Rehabilitation Science

Types of Degrees Rehabilitation Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many rehabilitation science graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	990
Master’s Degree	91
Doctor’s Degree	54
Basic Certificate	24
Graduate Certificate	2

What Rehabilitation Science Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, rehabilitation science majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Rehabilitation Science Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in rehabilitation science should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Rehabilitation Science Majors

A major in rehabilitation science prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Rehabilitation Science Majors

A major in rehabilitation science will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Rehabilitation Science Major?

People with a rehabilitation science degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Life Scientists	9.0%	$78,190
Rehabilitation Counselors	12.7%	$35,630

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Rehabilitation Science?

This major is dominated by women with about 82% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of rehabilitation science majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	59
Black or African American	67
Hispanic or Latino	288
White	511
International Students	9
Other Races/Ethnicities	56

Geographic Diversity

Rehabilitation Science appeals to people across the globe. About 0.9% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Rehabilitation Science Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Rehabilitation Science majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $39,930 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Rehabilitation Science

Some degrees associated with rehabilitation science may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to rehabilitation science have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	3.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	9.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	4.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	21.6%
Master’s Degree	45.1%
Doctoral Degree	9.0%
Post-Doctoral Training	7.7%

Online Rehabilitation Science Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 57 schools offered some type of rehabilitation science program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	3	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	16	4
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	23	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Rehabilitation Science Worth It?

The median salary for a rehabilitation science grad is $89,150 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 123% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $985,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Rehabilitation Science

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to rehabilitation science.

Major	Number of Grads
Physical Therapy/Therapist	13,655
Occupational Therapy	9,958
Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling	1,046
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	870
Art Therapy	858
Other Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	837
Music Therapy	665
Orthotist/Prosthetist	335
Assistive/Augmentative Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering	117
Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist	110
Animal-Assisted Therapy	85
Play Therapy	56
Dance Therapy	52
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, General	28
Drama Therapy	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Barbara E. Carver under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.