How to Choose Between PT School Acceptances
Compare DPT offers on first-time licensure pass rate and total cost. CAPTE 2025: 86.3% first-time vs 93.0% ultimate pass, plus a worked comparison.
How to Choose Between PT School Acceptances
Choose between PT school acceptances on first-time licensure pass rate and total program cost. CAPTE's 2025 fact sheet puts the average DPT program's first-time pass rate at 86.3%, against 93.0% ultimate, and the average total cost at $74,348 public in-state against $129,942 private.
Neither number is a ranking. A program's first-time pass rate is its record of graduates passing the licensing exam on the first attempt; its total cost is what you will pay before living costs. PTCAS puts each program's cost on its Directory page, and CAPTE publishes national means for comparing each program's own figures, so you can compare your offers before your first deposit is due. If a deposit date is close, the PT school deposits guide covers what you can hold and for how long.
Every CAPTE, PTCAS and ACAPT page quoted below was checked on November 7, 2026. CAPTE's figures are national means for the year stated; your programs' own figures come from their pages.
Where each program's numbers are published
Two documents tell you where to look.
Cost. The PTCAS certification you sign says: "the total cost of education for each Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) education program is available on the program's PTCAS Directory page. Additionally, per the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) standards, this information is within one page of the program’s web page. Data provided does not include figures regarding housing, general cost of living, or other discretionary spending." (PTCAS application prep)
Outcomes. CAPTE publishes its aggregate data "to assist aspiring physical therapists in comparing published data from a particular program to the mean aggregate data for accredited and developing doctor of physical therapy programs in the U.S." (CAPTE 2025 fact sheet). That means your job is the comparison: find each program's graduation, licensure and employment figures on its own outcomes page and set them against the national means below.
The 2025 national benchmarks
From CAPTE's 2025 Physical Therapist Education Programs Fact Sheet (mean of U.S. programs; the graduation rate column carries the prior year's class):
| Outcome | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 98.5% ('21 rate) | 97.0% ('22 rate) | 95.8% ('23 rate) | 95.4% ('24 rate) |
| Licensure pass rate, first-time takers | 85.7% | 85.4% | 85.2% | 86.3% |
| Licensure pass rate, ultimate | 98.3% | 98.0% | 98.0% | 93.0% |
| Employment rate, 12 months after graduation | 99.7% | 99.1% | 99.6% | 99.5% |
First-time versus ultimate. The first-time rate counts graduates who pass the licensing exam on their first attempt. The ultimate rate also counts graduates who passed on a later attempt. The gap between them is the share of graduates who passed only on a later attempt. In the 2025 column that gap is 6.7 points (our arithmetic: 93.0 − 86.3).
The spread matters more than the mean. CAPTE's Table 12 gives a 2025 range of 30.8% to 100% for first-time pass rates by program, with a median of 89.6. Table 13 counts programs by band. Of the 284 programs in the 2025 column, 66 had first-time pass rates under 80%, 68 were at 80% to 89%, 99 at 90% to 99%, 29 at 100%, and 22 were not reported (our arithmetic: 66 is 23% of 284). Table 12 lists the 2025 mean as 86.5, slightly different from the 86.3% in the summary table; both come from the same fact sheet.
Cost. CAPTE's Table 4, for students graduating in 2025, gives these means and ranges for the total cost of the professional program, which "Does not include costs for meals, housing, or clinical education travel":
| Student type | Mean total cost | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Public, in-state | $74,348 | $35,427 to $146,244 |
| Public, out-of-state | $129,942 | $83,630 to $230,331 |
| Private | $129,942 | $68,089 to $246,291 |
Our arithmetic: the average private program costs $55,594 more than the average public in-state program, before living costs. Table 4 prints the same mean ($129,942) and median ($122,142) for public out-of-state and private programs.
A comparison sheet you can run on your offers
Our view: rank your offers on first-time pass rate first and total cost second, and let everything else break ties. Basis: the exam is the gate to practice and the first-time rate is the program's record of graduates clearing it on schedule; cost is the number that follows you for years. The 2025 national means for graduation (95.4%) and employment (99.5%) leave less room between two offers than first-time pass rates, which ranged from 30.8% to 100% by program.
The countercase: if one program is the only one where you can live with family, or the only one with a clinical track you need, that can outweigh a small gap in pass rates. Write the reason down, with the dollar figure it saves or costs, before you deposit.
