2025 Best Colleges for Physical Therapy

While becoming a licensed physical therapist requires earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, the journey begins at the undergraduate level. Aspiring PTs should look for colleges that offer strong programs in fields like kinesiology, exercise science, or biology—majors that fulfill DPT prerequisites while building a solid foundation in human anatomy, physiology, and movement science. The schools on our list of the Best Colleges for Physical Therapy offer the academic breadth, course rigor, and PT-related opportunities necessary to prepare students for a career in this growing healthcare field.

Methodology and Data Analysis

In order to rank the best physical therapy colleges, we examined institutional websites, collecting data on course offerings, faculty research, and extracurricular and clinical opportunities geared specifically toward aspiring physical therapists. We also analyzed degree completion data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics as reported by IPEDS for an institution’s kinesiology, exercise science, and biology programs—disciplines most closely tied to physical therapy. Finally, we accounted for whether the college or university offered an accelerated, early assurance or combined physical therapy program.

Key Indicators of a Strong Program

Supportive pre-health advising, accelerated or combined physical therapy programs, and high DPT acceptance rates can also be key indicators of a strong undergraduate program. Equally important are opportunities for hands-on experience through research, internships, or clinical observation hours. Here is an abbreviated list of our best physical therapy colleges:

• University of Pittsburgh
• Boston University
• Marquette University
• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Saint Louis University
• University of Illinois Chicago
• Drexel University
• University of Cincinnati
• Elon University
• Ithaca College

Individual Program Highlights

University of Pittsburgh

Academic Highlights: Forty percent of sections have an enrollment of under twenty students while 18% enroll more than 50. Structured undergraduate research opportunities are available within every single school at UPitt; the bi-annual Research & Creative Expression Fair features 100+ projects. Professional Outcomes: Within a few months of graduating, 98% of 2023 grads entered full-time employment or full-time graduate or professional school. The median salary across all majors was $62,127.

Boston University

Academic Highlights: Many classes at BU are reasonably small—59% contain fewer than twenty students; only 20% contain more than forty. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1. The Research Opportunities Program (UROP) funds 650 students per year. Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 94% of recent BU grads have found their way into the world of employment or full-time graduate study. Of the one-third of grads who move directly into graduate school, many are welcomed onto the campuses of elite graduate programs.

Marquette University

Academic Highlights: With a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the university keeps 47% of class sections at 19 or fewer students. Marquette offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and 10 pre-professional programs.

Institutional Comparison Table

Based on the provided institutional data, here is a comparison of key statistics for these top-tier programs: