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Sports physical therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sports physical therapist. Sports physical therapists usually study physical therapy, kinesiology, or health sciences and services. 69% of sports physical therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 75 real sports physical therapist resumes to see exactly what sports physical therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for sports physical therapists are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online sports physical therapist courses to help get the education required to be a sports physical therapist.
What education do you need to become a sports physical therapist?
What degree do you need to be a sports physical therapist?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Doctorate, 18%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a sports physical therapist?
- Physical Therapy, 49%
- Kinesiology, 17%
- Business, 3%
- Other Majors, 26%
Most common colleges for sports physical therapists
| Sports physical therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 8.33% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 8.33% |
| Purdue University | 8.33% |
| University of Utah | 8.33% |
| University of Dayton | 4.17% |
Best majors for sports physical therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical Therapy | 49.2% |
| 2 | Kinesiology | 17.5% |
| 3 | Health Sciences And Services | 4.8% |
| 4 | Business | 3.2% |
| 5 | Health Education | 3.2% |
Best colleges for sports physical therapists
The best colleges for sports physical therapists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.
A sports physical 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 sports physical 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 sports physical therapists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
7. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
8. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for sports physical therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for sports physical therapists
The most affordable schools for sports physical therapists are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for sports physical 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 sports physical therapists.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sports physical therapists
The hardest universities for sports physical therapists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for sports physical 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 sports physical 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
9. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sports physical therapists
The easiest schools for sports physical therapists to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sports physical 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 sports physical therapists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Albertus Magnus College
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
931
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average sports physical therapist salary by education level
| Sports physical therapist education level | Sports physical therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,764 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,986 |
| Doctorate Degree | $72,626 |
Sports physical 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