Fill one row per offer:
| Measure | Where to find it | Flag if… |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate, last 3 years | Program outcomes page | under 80% in any year, or falling |
| Total cost of education | PTCAS Directory page or the program page | more than your lowest offer by more than you can name a reason for |
| Living costs for the program's length | Financial aid office | not stated; CAPTE's figures exclude housing |
| Graduation rate | Program outcomes page | under the 95.4% national mean |
| Deposit and refund terms | Offer letter | due before your top choice answers |
Constructed example: two DPT offers compared
Constructed example, written by us, with invented programs and figures. Context (invented): Noemi has two offers. Oakhurst is a public program where she would pay out-of-state tuition. Penwick is private.
| Measure (invented) | Oakhurst (public, out-of-state) | Penwick (private) |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate, 3 years | 78%, 81%, 76% | 93%, 95%, 91% |
| Total cost of education | $118,000 | $139,000 |
| Living costs, 3 years | $54,000 | $60,000 |
| Graduation rate | 94% | 97% |
Our arithmetic on the invented figures: Penwick costs $27,000 more in total ($199,000 against $172,000). Oakhurst's first-time pass rate is below 80% in two of three years and averages about 78%; Penwick averages about 93%.
Run through the sheet, Oakhurst trips the first flag twice. Noemi's next step is not to deposit there by default because it is cheaper. It is to ask Oakhurst's program director one question in writing: what changed in the years the first-time rate fell below 80%, and what the program does for students who fail the first attempt. If the answer is specific, the $27,000 may be worth saving. If it is not, the pass-rate gap decides it.
Deposits and deadlines while you decide
ACAPT's rules bar DPT programs from requiring a deposit before January 15 of the year of enrollment and cap the required total at $1,500 (rules for programs). ACAPT's November 6, 2023 notice to programs states the intent: "students should seek to find the best program fit before they submit their deposit and final decision." (ACAPT) Use the time before January 15, 2027 to fill the sheet above. Holding and releasing seats is covered in the deposits guide.
OT and optometry readers
The method is the same: pass rate on the licensing or certification exam first, total cost second. CAPTE's data covers physical therapy only. For OT offers, ask each program for its first-time NBCOT pass rate with the year and the number of takers; for optometry offers, ask for its NBEO first-time pass rate the same way. A program that answers with one strong year and no count of takers has not answered. The OT master's vs doctorate guide covers the separate question of degree level and total attendance cost.
Questions about choosing a PT school
Is a higher-ranked PT school better for licensure?
Check its first-time pass rate rather than its rank, and compare it with CAPTE's 2025 national mean of 86.3%.
What is a good first-time NPTE pass rate for a DPT program?
The 2025 national mean is 86.3% and the median program is at 89.6%. In 2025, 66 of 284 programs were under 80%.
Does CAPTE's total cost include rent?
No. Table 4 "Does not include costs for meals, housing, or clinical education travel." Add living costs from each financial aid office.
Should I pick the cheaper program?
Only if its first-time pass rate holds up. A lower price with a first-time rate below 80% buys a higher chance of a delayed license.
Can I hold two DPT offers while I compare?
Yes. Since October 2020 no ACAPT rule requires you to withdraw from programs you are still considering. Programs that admit you can see how many offers you have received and accepted in PTCAS.
Review the writing you send next
Once you choose, your next document is a short decline email to every program you are leaving; the deposits guide has a constructed one. If your preferred program has you on its waitlist, see the PT school waitlist letter guide. And if you reapply next cycle, get a free Quick Review of your PTCAS essay against GradPilot's PTCAS essay rubric, which reads whether the essay makes one credible profession-impact claim and backs it with interpreted evidence.
Choosing between MD or DO offers instead? See how to choose between medical school acceptances. Every health admissions guide is in the medical and health school essays hub.
Sources
Retrieved November 7, 2026, except where noted.
- Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 2025 Physical Therapist Education Programs Fact Sheet (calendar year 2025 data; updated July 13, 2026): outcome means 2022 to 2025, Tables 4, 12 and 13.
- APTA, PTCAS application prep (current cycle): cost-of-education certification; offer visibility.
- ACAPT, Admissions Traffic Rules for Programs (updated October 16, 2020): January 15 and $1,500 rules.
- ACAPT, Follow admissions traffic rules (November 6, 2023): program-fit statement.
- ACAPT, FAQ for applicants (updated October 2020): removal of the withdrawal rule.
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