Best Rehabilitation Therapies Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)
These are the top schools offering Rehabilitation Therapies, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Rehabilitation Therapies graduate earns $35,098/yr across 57 schools.
What do Rehabilitation Therapies graduates do? See career paths and salaries →CUNY York: How Urban Access Creates Unbeatable Value
CUNY York College's #1 rank isn't an accident; it's a direct result of its location and public mission. Situated in Queens, graduates have immediate access to one of the densest healthcare markets in the country, creating a direct pipeline into jobs paying nearly $58,000/year. By combining this high earning potential with the CUNY system's low tuition ($29,432), York delivers a massive 27.3x ROI that private institutions simply cannot match for this field.
The Public School Landslide: Why Paying More Is a Losing Bet
The data reveals a stark truth: 19 of the top 20 programs are public. This is because in a licensed field like therapy, where accreditation matters more than prestige, high-cost private schools can be a financial trap. D’Youville University (#5), for example, offers strong earnings ($50k/yr) but its $134,240 tuition cripples its ROI to just 4.1x. The smartest investment is a quality public program that provides the necessary skills and licensure without the crushing debt.
Your Career is AI-Resistant, Not AI-Proof
Rehabilitation professions show an average AI task exposure of just 34.6%, with zero programs in the high-risk category. This is because the core of the job—manual therapy, empathetic coaching, and adapting exercises in real-time—cannot be automated by current AI. While AI will streamline administrative tasks like scheduling and charting, it will function as a tool, not a replacement. This makes the field one of the most secure, human-centered career paths you can choose.
The ROI Outliers: How Low Cost Beats High Salary
Don't just look at the salary column. Georgia Southern University (#9) and Western Carolina University (#10) crack the top 10 despite having lower earnings than many peers. Their secret is radical affordability, leading to massive ROIs of 31.0x and 23.8x, respectively. These "hidden gems" prove that minimizing your initial investment is one of the most powerful strategies for financial success in a field with relatively standardized salary bands across different programs.
Leading the field for Rehabilitation Therapies
The top four programs by DegreeOutlook Score. Full ranking of 57 programs below.
All Rehabilitation Therapies Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
CUNY York College
Jamaica, NY · Public
|
71
70–71
|
$57,806/yr | 27.3x |
| 2 |
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI · Public
|
55
54–55
|
$59,937/yr | 11.2x |
| 3 |
University of Pittsburgh-Bradford
Bradford, PA · Public
|
53
57–53
|
$39,836/yr | 11.9x |
| 4 |
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, WA · Public
|
52
53–52
|
$47,541/yr | 13.2x |
| 5 |
D'Youville University
Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit
|
51
51–51
|
$50,473/yr | 4.1x |
| 6 |
State University of New York at Cortland
Cortland, NY · Public
|
51
55–52
|
$40,853/yr | 14.7x |
| 7 |
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
La Crosse, WI · Public
|
51
54–51
|
$41,370/yr | 13.2x |
| 8 |
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · Public
|
49
53–49
|
$39,836/yr | 7.8x |
| 9 |
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA · Public
|
47
58–48
|
$28,360/yr | 31.0x |
| 10 |
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC · Public
|
47
53–48
|
$37,608/yr | 23.8x |
| 11 |
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT · Public
|
47
49–48
|
$43,684/yr | 10.7x |
| 12 |
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC · Public
|
46
51–47
|
$39,366/yr | 14.7x |
| 13 |
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Lowell, MA · Public
|
45
53–46
|
$35,605/yr | 10.1x |
| 14 |
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, PA · Public
|
44
47–44
|
$41,797/yr | 9.8x |
| 15 |
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, WI · Public
|
42
49–43
|
$36,736/yr | 11.6x |
| 16 |
California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public
|
41
52–43
|
$32,805/yr | 17.6x |
| 17 |
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI · Public
|
41
46–41
|
$39,008/yr | 7.9x |
| 18 |
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA · Public
|
41
45–41
|
$40,085/yr | 5.3x |
| 19 |
Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX · Public
