Rehabilitation
What you'll do in college
Rehabilitation majors train to restore movement, function, and independence to people recovering from injury, illness, surgery, or disability. The field spans physical therapy, athletic training, rehabilitation science and counseling, respiratory care, and movement and massage therapy. Coursework grounds you in anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, and therapeutic technique, paired with extensive supervised clinical hours.
Most programs put you in clinics, hospitals, and training rooms early, where you'll evaluate patients, design and run treatment plans, and practice hands-on skills like therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, taping, and modalities. Many programs serve as the undergraduate foundation for graduate study in physical therapy (DPT), occupational therapy, or physician assistant programs.
What you'll do after college
Graduates work as athletic trainers, rehabilitation and respiratory therapists, rehabilitation counselors, and therapy assistants in hospitals, outpatient clinics, sports and performance settings, schools, and home health. Many use the degree as a launchpad to clinical doctorates—most notably the DPT for licensed physical therapists.
The work is hands-on, people-centered, and built around helping patients recover and return to the activities they love. Demand is strong and growing as the population ages and awareness of injury prevention, post-surgical rehab, and chronic-disease management expands; pay rises sharply with licensure and advanced clinical degrees.
Famous graduates
- Pat Croce — Sports-medicine entrepreneur and former Philadelphia 76ers president; B.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh
- Jacquelin Perry — Pioneering physical therapist turned orthopedic surgeon whose gait-analysis work reshaped modern rehabilitation; trained as a PT at Walter Reed General Hospital
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation | 226 | 3,217 | 26% / 74% | 3% | $62,656 | 97% |
| Rehabilitation Science | 23 | 764 | 23% / 77% | 2% | $58,343 | 96% |
| Athletic Training | 107 | 678 | 35% / 65% | 3% | $61,279 | 98% |
| Respiratory Care | 43 | 553 | 20% / 80% | 5% | $69,255 | 98% |
| Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist | 11 | 373 | 25% / 75% | 3% | $69,541 | 98% |
| Physical Therapy | 10 | 167 | 31% / 69% | 0% | $67,795 | 99% |
| Rehabilitation Sciences | 6 | 130 | 19% / 81% | 3% | $57,606 | 97% |
| Pre-Physical Therapy | 12 | 111 | 32% / 68% | 2% | $56,023 | 97% |
| Pre-Physical Therapy Studies | 11 | 93 | 37% / 63% | 0% | $62,154 | 98% |
| Rehabilitation Services | 5 | 59 | 19% / 81% | 0% | $46,122 | 94% |
| Rehabilitation and Human Services | 3 | 42 | 17% / 83% | 0% | $53,102 | 98% |
| Rehabilitative Health Sciences | 1 | 38 | 21% / 79% | 0% | $83,355 | 98% |
| Rehabilitation Counseling | 7 | 37 | 11% / 89% | 0% | $51,500 | 94% |
| Movement Therapy and Movement Education | 1 | 37 | 30% / 70% | 0% | $68,625 | 100% |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 10 | 36 | 17% / 83% | 0% | $57,895 | 96% |
| Physical Therapy/Therapist | 2 | 23 | 13% / 87% | 0% | $75,582 | 96% |
| Rehabilitation | 1 | 16 | 6% / 94% | 0% | $43,767 | 100% |
| Massage Therapy | 1 | 13 | 8% / 92% | 0% | $63,128 | |
| Physical Therapy Assistant | 2 | 12 | 42% / 58% | 0% | $47,358 | 99% |
| Movement Therapy | 1 | 12 | 83% / 17% | 0% | $44,091 | 100% |
| Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist | 2 | 10 | 40% / 60% | 20% | $54,468 | |
| Health and Sport Science | 1 | 10 | 10% / 90% | 0% | $67,710 | |
| Athletic Training/Trainer | 1 | 3 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $56,768 |