do you need to become a rehabilitation specialist?
What degree do you need to be a rehabilitation specialist?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a rehabilitation specialist?
- Psychology, 33%
- Social Work, 10%
- Business, 6%
- Criminal Justice, 6%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for rehabilitation specialists
| Rehabilitation specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.66% |
| Boise State University | 12.16% |
| Idaho State University | 9.31% |
| University of Idaho | 6.61% |
| University of Nevada - Las Vegas | 6.46% |
Best majors for rehabilitation specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 33.2% |
| 2 | Social Work | 10.4% |
| 3 | Business | 6.0% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 5.9% |
| 5 | Human Services | 5.5% |
Best colleges for rehabilitation specialists
The best colleges for rehabilitation specialists are Columbia University in the City of New York, Washington University in St Louis, and Northwestern University.
A 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 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 rehabilitation specialists.
1. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
20 best online courses for rehabilitation specialists
Advertising disclosure
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19. The Key to Happiness: Self Care
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20. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): The Complete Course
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Top 10 most affordable universities for rehabilitation specialists
The most affordable schools for rehabilitation specialists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for 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 rehabilitation specialists.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for rehabilitation specialists
The hardest universities for rehabilitation specialists to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Washington University in St Louis, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for 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 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for rehabilitation specialists
The easiest schools for rehabilitation specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 rehabilitation specialists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average rehabilitation specialist salary by education level
| Rehabilitation specialist education level | Rehabilitation specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,784 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,238 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,020 |
Rehabilitation specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025