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Therapy technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a therapy technician. Therapy technicians usually study kinesiology, psychology, or biology. 53% of therapy technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,941 real therapy technician resumes to see exactly what therapy technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for therapy technicians are the Boise State University and the Boise State University.
There are also many online therapy technician courses to help get the education required to be a therapy technician.
There are certain therapy technician certifications that you should consider. These therapy technician certifications include Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
What education do you need to become a therapy technician?
What degree do you need to be a therapy technician?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 14%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a therapy technician?
- Kinesiology, 19%
- Psychology, 14%
- Biology, 8%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for therapy technicians
| Therapy technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Boise State University | 9.20% |
| University of North Texas | 6.13% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 6.13% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.13% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | 6.13% |
Best majors for therapy technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 19.1% |
| 2 | Psychology | 13.8% |
| 3 | Biology | 8.2% |
| 4 | Business | 6.5% |
| 5 | Medical Assisting Services | 6.5% |
Best colleges for therapy technicians
The best colleges for therapy technicians are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
A therapy technician 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 technicians. 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 technicians.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
8. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
10. Coppin State University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$8,873
Enrollment
2,326
20 best online courses for therapy technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for therapy technicians
The most affordable schools for therapy technicians are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for therapy technicians 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 technicians.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for therapy technicians
The hardest universities for therapy technicians to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
Some great schools for therapy technicians 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 technicians 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
8. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
10. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for therapy technicians
The easiest schools for therapy technicians to get into are Bluefield College, wayland baptist university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a therapy technician 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 technicians.
1. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average therapy technician salary by education level
| Therapy technician education level | Therapy technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $36,891 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $28,106 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $31,239 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,860 |
Therapy technician 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