What Are the Cheapest PT Schools?

It’s well established by now that most PT schools are expensive and the majority of future physical therapists have to take out loans to cover the costs of their education. In 2019, the average total tuition for three-year DPT programs was:

• $66,074 for the average public, in-state DPT program
• $112,421 for the average public, out-of-state DPT program
• $112,714 for the average private program

According to the APTA, almost 93% of PTs graduate with an average of $152,882 in debt.

There is increasing talk about the debt-to-salary ratio amongst physical therapists, and whether taking out such expensive loans is worth it in regards to the salary a PT can be expected to make. (According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, PT’s earn a mean of $95,620 per year. However, this average does not necessarily reflect what a new grad can be expected to make, and varies heavily by setting and geographic location).

One study found that DPT school is a good investment for those who take on less than $150,000 in debt, but not for those who take on more. To help combat these debt issues, the APTA has created a financial solutions center.

Time and time again, you’ll hear the advice that the best PT school is the cheapest one you can get into. For the most part, this means trying to get in-state tuition at a public school. Unfortunately, state schools can be amongst the toughest to get into.

So which schools are the least expensive? PTCAS has created a total cost of education comparison, but many schools don’t have their tuition listed. And it is unclear if these costs take into account room and board or other fees.

Of the listed schools in PTCAS, the 10 least expensive in-state programs, which each have three-year tuitions of less than $45,000, seem to be (unfortunately, there seem to be a few factual errors on the PTCAS list. I’m waiting to hear from them for updates):

1. Georgia Southern University
2. University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
3. Angelo State University
4. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
5. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, The – Bridge PTA to DPT Program
6. Texas Woman’s University
7. Midwestern University – Glendale
8. East Carolina University
9. University of Central Arkansas
10. University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth

The 10 least expensive out-of-state schools are:

1. Midwestern University – Glendale
2. Arkansas State University
3. Youngstown State University
4. Northern Illinois University
5. University of Central Arkansas
6. Eastern Washington University
7. University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
8. University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
9. Angelo State University
10. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

As of August 2022, CAPTE has required all DPT programs to be more transparent about their total costs. If you Google “School Name” and “Student Financial Fact Sheets,” you should be able to find a list of tuition costs. If not, I would contact the program to ask for clarity.