Here are the 5 Cheapest PT Schools in California.
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Sacramento State
The state capital of Sacramento marks the first stop on this tour of PT schools in CA. Sacramento State was established in 1947 under the umbrella of California State University, which now oversees 23 universities statewide. Today, “Sac State” comprises 8 distinct colleges of its own, the largest being the College of Health and Human Services.

Since its accreditation in 2012, the DPT program has featured a small class size of just 32 candidates each year. The program entails 114 credit hours of coursework and 36 weeks of off-site clinical rotations over a period of 9 semesters. Tuition reflects the low price of a California state school: just $77,382 for the total program cost.


CSU Long Beach
California State University offers another affordable DPT at their Southern California locations. CSU Long Beach is one of the largest universities in California, with nearly 40,000 students enrolled. Despite such a large student body, the Department of Physical Therapy keeps class size small, admitting just 35 DPT candidates on average. The tuition rate is the same as at the other CSU colleges, totaling $77,382.


CSU Northridge
CSUN has been accredited since 1969, and today enrolls 32 DPT candidates each year. The program comprises 6 semesters of didactic instruction and 18 weeks of clinical rotations, totaling 9 semesters of coursework.

DPT candidates are given a wide range of options for their clinical placement and final project format. Elective course offerings include sports medicine, neuroscience, and international PT practices, to name a few. Tuition for the CSUN program is commensurate with other CSU colleges, totaling $77,382.


UCSF/SFSU
San Francisco State University has partnered with UCSF to offer the DPT program, a 3-year course encompassing 9 semesters of interprofessional education and 34 weeks of clinical rotations. In addition to this core curriculum, DPT students may pursue elective coursework such as research, specialty therapy, or neuro groups. An Orthopaedic Residency and Acute Care Residency are also available at UCSF, following graduation.

Tuition at UCSF reflects a reasonable, state-wide rate: $74,412. Only 50 students are accepted to the DPT program each year, and the faculty-to-student ratio is kept at 1:12. With its location in the heart of San Francisco, you’ll have unique professional opportunities in the many affiliated clinics, hospitals, and outpatient centers downtown as well as statewide.

CSU Fresno
The physical therapy department at Fresno State – a California State University – has been in operation for nearly 40 years. Since 1973, Fresno State has kept up with changing licensure requirements, issuing Bachelor’s, Master’s, and now Doctoral physical therapy degrees as standards evolved. Today, the DPT program entails 110 credit hours of didactic and clinical coursework. Students complete 30 weeks of clinical rotations both off-site and at the university’s numerous clinics and labs, including their Musculoskeletal Clinic and Fresno Amputee Gait Clinic.

The total cost of DPT tuition from Fresno State is $68,784, making it the cheapest DPT in California. Although the semester tuition rate is a constant $8,598 across CSU schools, DPT candidates at Fresno finish their degree in 8 semesters instead of 9.

Information subject to change and based on 2021 tuition data; does not include additional fees. Contact PT schools for full estimates for cost of attendance.