by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools in Tennessee to determine which ones were the best for physical therapy/therapist students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 377 doctor's degrees in physical therapy/therapist to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The physical therapy doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality physical therapy program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for physical therapy/therapist students working on their doctor's degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Doctor's Degree Schools in Tennessee list to help you make the college decision.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for physical therapy/therapist students seeking a a doctor's degree.
Belmont University is a great choice for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist. Located in the large city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Belmont University
The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center is a great decision for students pursuing a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist. Located in the large city of Memphis, UTHSC is a public university with a small student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist. UT Chattanooga is a large public university located in the medium-sized city of Chattanooga.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga
Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist needs to look into South College. South College is a moderately-sized private for-profit college located in the city of Knoxville.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from South College
ETSU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Johnson City.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from East Tennessee State University
Located in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Tennessee State University
Explore all the Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 217 | 468 |
| North Carolina | 190 | 426 |
| Georgia | 190 | 291 |
| Virginia | 182 | 390 |
| Mississippi | 154 | 81 |
| Louisiana | 146 | 100 |
| Alabama | 139 | 150 |
| South Carolina | 135 | 88 |
| Kentucky | 119 | 170 |
| Arkansas | 74 | 150 |
| West Virginia | 61 | 128 |
One of 16 majors within the Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions area of study, Physical Therapy/Therapist has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy | 61 |