|
41
47–42
|
$38,339/yr | 10.1x |
| 20 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public
|
41
51–42
|
$32,049/yr | 12.6x |
| 21 |
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI · Public
|
40
42–40
|
$43,631/yr | 6.0x |
| 22 |
CUNY Lehman College
Bronx, NY · Public
|
40
47–41
|
$36,811/yr | 11.4x |
| 23 |
Aurora University
Aurora, IL · Private nonprofit
|
39
42–39
|
$41,856/yr | 2.7x |
| 24 |
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC · Public
|
39
49–40
|
$32,371/yr | 15.3x |
| 25 |
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH · Public
|
39
45–40
|
$37,554/yr | 8.8x |
| 26 |
Longwood University
Farmville, VA · Public
|
39
42–39
|
$41,700/yr | 6.1x |
| 27 |
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Princess Anne, MD · Public
|
37
48–38
|
$30,423/yr | 13.6x |
| 28 |
Utica University
Utica, NY · Private nonprofit
|
37
41–37
|
$39,478/yr | 3.1x |
| 29 |
University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH · Public
|
37
48–38
|
$31,765/yr | 10.3x |
| 30 |
University of North Texas
Denton, TX · Public
|
37
45–38
|
$36,007/yr | 9.7x |
| 31 |
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT · Private nonprofit
|
37
46–38
|
$33,580/yr | 11.9x |
| 32 |
Western New Mexico University
Silver City, NM · Public
|
36
45–37
|
$34,345/yr | 9.9x |
| 33 |
Wright State University-Main Campus
Dayton, OH · Public
|
36
44–37
|
$35,966/yr | 9.2x |
| 34 |
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham, NH · Public
|
35
34–35
|
$7,725/yr | 8.4x |
| 35 |
Nazareth University
Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit
|
34
39–35
|
$39,739/yr | 1.4x |
| 36 |
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI · Public
|
34
45–35
|
$30,561/yr | 11.2x |
| 37 |
Assumption University
Worcester, MA · Private nonprofit
|
33
39–34
|
$38,094/yr | 2.2x |
| 38 |
Boston University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
|
33
40–34
|
$36,705/yr | 1.9x |
| 39 |
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC · Public
|
33
44–34
|
$31,421/yr | 13.8x |
| 40 |
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI · Public
|
32
41–33
|
$33,926/yr | 6.7x |
| 41 |
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX · Public
|
32
43–33
|
$28,872/yr | 11.1x |
| 42 |
Stephen F Austin State University
Nacogdoches, TX · Public
|
32
42–34
|
$33,767/yr | 7.0x |
| 43 |
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL · Public
|
31
40–32
|
$33,530/yr | 4.8x |
| 44 |
Alverno College
Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit
|
31
38–31
|
$36,361/yr | 1.8x |
| 45 |
Troy University
Troy, AL · Public
|
29
40–30
|
$30,184/yr | 6.7x |
| 46 |
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, AR · Public
|
29
40–30
|
$30,057/yr | 7.3x |
| 47 |
Southern University and A & M College
Baton Rouge, LA · Public
|
29
40–30
|
$30,636/yr | 9.7x |
| 48 |
Berklee College of Music
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
|
29
37–30
|
$36,349/yr | 0.8x |
| 49 |
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion
Marion, IN · Private nonprofit
|
28
37–29
|
$34,418/yr | 1.8x |
| 50 |
Southern University Law Center
Baton Rouge, LA · Public
|
28
39–29
|
$30,636/yr | — |
| 51 |
The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX · Public
|
27
38–28
|
$28,195/yr | 6.2x |
| 52 |
Alabama State University
Montgomery, AL · Public
|
26
32–26
|
$22,847/yr | 8.3x |
| 53 |
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR · Public
|
26
36–27
|
$26,869/yr | 9.7x |
| 54 |
University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit
|
24
30–24
|
$22,919/yr | 3.0x |
| 55 |
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit
|
21
19–21
|
$7,071/yr | 2.0x |
| 56 |
Carroll College
Helena, MT · Private nonprofit
|
20
26–21
|
$22,319/yr | 0.4x |
| 57 |
Lesley University
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit
|
18
29–19
|
$28,787/yr | 1.9x |
Frequently asked
What is the best school for Rehabilitation Therapies?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score, CUNY York College ranks #1 for Rehabilitation Therapies with a score of 71/100 and graduate earnings of $57,806/yr.
How much do Rehabilitation Therapies graduates earn?
Across 57 schools, Rehabilitation Therapies graduates earn an average of $35,098/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $59,937/yr.
Is Rehabilitation Therapies a good major for AI resistance?
Rehabilitation Therapies has an average AI task exposure of 35%, rated "Moderate". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.