Therapy program manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a therapy program manager. Therapy program managers usually study occupational therapy, physical therapy, or nursing. 44% of therapy program managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 666 real therapy program manager resumes to see exactly what therapy program manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for therapy program managers are the Western Michigan University and the Western Michigan University.

There are also many online therapy program manager courses to help get the education required to be a therapy program manager.

There are certain therapy program manager certifications that you should consider. These therapy program manager certifications include Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT).

What education do you need to become a therapy program manager?

What degree do you need to be a therapy program manager?

The most common degree for therapy program managers is bachelor's degree, with 44% of therapy program managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 21%.

Bachelor's, 44%

Associate, 27%

Master's, 21%

Doctorate, 4%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a therapy program manager?

You should major in occupational therapy to become a therapy program manager. 21% of therapy program managers major in occupational therapy. Other common majors for a therapy program manager include physical therapy and nursing.

Occupational Therapy, 21%

Physical Therapy, 17%

Nursing, 10%

Medical Technician, 10%

Other Majors, 42%

Most common colleges for therapy program managers

Therapy program managers often get their degrees at Western Michigan University, University of Phoenix, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for therapy program managers in the US based on their resumes.

Therapy program manager common college	Percentages
Western Michigan University	9.30%
University of Phoenix	8.14%
University of Florida	5.81%
Northeastern University	5.81%
University of Kansas	5.81%

Show more common therapy program manager colleges

Best majors for therapy program managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Occupational Therapy	21.4%
2	Physical Therapy	17.2%
3	Nursing	10.1%
4	Medical Technician	10.1%
5	Business	7.1%

Show more common therapy program manager majors

Best colleges for therapy program managers

The best colleges for therapy program managers are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

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

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

20 best online courses for therapy program managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for therapy program managers

The most affordable schools for therapy program managers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for therapy program managers 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 therapy program managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for therapy program managers

The hardest universities for therapy program managers to get into are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for therapy program managers 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 therapy program managers 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for therapy program managers

The easiest schools for therapy program managers to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a therapy program manager 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 therapy program managers.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average therapy program manager salary by education level

Therapy program managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $121,643 annually. With a Master's degree, therapy program managers earn a median annual income of $107,334 compared to $97,420 for therapy program managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Therapy program manager education level	Therapy program manager salary
Master's Degree	$107,334
Bachelor's Degree	$97,420
Doctorate Degree	$121,643
Some College/ Associate Degree	$90,112

Therapy program manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Therapy Program Managers?

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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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