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Major · Health

A pre-professional bachelor’s for therapy and rehab careers

Rehabilitation Science (CIP 51.2314) prepares students in the science of human function, disability, and rehabilitation. About 843 students complete it across 27 institutions exclusively as bachelor’s programs, typically as a pre-PT, pre-OT, or pre-counseling pipeline.

Schools offering
27
Annual completions
843
Typical degree level
Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$56k

About this major

Rehabilitation Science (CIP 51.2314) is a pre-professional bachelor’s major focused on the science of human function, disability, and rehabilitation — drawing from health sciences, social sciences, psychology, engineering, and related fields. The CIP definition organizes coursework around psychological, social, and cultural aspects of disability and rehabilitation; sensory and motor function and dysfunction; biomechanics and kinesiology; assistive technology; rehabilitation instrumentation and methodology; statistics; and health and rehabilitation policy. Programs explicitly prepare students for graduate study — Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Occupational Therapy doctorate (OTD) or master’s (MOT), prosthetics and orthotics master’s, rehabilitation counseling master’s, or biomedical research PhDs — and build the prerequisite stack those programs require.

The major fits students drawn to clinical and rehabilitation work with people recovering from injury, living with disability, or building function after illness — comfortable with science and statistics coursework, and willing to plan for six to seven years of total education to reach licensed clinical practice. It rewards strong science aptitude, the patience to work through anatomy and biomechanics in detail, and genuine interest in disability studies and rehab policy. The career path runs primarily through graduate study: DPT, OTD, or master’s in rehab counseling, with associated state licensure as the actual job gate for clinical practice.

One grounded observation about credential ceiling and pay: 843 students complete this CIP across only 27 institutions (bachelor’s only). University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology produces 141 graduates (17% of national output), with strong state-university programs in Texas (UT El Paso 95, UNT 73, UT-RGV 57, Incarnate Word 42) extending the pattern. Bachelor’s graduates earn $57,783 in five-year tracked wages — modest, reflecting that many graduates are still in graduate school or working as aides while applying. Named labor-market destinations split by credential: rehabilitation counselors ($46,110, 1.4% growth) require a master’s, postsecondary teachers ($105,620, 17.3% growth) require a doctorate, and life scientists all other ($87,800, 3.7% growth) is the rare bachelor’s-tier research outcome. Adjacent named CIP Exercise Science and Kinesiology (31.0505, 28,901 completions) is the much larger pre-PT credential.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary $106k +17.3% Doctoral or professional degree
Rehabilitation counselors $46k +1.4% Master's degree
Life scientists, all other $88k +3.7% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$56k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$46k

Bachelor's

$58k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you’re drawn to clinical and rehabilitation work with people recovering from injury, living with disability, or building function after illness, you’re comfortable with science and statistics coursework and willing to plan for the six-to-seven-year total education path to licensed clinical practice (bachelor’s + DPT, OTD, or master’s in rehab counseling), you’re using the bachelor’s as a deliberate pre-professional credential built around DPT or OTD prerequisites, you’re realistic about the bachelor’s tracked wage ($57,783) reflecting students mid-grad-school or in aide-tier roles, and you’re strategic about choosing a program with strong DPT/OTD-feeder pipelines (Pittsburgh, UT El Paso, UNT, Concordia Wisconsin, Illinois Chicago).

Think twice if you’re looking at this as a terminal bachelor’s credential — clinical practice (PT, OT, rehab counselor) all require graduate degrees, so a bachelor’s-only path leads to aide and assistant roles ($35,000-$45,000) rather than clinical pay. Reconsider if your school doesn’t offer Rehabilitation Science (only 27 institutions) — Exercise Science and Kinesiology (CIP 31.0505, 28,901 completions) is far more widely available and feeds the same DPT pipelines. Also pause if your interest is broader exercise, sports performance, or fitness work; that’s Exercise Science territory rather than rehab-and-disability specifically.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Rehabilitation Science

