How To: Affordable PT School Is Possible. Part 2

Welcome to Part 3 of our four-part series. In this episode I am joined by Kyra, a PT who made the decision to pursue her PT education internationally, leaving behind the comforts of her American lifestyle. By doing so, she managed to save a significant amount of money. 

In our conversation, Kyra shares her experience of studying physical therapy abroad and the financial advantages it offered her. She explains that by attending a reputable physical therapy school in another country, she was able to significantly reduce her tuition costs compared to what she would have paid in the United States.

Attending Physical Therapy School can often appear financially unattainable for aspiring PTs. In the United States, the average tuition for a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is estimated to range from $25,000 to $40,000 per year at public institutions and even higher at private institutions. As a result, some individuals choose a more affordable option by enrolling in a Physical Therapy Assistant program, which may cost between $5,000 to $15,000 per year at public institutions (with potentially higher costs at private institutions).

According to a 2020 report by the APTA, the average student loan debt for graduates of a doctoral program in Physical Therapy is approximately $87,000 (rounded up for convenience). It's worth noting that this figure primarily encompasses the expenses related to graduate school and does not include the cost of an undergraduate education in a different field.