How to choose an accredited program
Start with the accreditor’s own directory: ACOTE for occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs, CAPTE for physical therapist and physical therapist assistant programs, and CAA for speech-language pathology graduate programs. Confirm a program’s current status there before you apply. This page lists no schools and ranks none.
Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
1. Confirm accreditation on the official directory
Occupational therapy and OTA. ACOTE’s U.S. school directory, checked November 10, 2026, organizes programs as OTA Associate, OTA Baccalaureate, OT Masters, and OT Doctorate. ACOTE also publishes a separate international school directory. ACOTE’s students and public page states: “One must graduate from an ACOTE-accredited program to be eligible to take the NBCOT certification examination.”
Physical therapy and PTA. CAPTE’s accredited programs page links a listing of accredited physical therapist programs and “a complete listing of accredited physical therapist assistant programs.” It states: “CAPTE and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) are not responsible for the accuracy or timeliness of any accredited status representations on any other website.” It also states: “There is a limited number of accredited physical therapy programs outside of the United States that are accredited by CAPTE.”
That CAPTE sentence is the reason to check status on CAPTE’s own listing, not on a program’s marketing page or a third-party list, including this one.
2. Read the status, not just the name
ACOTE’s students and public page explains the labels a developing or existing program can carry:
- Candidacy Status: ACOTE states this term “refers to new programs that are not yet accredited but have completed the first step in the 3-step initial accreditation process.” It also states that Candidacy Status “does not guarantee that the program will be accredited.”
- Preaccreditation Status: ACOTE states this term “refers to new programs that are not yet accredited but have completed the first and second steps in the 3-step initial accreditation process.”
- Probationary Accreditation: ACOTE states: “During a period of Probationary Accreditation, programs are accredited, and graduates are eligible to take the NBCOT certification exam.” It also states: “Click on ‘Disclosure Statement’ under the program listing to obtain more information about the reasons that the program was placed on Probationary Accreditation status.”
ACOTE states: “There is risk involved in entering a program that is not fully accredited. When a program fails to obtain accreditation before the first class of student graduates, the program is no longer viable and closes.” If a developing program is not accredited, ACOTE says its students “are not eligible to take the NBCOT certification examination” and that “Credits may or may not be accepted by another program.” ACOTE also states: “Students should speak with the director of any new program regarding accreditation status.”
3. Match the program to the exam you will take
NBCOT’s eligibility page requires U.S.-educated OTR candidates to graduate from an ACOTE-accredited OT program and COTA candidates from an ACOTE-accredited OTA program. FSBPT’s NPTE eligibility page lists a degree appropriate for the exam level from a CAPTE-accredited institution, or an education determined to be substantially equivalent by a recognized credentialing agency. People educated outside the United States should read internationally educated pathways.
4. Factors the official sources name
PTA programs. APTA’s Becoming a Physical Therapist Assistant page states: “APTA does not rank PTA education programs. Programs are accredited by CAPTE, which assures quality in physical therapist assistant education.” Among the factors it lists are cost and financial aid opportunities, and demographics and setting. It adds: “You may wish to contact current students and recent graduates of the program or interview employers who hire graduates to ask about program strengths and weaknesses.”
DPT programs. APTA’s Becoming a Physical Therapist page lists four factors it calls the 4 Ps: Place, People, Program Statistics, and Price. On price, it states: “All tuition costs are available in the PTCAS directory and should be reviewed prior to applying to a program.” APTA points applicants to the PTCAS program directory.
OT and OTA programs. BLS’s occupational therapists page states: “To learn about specific requirements, applicants should contact the program in which they are interested in enrolling.” An independent load of AOTA’s career pages was not available for quoting on November 10, 2026, so this page does not repeat AOTA program-selection advice.
Speech-language pathology programs
ASHA’s Speech-Language Pathologists student page states that to earn the CCC-SLP, individuals must complete graduate course work and a clinical practicum at a college or university whose program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). Search programs in ASHA’s EdFind, which states: “There are over 300 institutions offering degree programs in audiology, speech-language pathology, and speech, language, and hearing science available in EdFind.” Confirm status on the CAA list of accredited and candidate programs. ASHA’s How to Apply page also counts graduates of “a program with CAA-candidacy status.” This page lists no SLP schools. For speech-language pathology assistants, see ASHA’s SLPA education pathways and our SLPA page.
5. Thinking about a bridge later
CAPTE states: “Bridge programs are designed for physical therapist assistants who want to continue their education to become a physical therapist.” See CAPTE’s PTA to PT bridge listing. For OTA-to-OT, BLS states that occupational therapy assistants may advance by gaining additional education and becoming occupational therapists; the OT program still has to be ACOTE-accredited.