Best Physical Therapy Colleges in Ohio (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Health Professions Colleges in Ohio
This page ranks the 12 Physical Therapy schools in Ohio by median earnings of Physical Therapy graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only University of Cincinnati-Main Campus has a published earnings figure, so the range and median across the 1 school with a published figure all sit at $56,044. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ranks 1st on this list.
The list includes 9 public and 3 private nonprofit schools, with public institutions making up 75% of the total. Youngstown State University has the lowest average net price at $12,767, while Ohio State University-Main Campus posts the highest six-year completion rate at 88%.
Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 90th 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 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · Cincinnati, OH | $89,915 | $25,648 | $17,974 | 85.3% |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus admits 85% of applicants and reports a six-year completion rate of 75%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (379 graduates), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (157 graduates), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (106 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($89,915), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($85,551), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($79,742) | |||||
| 2 | Cleveland State University · Cleveland, OH | $83,938 | $14,764 | $11,958 | 91.3% |
| With an average net price of $14,764, Cleveland State University ranks 2nd on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (231 graduates), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (153 graduates), Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (40 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($82,201), Health/Medical Preparatory Programs ($67,214) | |||||
| 3 | Youngstown State University · Youngstown, OH | $76,896 | $12,767 | $9,328 | 84.5% |
| Youngstown State University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $12,767 and ranks 515th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (151 graduates), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (31 graduates), Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (22 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($77,576), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($76,896), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other ($63,979) | |||||
| 4 | Kettering College · Kettering, OH | $75,481 | $21,650 | $16,000 | 76.5% |
| A private nonprofit university in Kettering, Kettering College has an admission rate of 77% and a six-year completion rate of 65%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (110 graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (20 graduates), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (10 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($83,539), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other ($83,293), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($75,481) | |||||
| 5 | The University of Findlay · Findlay, OH | $71,024 | $27,221 | $22,052 | 83.4% |
| The University of Findlay reports an average net price of $22,052 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 5th on this page. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (64 graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (21 graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (11 graduates) | |||||
| 6 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $68,942 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 90th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports a six-year completion rate of 88%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (416 graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (280 graduates), Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (117 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($81,795), Health and Medical Administrative Services ($80,315), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($74,601) | |||||
| 7 | Kent State University at Kent · Kent, OH | $67,676 | $20,787 | $15,280 | 86.3% |
| Kent State University at Kent admits 86% of applicants and reports an average net price of $15,280 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (533 graduates), Public Health (166 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (73 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($78,263), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($67,676), Health/Medical Preparatory Programs ($57,360) | |||||
| 8 | University of Toledo · Toledo, OH | $63,908 | $17,249 | $13,524 | 92.0% |
| University of Toledo has a six-year completion rate of 57% and an average net price of $17,249. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (277 graduates), Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (130 graduates), Health and Medical Administrative Services (43 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($77,241), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($63,908), Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration ($63,190) | |||||
| 9 | University of Akron Main Campus · Akron, OH | $58,061 | $13,946 | $10,413 | 59.7% |
| With an admission rate of 60%, University of Akron Main Campus is the most selective school on the page and ranks 407th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (191 graduates), Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (35 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (29 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($76,089), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($58,061), Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services ($55,527) | |||||
| 10 | Wilmington College · Wilmington, OH | $56,044 | $24,153 | $19,820 | 92.4% |
| Wilmington College reports median earnings of $56,044 for its Physical Therapy graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (13 graduates) | |||||
| 11 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus · Bowling Green, OH | $51,385 | $24,022 | $18,396 | 81.0% |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus admits 81% of applicants and reports an average net price of $18,396 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (93 graduates), Health and Medical Administrative Services (44 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (37 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($78,798), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($73,290), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other ($66,280) | |||||
| 12 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $33,987 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
| Miami University-Oxford posts a six-year completion rate of 80% and an average net price of $28,384. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (196 graduates), Public Health (102 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (65 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($77,451), Health/Medical Preparatory Programs ($72,484) | |||||
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 Ohio appear. The figure reflects federally aided Physical Therapy graduates who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Because only 1 of the 12 listed schools has a published earnings figure, the range and median below cover that single school. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus posts $56,044 in median earnings, and the spread from top to bottom is $0.
Job market context in Ohio
Graduates of Physical Therapy programs in Ohio enter occupations such as Nursing Assistants, Registered Nurses, and Medical Assistants. Across those occupations the median annual wage is $62,888, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $53,402. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 3.0% higher, with 52,230 projected openings a year, or about 455 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 broader occupational wage figures shown here.
Related rankings
- Health Professions Colleges
- Best Colleges in Ohio
- Best Health Professions Colleges in California
- Best Nursing Colleges in New York
- Top Physical Therapy Colleges in Texas by Earnings
- Best Health Professions Colleges in Minnesota
- Health Professions Colleges in Ohio for Social Mobility