Best Physical Therapy Colleges in Missouri (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 5 colleges in Missouri that report a Physical Therapy earnings cohort, ordered by the median earnings of Physical Therapy graduates four years after completing. 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 Missouri appear. Saint Louis University ranks 1st on this list and posts an admission rate of 75% alongside a six-year completion rate of 80%.
University of Missouri-Columbia follows at 2nd, with an admission rate of 78% and a six-year completion rate of 75%.
The list includes 3 public institutions and 2 private nonprofits. University of Missouri-Columbia ranks 144th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the best on the page.
University of Central Missouri posts the lowest average net price at $14,462. University of Central Missouri carries an average net price of $10,965 for families earning under $30,000.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Physical Therapy Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Louis University · Saint Louis, MO | $77,671 | $24,398 | $22,501 | 75.0% |
| Saint Louis University, a private nonprofit university in Saint Louis, reports a six-year completion rate of 80% and an admission rate of 75%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (189 graduates), Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (57 graduates), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (53 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($81,525), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($77,671), Health and Medical Administrative Services ($70,202) | |||||
| 2 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $73,861 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| University of Missouri-Columbia posts an average net price of $20,268 and ranks 144th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (439 graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (253 graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (77 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($83,231), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($73,861), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General ($69,333) | |||||
| 3 | Avila University · Kansas City, MO | $68,865 | $16,053 | $15,694 | 87.8% |
| With an admission rate of 88%, Avila University posts a six-year completion rate of 52% and an average net price of $15,694 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (40 graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (23 graduates), Health and Medical Administrative Services (10 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($74,562), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($68,865) | |||||
| 4 | Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO | $65,601 | $17,613 | $13,718 | 90.5% |
| Missouri State University-Springfield in Springfield posts an average net price of $13,718 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (110 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (65 graduates), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (39 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($79,615), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General ($65,127), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services ($50,774) | |||||
| 5 | University of Central Missouri · Warrensburg, MO | $60,063 | $14,462 | $10,965 | 63.8% |
| University of Central Missouri reports the lowest admission rate on the page at 64% and an average net price of $14,462. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (118 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (27 graduates), Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (19 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($80,542), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General ($53,677) | |||||
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 Missouri appear. The figure captures graduates who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing their program. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The list spans five schools, with Saint Louis University and University of Missouri-Columbia occupying the top two spots.
Job market context in Missouri
Physical Therapy graduates in Missouri enter occupations such as Nursing Assistants, Registered Nurses, and Medical Assistants. Across those occupations the median annual wage is $62,550, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $52,799. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 32,410 openings a year, or about 610 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 6.7% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing; the market figures describe the broader occupations and are not the same measure.