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Rehabilitation therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a rehabilitation therapist. Rehabilitation therapists usually study psychology, rehabilitation science, or social work. 64% of rehabilitation therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 893 real rehabilitation therapist resumes to see exactly what rehabilitation therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for rehabilitation therapists are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.
There are also many online rehabilitation therapist courses to help get the education required to be a rehabilitation therapist.
There are certain rehabilitation therapist certifications that you should consider. These rehabilitation therapist certifications include Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC).
What education do you need to become a rehabilitation therapist?
What degree do you need to be a rehabilitation therapist?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a rehabilitation therapist?
- Psychology, 26%
- Social Work, 6%
- Kinesiology, 6%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for rehabilitation therapists
| Rehabilitation therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida State University | 13.19% |
| Towson University | 8.33% |
| University of Florida | 6.94% |
| New York University | 5.56% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.56% |
Best majors for rehabilitation therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 26.3% |
| 2 | Rehabilitation Science | 16.1% |
| 3 | Social Work | 6.0% |
| 4 | Kinesiology | 5.8% |
| 5 | Sociology | 5.1% |
Best colleges for rehabilitation therapists
The best colleges for rehabilitation therapists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
A rehabilitation therapist 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 therapists. 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 therapists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
20 best online courses for rehabilitation therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for rehabilitation therapists
The most affordable schools for rehabilitation therapists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for rehabilitation therapists 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 therapists.
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 therapists
The hardest universities for rehabilitation therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for rehabilitation therapists 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 therapists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for rehabilitation therapists
The easiest schools for rehabilitation therapists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a rehabilitation therapist 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 therapists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
Average rehabilitation therapist salary by education level
| Rehabilitation therapist education level | Rehabilitation therapist salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,672 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $72,261 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $59,549 |
Rehabilitation therapist 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