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA 0 141 141
The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX 0 95 95
University of North Texas Denton, TX 0 73 73
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX 0 57 57
Concordia University-Wisconsin Mequon, WI 0 51 51
University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL 0 48 48
University of the Incarnate Word San Antonio, TX 0 42 42
Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI 0 42 42
East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN 0 38 38
Assumption University Worcester, MA 0 37 37
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Nutrition Sciences

3,240 completions/yr

Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy

628 completions/yr

Occupational Therapy/Therapist

501 completions/yr

Music Therapy/Therapist

451 completions/yr

Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other

374 completions/yr

Physical Therapy/Therapist

255 completions/yr

Art Therapy/Therapist

195 completions/yr

Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/Counselor

155 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Rehabilitation Science field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Rehabilitation Science worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Rehabilitation Science majors actually study?
The CIP definition organizes coursework around human function, disability, and rehabilitation from the perspectives of health sciences, social sciences, psychology, engineering, and related fields. Programs cover psychological, social, and cultural aspects of disability and rehabilitation; sensory and motor function and dysfunction; biomechanics and kinesiology; assistive technology; rehabilitation instrumentation and methodology; statistics; and health and rehabilitation policy. Curricula explicitly prepare students for graduate study in physical therapy, occupational therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, rehabilitation counseling, or biomedical research.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
Named destinations split sharply by credential. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary ($105,620, 17.3% growth) require a doctoral degree. Rehabilitation counselors ($46,110, 1.4% growth) require a master’s. Life scientists, all other ($87,800, 3.7% growth, bachelor’s typical) is the only direct bachelor’s-level destination, and even that is a research-track role. Realistic bachelor’s outcomes include rehabilitation aide, PT or OT aide, research assistant in clinical or rehab labs, case-management roles, and continued study toward DPT, OTD, or master’s in rehab counseling.
Is this primarily a pre-PT or pre-OT major?
Yes for most students. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs require a bachelor’s with specific prerequisites (anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, exercise physiology, statistics, psychology) — Rehabilitation Science programs typically build the exact prerequisite stack. Occupational Therapy doctorate (OTD) and master’s (MOT) programs have similar prerequisite structures. The bachelor’s tracked wage of $57,783 is consistent with students still completing graduate school or working as aides/assistants while applying to grad programs. Plan for 6-7 total years of education for clinical practice.
What’s the bachelor’s wage realistically reflect?
Bachelor’s graduates at $57,783 in five-year tracked wages reflects a mix: students still in graduate school (lower or no W-2 income), aide-and-assistant entry roles ($35,000-$45,000), research-coordinator positions ($50,000-$65,000), and a smaller group who pivoted to other careers ($65,000+). The bachelor’s isn’t a terminal credential for clinical practice — physical therapists earn $99,710 (DPT required), occupational therapists $96,370 (OTD or MOT required), and rehab counselors $46,110 (master’s required). The bachelor’s opens preparatory and aide-tier work; clinical pay arrives after graduate study.
Why is Pittsburgh dominant and why are so many top schools in Texas?
University of Pittsburgh produces 141 graduates — roughly 17% of national completions — through its Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, one of the most established programs in the country with a strong DPT-feeder pipeline. The Texas concentration (UT El Paso 95, North Texas 73, UT Rio Grande Valley 57, Incarnate Word 42) reflects active state-level rehab-science and pre-PT programming. Concordia Wisconsin (51), Illinois Chicago (48), Saginaw Valley State (42), and East Tennessee State (38) round out the top tier. Most are public-research universities with strong allied-health pipelines.
How does this compare to Exercise Science and Kinesiology?
Exercise Science and Kinesiology (CIP 31.0505, 28,901 completions) is roughly 34 times larger and the much more widely-offered pre-PT and exercise-related-careers credential. Rehabilitation Science (51.2314) sits inside the health-professions concentration with explicit emphasis on disability, assistive technology, and rehab policy. Both feed DPT programs. Choose Rehabilitation Science if your interest is specifically in disability and rehabilitation contexts; choose Exercise Science if your interest is broader (sports performance, exercise prescription, fitness industry) or if your school doesn’t offer Rehabilitation Science.