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2025 Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Doctor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

60 Colleges in the Southeast Region
2,898 Doctor's Degrees
Physical Therapy/Therapist is of the hottest doctor's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #4 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 60 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Doctor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,898 doctor's degrees in physical therapy/therapist to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Physical Therapy/Therapist School for Your Doctor's Degree

Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Doctor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of physical therapy/therapist for getting your doctor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for physical therapy/therapist students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Physical Therapy/Therapist Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Physical Therapy Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Doctor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Physical Therapy/Therapist in the Southeast Region

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for physical therapy/therapist students seeking a a doctor's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

12 Top Southeast Region Schools for a Doctorate in Physical Therapy

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Annual Graduates

Duke University is a great choice for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Duke University

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
75 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist has to look into University of Florida. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from University of Florida

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Medical University of South Carolina if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist. Located in the midsize city of Charleston, MUSC is a public university with a small student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Medical University of South Carolina

4
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Annual Graduates

Shenandoah University is a good choice for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist. Shenandoah is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Winchester.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Shenandoah University

5
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Annual Graduates

U Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Coral Gables.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from University of Miami

6
NUS Florida crest
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Annual Graduates

NUS Florida is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Fort Lauderdale.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Nova Southeastern University

7
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Emory University

8
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Annual Graduates

Belmont is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Belmont University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Virginia Commonwealth University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Annual Graduates

UTHSC is a small public university located in the city of Memphis.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
30 Annual Graduates

UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Birmingham, UAB is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from University of Alabama at Birmingham

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Physical Therapy/Therapist students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Doctor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
13 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
14 Marymount University Arlington, VA
15 Samford University Birmingham, AL
16 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
17 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
18 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
19 Marshall University Huntington, WV
20 Bellarmine University Louisville, KY

Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Colleges by State

Explore the best physical therapy/therapist colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 217 468
North Carolina 190 426
Georgia 190 291
Virginia 182 390
Mississippi 154 81
Tennessee 150 305
Louisiana 146 100
Alabama 139 150
South Carolina 135 88
Kentucky 119 170
Arkansas 74 150
West Virginia 61 128

View All Rankings >

Physical Therapy/Therapist is one of 16 different types of Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Occupational Therapy 691
Rehabilitation Science 14
Other Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions 8
Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling 3

Notes and References

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