CIP 51.2308 Health Professions

Physical Therapy/Therapist

IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education · 2025

中文

Total graduates

13,731

2025 · 277 schools

International share

1.8%

253 international students

Bachelor's degrees

153

0.7% international

Master's degrees

96.9% international

Overview

Physical Therapy, often referred to as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession dedicated to diagnosing, treating, and preventing physical impairments and disabilities through various therapeutic techniques. Physical therapists (PTs) play a crucial role in helping patients regain mobility and function, often after surgery, injury, or illness.

The field of physical therapy encompasses a wide range of treatments, including manual therapy, exercise prescriptions, and the use of modalities such as heat, cold, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation. Physical therapists work with patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly, addressing conditions such as orthopedic injuries, neurological disorders, cardiovascular issues, and sports-related injuries.

To become a physical therapist in the United States, one typically needs to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from an accredited program, which usually takes three years post-undergraduate studies. This program includes extensive coursework in anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and pathology, as well as clinical experiences where students gain hands-on practice under supervision.

Licensure is required to practice as a physical therapist, which involves passing the National Physical Therapy Exam. The demand for physical therapists is growing, driven by an aging population and increased awareness of the importance of rehabilitation and preventive care. PTs often work in diverse settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, and even in patients' homes, providing critical support that helps individuals achieve better health outcomes and improve their quality of life.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

8,262 02

6,613 03

6,642 04

7,130 05

7,962 06

8,139 07

8,395 08

9,470 09

9,305 10

10K 11

10K 12

11K 13

11K 14

11K 15

12K 16

12K 17

12K 18

13K 19

13K 20

14K 21

14K 22

14K 23

13K 24

14K 25

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2002 to 2025, graduates grew 66% and the international share went from 1.5% to 1.8%.

International share (%)

1 02

2 03

2 04

2 05

3 06

3 07

2 08

2 09

2 10

2 11

2 12

2 13

2 14

3 15

2 16

3 17

3 18

4 19

4 20

3 21

2 22

2 23

2 24

2 25

Graduates by group, 2025

White

62.7%

Asian

10.7%

Hispanic

9.9%

Black

5.0%

Other

9.9%

Intl.

1.8%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 277 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

