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Pre-Physical Therapy Studies

A program that prepares individuals for admission to a professional program in physical therapy.

Types of Degrees Pre-Physical Therapy Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Pre-Physical Therapy Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	28
Bachelor’s Degree	227

Who Is Earning a Degree in Pre-Physical Therapy Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 64.5% of Pre-Physical Therapy Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	165	64.5%
Men	91	35.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Pre-Physical Therapy Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	185	72.3%
Asian	6	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	21	8.2%
Black or African American	25	9.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.4%
Two or More Races	14	5.5%
Race Unknown	1	0.4%
International Students	3	1.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Pre-Physical Therapy Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Pre-Physical Therapy Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,983
4 years	$51,835
5 years	$63,167

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $63,167 — roughly 71% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Pre-Physical Therapy Studies Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Pre-Physical Therapy Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	1
Bachelor’s	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Pre-Physical Therapy Studies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Pre-Physical Therapy Studies graduates earn a median of $51,835 four years after completion — roughly 36% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs	8,993
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, Other	3,744
Pre-Nursing Studies	2,731
Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies	1,739
Pre-Pharmacy Studies	207
Pre-Physician Assistant	127
Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies	113
Pre-Dentistry Studies	53
Pre-Optometry Studies	7
Pre-Art Therapy	—
Pre-Chiropractic Studies	—
Pre-Veterinary Studies	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.