Rehabilitation Science Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Rehabilitation Science maps to BLS occupations averaging about $111,866, with roughly 211,810 workers nationwide in those roles. About 846 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median in-state published tuition is about $10,104.
Key Statistics
Rehabilitation Science: what the data shows
Common questions about rehabilitation science degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a rehabilitation science degree?
A Rehabilitation Science program is classified under NCES CIP 51.2314 in the Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions field family (51.23).
A program that focuses on human function, disability, and rehabilitation from the perspectives of the health sciences, social sciences, psychology, engineering, and related fields. Includes instruction in 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
IPEDS counted 846 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of rehabilitation science degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 51.23 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Animal-Assisted Therapy (CIP 51.2313)
- Art Therapy/Therapist (CIP 51.2301)
- Assistive/Augmentative Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering (CIP 51.2312)
- Dance Therapy/Therapist (CIP 51.2302)
- Drama Therapy/Therapist (CIP 51.2315)
- Horticulture Therapy/Therapist (CIP 51.2316)
- Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist (CIP 51.2311)
- Music Therapy/Therapist (CIP 51.2305)
- Occupational Therapy (CIP 51.2306)
- Orthotist/Prosthetist (CIP 51.2307)
- Physical Therapy (CIP 51.2308)
- Play Therapy/Therapist (CIP 51.2317)
- Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy (CIP 51.2309)
- Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/Counselor (CIP 51.2310)
How long does it take to get a rehabilitation science degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.2314 in our file:
- 846 Bachelor's (94.0% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 35 Master's (3.9% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 19 Doctorate (2.1% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Biological Scientists, All Other (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 51.2314, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a rehabilitation science degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Rehabilitation Science to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | 59,710 | $93,330 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 16,600 | $71,410 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
| Conservation Scientists | 25,590 | $67,950 |
| Animal Scientists | 2,470 | $79,120 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 22,510 | $99,240 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a rehabilitation science degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions bachelor's program family: median debt $36,199, median earnings $55,792 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.05.
About 4.0% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $10,104 and median net price is $19,104.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Rehabilitation Science and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$10,104 Median In-State Public
$40,370 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Rehabilitation Science majors are, on average, $10,104 for in-state public colleges, and $40,370 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Rehabilitation Science programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Rehabilitation Science from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Rehabilitation Science.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 3 | University of Central Florida | FL | 59,146 |
| 4 | University of Central Florida | FL | 59,146 |
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 45,638 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Rehabilitation Science programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taft College | CA | $1,108 |
| 2 | Grossmont College | CA | $1,332 |
| 3 | City College of San Francisco | CA | $1,696 |
| 4 | Isothermal Community College | NC | $2,030 |
| 5 | Isothermal Community College | NC | $2,030 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Rehabilitation Science programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Petersburg College | FL | $1,471 |
| 2 | Middlesex College | NJ | $2,288 |
| 3 | Taft College | CA | $2,823 |
| 4 | Moraine Valley Community College | IL | $2,829 |
| 5 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | $2,984 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Rehabilitation Science programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Rehabilitation Science programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Rehabilitation Science is in TX (282 completions). That state represents about 33.3% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is ND (0.17% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 282 | 33.3% | 0.10% |
| PA | 144 | 17.0% | 0.08% |
| WI | 114 | 13.5% | 0.15% |
| MA | 82 | 9.7% | 0.06% |
| MI | 52 | 6.2% | 0.04% |
| IL | 48 | 5.7% | 0.04% |
| TN | 38 | 4.5% | 0.05% |
| AR | 30 | 3.5% | 0.09% |
| ND | 21 | 2.5% | 0.17% |
| GA | 19 | 2.2% | 0.02% |
| ME | 9 | 1.1% | 0.05% |
| NM | 5 | 0.6% | 0.03% |
| WV | 2 | 0.2% | 0.01% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 51.23 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Animal-Assisted Therapy CIP 51.2313
- Art Therapy/Therapist CIP 51.2301
- Assistive/Augmentative Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering CIP 51.2312
- Dance Therapy/Therapist CIP 51.2302
- Drama Therapy/Therapist CIP 51.2315
- Horticulture Therapy/Therapist CIP 51.2316
- Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist CIP 51.2311
- Music Therapy/Therapist CIP 51.2305
- Occupational Therapy CIP 51.2306
- Orthotist/Prosthetist CIP 51.2307
- Physical Therapy CIP 51.2308
- Play Therapy/Therapist CIP 51.2317
- Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy CIP 51.2309
- Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/Counselor CIP 51.2310
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.2314 in the survey year used in our extract (900 total across levels below).
- 846 Bachelor's (94.0% of IPEDS total)
- 35 Master's (3.9% of IPEDS total)
- 19 Doctorate (2.1% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $111,866. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Rehabilitation Science graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $124,288 | 59,710 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | $94,151 | 16,600 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $110,339 | 84,930 |
| Conservation Scientists | $90,227 | 25,590 |
| Animal Scientists | — | 2,470 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $122,337 | 22,510 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions CIP family (28 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Rehabilitation Science graduate.
- $36,199 median federal loan debt among completers
- $55,792 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.05 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 4.0% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$111,866 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Rehabilitation Science majors is $111,866.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Rehabilitation Science majors.
Occupations by Share
211,810 2023 Workforce
The number of Rehabilitation Science graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Rehabilitation Science by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Rehabilitation Science in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Rehabilitation Science.
Age distribution for Rehabilitation Science degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
846 Total Degrees Awarded
186 Male (21.99%)
660 Female (78.01%)
Gender distribution of Rehabilitation Science degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
447 White (52.84%)
246 Hispanic or Latino (29.08%)
48 Asian (5.67%)
44 Black or African American (5.20%)
28 Two or More Races (3.31%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Rehabilitation Science degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Rehabilitation Science are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Rehabilitation Science.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Rehabilitation Science field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Rehabilitation Science majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Rehabilitation Science majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Rehabilitation Science majors.
About
A program that focuses on human function, disability, and rehabilitation from the perspectives of the health sciences, social sciences, psychology, engineering, and related fields. Includes instruction in 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
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Rehabilitation Science.
CIP Code
51.2314 - Rehabilitation Science
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $36,199 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $55,792, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Rehabilitation Science graduate.
Women earned 77.4% of 1,107 Rehabilitation Science completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $111,866. The largest mapped role by headcount is Biological Scientists, All Other (59,710 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $10,104 in-state at public colleges and $40,370 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.