30 Best Physical Therapy schools in Illinois

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Illinois ranked based on their research performance in Physical Therapy. A graph of 1.55M citations received by 41.2K academic papers made by 30 universities in Illinois was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Physical Therapy

#11 in the United States

#15 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $23,341

2. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

Champaign

For Physical Therapy

#23 in the United States

#30 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Average SAT: 1390
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 61%

3. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#33 in the United States

#43 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1230
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 80%

4. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#55 in the United States

#68 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $27,979

5. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#158 in the United States

#181 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1250
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $37,592

6. Rush University

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#160 in the United States

#183 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,782
Male:Female: 22:78
Founded: 1972

7. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Physical Therapy

#180 in the United States

#205 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1081
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $17,255

8. Illinois State University

Normal

For Physical Therapy

#189 in the United States

#216 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 98%

9. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Physical Therapy

#196 in the United States

#224 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $13,565
Enrollment: 15,504

10. DePaul University

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#198 in the United States

#226 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $32,129

11. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Physical Therapy

#209 in the United States

#237 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 32:68

12. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Physical Therapy

#218 in the United States

#249 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1025
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 97%

13. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#226 in the United States

#258 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 1,949
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1912

14. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#249 in the United States

#282 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1295
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $25,001

15. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Physical Therapy

#310 in the United States

#346 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1000
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $11,122

16. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Physical Therapy

#351 in the United States

#389 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1030
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 93%

17. National University of Health Sciences

Lombard

For Physical Therapy

#387 in the United States

#428 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Enrollment: 513
Male:Female: 38:62
Founded: 1906

18. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Physical Therapy

#456 in the United States

#503 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 54%
Average Aid: $15,620
Enrollment: 7,073

19. Bradley University

Peoria

For Physical Therapy

#497 in the United States

#544 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $24,703

20. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#548 in the United States

#598 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $12,560
Enrollment: 5,504

21. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#574 in the United States

#624 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 955
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $21,503

22. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#583 in the United States

#633 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $19,111
Enrollment: 2,324

23. Illinois College of Optometry

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#625 in the United States

#677 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 483
Male:Female: 26:74
Founded: 1872

24. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Physical Therapy

#643 in the United States

#696 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $31,310

25. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Physical Therapy

#648 in the United States

#702 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1350
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,346

26. Governors State University

University Park

For Physical Therapy

#669 in the United States

#724 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $11,315
Enrollment: 4,337

27. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Physical Therapy

#696 in the United States

#755 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $22,760

28. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Physical Therapy

#735 in the United States

#796 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1110
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 98%

29. Concordia University - Chicago

River Forest

For Physical Therapy

#749 in the United States

#813 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Net Price: $17,767
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $26,680

30. Spertus College

Chicago

For Physical Therapy

#774 in the United States

#839 in North America

Enrollment: 97
Male:Female: 37:63

Closest to Illinois states to learn Physical Therapy

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	17	38
Missouri	20	21
Iowa	9	24
Kentucky	10	50
Wisconsin	16	14
Tennessee	20	60
Ohio	27	20
Michigan	17	5
Arkansas	8	113
West Virginia	6	85
Minnesota	13	12
Mississippi	6	138
Kansas	8	70
Alabama	17	22
Virginia	20	40
Georgia	22	32
North Carolina	22	9
Oklahoma	7	106
Nebraska	7	105
South Carolina	11	39
Pennsylvania	52	4
South Dakota	6	241
District of Columbia	6	75
Louisiana	12	90
Maryland	13	3
New York	64	18
New Jersey	14	47
North Dakota	3	203
Connecticut	14	16
Texas	51	34
Vermont	3	67
Colorado	16	51
Massachusetts	37	1
Rhode Island	4	43
Florida	24	8
New Hampshire	6	118
New Mexico	3	93
Maine	5	276
Montana	3	177
Utah	7	25
Arizona	6	46
Idaho	3	194
Nevada	3	141
Oregon	13	30
Washington	15	2
California	66	6
Puerto Rico	5	413
Hawaii	4	151