Best Physical Therapy Colleges in Michigan (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 9 colleges in Michigan that offer a Physical Therapy program. 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 Michigan appear. Siena Heights University ranks 1st on this list, and Wayne State University follows at 2nd. Ferris State University rounds out the top three at 3rd.
Public institutions make up 78% of the list, with 7 public and 2 private nonprofit schools represented. University of Michigan-Flint posts the lowest average net price at $7,007, while Grand Valley State University reports the highest six-year completion rate at 67%.
Wayne State University ranks 80th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Physical Therapy Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Siena Heights University · Adrian, MI | $81,797 | $17,124 | $15,624 | 68.9% |
| Siena Heights University admits 69% of applicants and reports a six-year completion rate of 39%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (73 graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (32 graduates), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (26 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($82,539), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($81,797) | |||||
| 2 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $78,391 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
| Wayne State University ranks 80th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its average net price is $12,766. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Public Health (258 graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (178 graduates), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (104 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($84,405), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($78,391), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($67,284) | |||||
| 3 | Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI | $76,031 | $8,624 | $2,556 | 91.4% |
| An average net price of $2,556 for families earning under $30,000 applies to Ferris State University. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (107 graduates), Health and Medical Administrative Services (39 graduates), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (37 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($81,718), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($76,031), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($64,703) | |||||
| 4 | Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI | $70,655 | $16,317 | $12,272 | 83.0% |
| Grand Valley State University reports a six-year completion rate of 67% and an admission rate of 83%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (247 graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (215 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (67 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($79,188), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($70,655), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other ($62,482) | |||||
| 5 | University of Michigan-Flint · Flint, MI | No published median | $7,007 | $1,517 | 70.5% |
| University of Michigan-Flint reports an average net price of $7,007, the lowest on the page across all income levels. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (258 graduates), Health and Medical Administrative Services (36 graduates), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (25 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($86,401), Health and Medical Administrative Services ($56,867), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General ($53,886) | |||||
| 6 | Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI | $63,925 | $9,120 | $4,422 | 87.8% |
| Oakland University reports a six-year completion rate of 58% and an admission rate of 88%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (520 graduates), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (246 graduates), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (28 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Public Health ($85,266), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($81,667), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($70,486) | |||||
| 7 | Baker College · Owosso, MI | $52,941 | $13,157 | $11,976 | 81.9% |
| A private nonprofit university in Owosso, Baker College has an average net price of $13,157. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (219 graduates), Health and Medical Administrative Services (71 graduates), Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (11 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($77,840), Health and Medical Administrative Services ($51,868) | |||||
| 8 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $52,311 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University admits 90% of applicants and reports an average net price of $17,597. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (62 graduates), Health and Medical Administrative Services (30 graduates), Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (23 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Health and Medical Administrative Services ($67,117), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services ($62,082), Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services ($55,134) | |||||
| 9 | Western Michigan University · Kalamazoo, MI | $48,065 | $15,273 | $5,263 | 84.6% |
| Western Michigan University ranks 353rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and graduates 58% of its students within six years. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (115 graduates), Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (65 graduates), Health and Medical Administrative Services (51 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($83,449), Health and Medical Administrative Services ($54,265) | |||||
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 Michigan appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The list includes 7 public and 2 private nonprofit institutions.
Job market context in Michigan
Physical Therapy graduates in Michigan enter occupations such as Registered Nurses, Nursing Assistants, and Medical Assistants. The median annual wage across those occupations is $64,091, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $54,463. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 7.1% higher, with 44,380 projected openings a year, or about 630 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the occupational wage figures shown here.
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