Rank	School	State	Graduates	International
#8	Duke University	North Carolina	98	3
#9	Northwestern University	Illinois	96	3
#12	Columbia University in the City of New York	New York	64	3
#16	Washington University in St Louis	Missouri	84	14
#23	Emory University	Georgia	52	3
#27	University of Southern California	California	133	5
#27	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	North Carolina	33	1
#31	Tufts University	Massachusetts	59	0
#31	New York University	New York	44	5
#34	University of Florida	Florida	72	1
#34	Boston University	Massachusetts	64	5
#34	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Wisconsin	39	0
#42	Northeastern University	Massachusetts	49	3
#44	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	New Jersey	65	0
#44	Ohio State University-Main Campus	Ohio	49	1
#49	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Washington	43	1
#55	University of Miami	Florida	66	2
#59	George Washington University	D.C.	41	1
#59	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Minnesota	60	1
#59	Stony Brook University	New York	70	1
#59	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Pennsylvania	156	11
#73	University of Connecticut	Connecticut	30	1
#73	Howard University	D.C.	5	0
#80	Drexel University	Pennsylvania	59	0
#85	University of Delaware	Delaware	57	0
#85	University at Buffalo	New York	43	1
#90	Baylor University	Texas	126	0
#90	Marquette University	Wisconsin	66	0
#95	University of Illinois at Chicago	Illinois	58	1
#95	University of Missouri-Columbia	Missouri	58	0
#100	Chapman University	California	76	1
#100	Florida International University	Florida	63	2
#100	University of South Florida-Main Campus	Florida	49	0
#100	University of Iowa	Iowa	47	0
#100	Saint Louis University	Missouri	77	3
#100	Creighton University	Nebraska	109	0
#100	Elon University	North Carolina	43	0
#109	Temple University	Pennsylvania	55	1
#121	University of the Pacific	California	34	0
#121	University of Central Florida	Florida	34	1
#121	University of Dayton	Ohio	36	0
#121	University of South Carolina-Columbia	South Carolina	26	0
#133	Thomas Jefferson University	Pennsylvania	57	1
#133	University of Vermont	Vermont	37	1
#137	University of Alabama at Birmingham	Alabama	51	0
#137	California State University--Long Beach	California	35	0
#137	San Diego State University	California	37	0
#137	Clarkson University	New York	15	0
#137	Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	59	2
#137	University of Scranton	Pennsylvania	35	0
#148	Mercer University	Georgia	36	0
#148	University of Kansas	Kansas	56	0
#148	University of Kentucky	Kentucky	64	0
#148	University of Massachusetts-Lowell	Massachusetts	32	0
#148	University of Rhode Island	Rhode Island	35	1
#156	Quinnipiac University	Connecticut	63	0
#156	Florida A&M University	Florida	16	0
#156	Seton Hall University	New Jersey	34	1
#156	Oregon State University	Oregon	39	0
#156	Duquesne University	Pennsylvania	82	27
#156	Virginia Commonwealth University	Virginia	59	1
#169	Bradley University	Illinois	26	0
#169	Simmons University	Massachusetts	40	0
#169	Touro College	New York	75	13
#179	University of Mississippi	Mississippi	44	0
#179	CUNY Hunter College	New York	33	0
#179	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Ohio	37	0
#179	University of Utah	Utah	60	2
#186	Wayne State University	Michigan	32	0
#191	Samford University	Alabama	38	0
#191	Georgia State University	Georgia	40	0
#202	Sacred Heart University	Connecticut	62	0
#202	East Carolina University	North Carolina	27	0
#202	Ohio University-Main Campus	Ohio	44	0
#208	California State University--Fresno	California	32	0
#208	California State University-Sacramento	California	32	0
#208	Belmont University	Tennessee	54	0
#219	Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis	Indiana	42	0
#219	New York Institute of Technology	New York	24	0
#219	Gannon University	Pennsylvania	69	2
#227	San Francisco State University	California	50	1
#227	Russell Sage College	New York	33	0
#227	University of North Dakota	North Dakota	51	0
#227	West Virginia University	West Virginia	32	0
#236	University of Colorado Denver	Colorado	72	0
#236	University of North Florida	Florida	29	1
#236	University of Nevada--Las Vegas	Nevada	44	0
#236	University of New Mexico-Main Campus	New Mexico	24	0
#236	Pacific University	Oregon	47	0
#236	Chatham University	Pennsylvania	38	0
#236	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	50	0
#250	Nova Southeastern University	Florida	82	2
#250	D'Youville University	New York	19	3
#262	University of New England	Maine	48	1
#262	Andrews University	Michigan	48	4
#262	Central Michigan University	Michigan	50	0
#262	George Fox University	Oregon	40	0
#262	DeSales University	Pennsylvania	26	0
#262	University of South Dakota	South Dakota	31	0
#262	University of Texas--El Paso	Texas	31	0
#276	Northern Arizona University	Arizona	93	0
#276	Harding University	Arkansas	18	0
#276	Regis University	Colorado	82	0
#276	Western Michigan University	Michigan	26	0
#276	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	Ohio	83	0
#276	Widener University	Pennsylvania	44	0
#276	Marymount University	Virginia	37	1
#288	University of Hartford	Connecticut	42	0
#288	University of Indianapolis	Indiana	52	0
#288	Wichita State University	Kansas	38	0
#288	Arcadia University	Pennsylvania	275	2
#288	Texas State University	Texas	43	0
#288	Shenandoah University	Virginia	67	1
#288	University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee	Wisconsin	26	0
#299	Azusa Pacific University	California	62	0
#299	Utica University	New York	49	2
#299	University of Toledo	Ohio	28	0
#299	Concordia University Wisconsin	Wisconsin	33	0
#308	Northern Illinois University	Illinois	28	0
#308	Oakland University	Michigan	39	0
#308	Maryville University of Saint Louis	Missouri	34	0
#308	University of the Incarnate Word	Texas	47	1
#317	Kean University	New Jersey	23	0
#317	University of Mary	North Dakota	38	0
#317	Emory & Henry University	Virginia	28	0
#317	Marshall University	West Virginia	32	1
#317	Augusta University	Georgia	40	0
#328	Georgia Southern University	Georgia	58	0
#328	East Tennessee State University	Tennessee	36	0
#328	Old Dominion University	Virginia	39	0
#332	University of South Alabama	Alabama	39	0
#332	Mercy University	New York	23	0
#332	University of Findlay	Ohio	47	0
#332	Texas Woman's University	Texas	100	1
#332	University of Lynchburg	Virginia	36	0
#342	Missouri State University	Missouri	38	0
#342	Daemen University	New York	61	0
#342	Campbell University	North Carolina	41	0
#342	Cleveland State University	Ohio	36	1
#342	Lincoln Memorial University	Tennessee	52	0
#353	Arkansas State University	Arkansas	29	0
#353	University of Michigan--Flint	Michigan	60	2
#353	Plymouth State University	New Hampshire	27	0
#353	Youngstown State University	Ohio	35	0
#365	University of Central Arkansas	Arkansas	57	2
#365	Indiana State University	Indiana	30	0
#365	William Carey University	Mississippi	21	0
#365	The University of Montana	Montana	301	17
#365	Eastern Washington University	Washington	38	0
#376	Concordia University-Saint Paul	Minnesota	34	0
#376	Tennessee State University	Tennessee	31	0
#382	Idaho State University	Idaho	48	0
#382	Governors State University	Illinois	25	0
#382	Angelo State University	Texas	27	0
LAC #100	University of Puget Sound	Washington	33	0
LAC #109	Hanover College	Indiana	92	0
LAC #111	Whitworth University	Washington	17	1
LAC #180	Alabama State University	Alabama	24	0
—	University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences	California	797	7
—	South College	Tennessee	265	4
—	College of St. Scholastica	Minnesota	131	0
—	The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston	Texas	114	0
—	Ithaca College	New York	109	0
—	Franklin Pierce University	New Hampshire	105	0
—	Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions	Utah	101	0
—	Western University of Health Sciences	California	98	0
—	Hawaii Pacific University	Hawaii	93	0
—	Springfield College	Massachusetts	77	0
—	A T Still University of Health Sciences	Missouri	77	11
—	Loma Linda University	California	76	21
—	Bellarmine University	Kentucky	72	0
—	University of Maryland, Baltimore	Maryland	71	0
—	Medical University of South Carolina	South Carolina	69	0
—	Carroll University	Wisconsin	69	0
—	Augustana University	South Dakota	68	0
—	MGH Institute of Health Professions	Massachusetts	66	0
—	University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center	Oklahoma	66	1
—	Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	Texas	64	2
—	University of Nebraska Medical Center	Nebraska	63	1
—	High Point University	North Carolina	59	0
—	Grand Valley State University	Michigan	56	1
—	Southwest Baptist University	Missouri	56	0
—	Midwestern University-Glendale	Arizona	55	0
—	Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical Center	Iowa	53	0
—	University of California-San Francisco	California	49	1
—	Midwestern University-Downers Grove	Illinois	49	0
—	University of Evansville	Indiana	49	0
—	Lebanon Valley College	Pennsylvania	49	0