Listening to Our Students: What are the Most Important Factors When Choosing a Physical Therapy Program

Technology, distance learning, and social media have changed the landscape of physical therapy education. Modifications are needed to meet the needs of applicants and align with the current healthcare environment.

To identify the most important factors students consider when selecting a physical therapist education program.

A survey including free response options was shared with physical therapist education program students by chairpersons and through student interest groups.

545 responses representing 46 states and all CAPTE geographical regions were analyzed. The most important factors when selecting a program were: location (65.9%), tuition (64.8%), perception of physical therapy education quality (39.1%), and national board pass rate (34.1%). The least important factors were: technology utilization (74.3%), class size (46.1%), and national ranking/ reputation (45.1%). Also, the majority of respondents preferred in-person educational delivery (94.7%). 75.4% reported program length was not a factor in applying to a program.

Programs should seek to meet the needs of applicants with consideration of meaningful elements in choosing a program. Students ranked "location" and "tuition" as primary considerations for choosing a program, which may be related to curtailing debt by living at home while in school. "Program quality," over "reputation/ranking," suggests the importance of a robust curriculum, which is viewed as a predictor of passing the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE).