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# Best Physical Therapy Colleges in Illinois (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

This page ranks the 6 Physical Therapy schools in Illinois by the median earnings of Physical Therapy graduates four years after completing. Rush University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $85,450 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the 2 schools with a published figure, earnings range from $85,450 to $45,500, with a median of $65,475. For 1 of the 6 listed schools the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

The list is evenly split between 3 public and 3 private nonprofit institutions. Eastern Illinois University posts the lowest average net price at $12,786, while Illinois State University ranks 137th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

6 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Median Physical Therapy Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Rush University · Chicago, IL | $85,450 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
|  | Rush University reports median earnings of $85,450 for its Physical Therapy graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (30 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($85,450) |
| 2 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $80,220 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
|  | [Southern Illinois University-Carbondale](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/) ranks 2nd on this list and posts a [six-year completion rate of 62%](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/outcomes/) alongside an average net price of $13,297. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Health and Medical Administrative Services (59 graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (52 graduates), Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (26 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($80,220), Dental Support Services and Allied Professions ($68,609), Health and Medical Administrative Services ($61,807) |
| 3 | University of St Francis · Joliet, IL | $59,124 | $13,006 | $8,547 | 65.3% |
|  | [University of St Francis](/school/university-of-st-francis/majors/) [admits 65% of applicants](/school/university-of-st-francis/admissions/) and carries an average net price of $8,547 for families earning under $30,000. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (127 graduates), Health and Medical Administrative Services (67 graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (16 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($87,383), Health and Medical Administrative Services ($79,421) |
| 4 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $52,417 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% |
|  | [Illinois State University](/school/illinois-state-university/majors/) [ranks 137th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/illinois-state-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an admission rate of 88%. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (207 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (92 graduates), Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (41 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Public Health ($84,790), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($81,264), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($73,220) |
| 5 | Eastern Illinois University · Charleston, IL | $49,556 | $12,786 | $9,828 | 65.4% |
|  | [Eastern Illinois University](/school/eastern-illinois-university/majors/) lists an [average net price of $12,786,](/school/eastern-illinois-university/cost/) the lowest among the six schools, and a six-year completion rate of 47%. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (46 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (14 graduates), Health and Medical Administrative Services (7 graduates) |
| 6 | North Central College · Naperville, IL | $45,500 | $21,044 | $12,507 | 77.3% |
|  | [North Central College](/school/north-central-college/majors/) reports [median earnings of $45,500](/school/north-central-college/outcomes/) for its Physical Therapy graduates two years after completing and an average net price of $21,044. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (16 graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (5 graduates) |

## How this list is ordered

Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Physical Therapy graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Physical Therapy earnings cohort in Illinois appear. The figure reflects federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. For 1 of the 6 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 2 schools with a published figure. Rush University reports $85,450, while Southern Illinois University-Carbondale posts the lowest published median, a spread of $39,950 from top to bottom.

## Job market context in Illinois

Physical Therapy graduates in Illinois enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Nursing Assistants, Registered Nurses, and Medical Assistants. The median annual wage across those occupations is $67,040, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $54,685. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 8.9% higher, with about 59,880 projected openings a year, or about 442 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. These figures describe the occupations, not the earnings of any listed program; the ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing.

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