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

33 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
1,669 Doctor's Degrees
Ranked #4 in popularity, physical therapy/therapist is one of the most sought-after doctor's degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 33 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,669 doctor's degrees in physical therapy/therapist during the 2022-2023 academic year.

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 Great Lakes 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. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

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 schools 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools for a Doctorate in Physical Therapy

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Annual Graduates

Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist needs to take a look at University of Wisconsin - Madison. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from University of Wisconsin - Madison

3
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Annual Graduates

Marquette University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Marquette University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Annual Graduates

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a good choice for students pursuing a doctor's degree in physical therapy/therapist. Located in the city of Indianapolis, IUPUI is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Annual Graduates

Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Columbus.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Ohio State University - Main Campus

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
30 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Kalamazoo, WMU is a public university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Western Michigan University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
24 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Mequon, Concordia University, Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from Concordia University, Wisconsin

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Annual Graduates

UIC is a very large public university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from University of Illinois at Chicago

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical therapy/therapist from University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

10
UIndy crest
University of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Annual Graduates

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

Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Illinois 273 305
Michigan 257 314
Ohio 253 413
Indiana 202 194
Wisconsin 163 274

View All Rankings >

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

Majors Similar to Physical Therapy

Related Major Annual Graduates
Occupational Therapy 541
Rehabilitation Science 7
Other Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions 4
Art Therapy 3
Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling 3

Notes and References

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