The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education:

• Is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit entry-level physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs;
• Has been recognized as an independent agency since 1977 and has been the only recognized agency to accredit physical therapy programs since 1983;
• Currently accredits over 250 physical therapist education programs and over 350 physical therapist assistant education programs in the US and one physical therapist education program in Scotland;
• Has 32 members from a variety of constituencies: PT and PTA clinicians, PT and PTA educators, basic scientists, higher education administrators and the public;
• Maintains a cadre of approximately 300 volunteers who are trained to conduct on-site reviews of physical therapy programs;
• Conducts on-site visits to approximately 80 programs annually;
• Reviews information from approximately one-third of all accredited programs at each meeting;
• Is an active member of the Association of Specialized and Programmatic Accreditors (ASPA) and subscribes to the ASPA Code of Good Practice.

CAPTE does not accredit institutions and is not a Title IV gatekeeper.

The Commission comprises broad representation from the educational community, the physical therapy profession, and the public. Members include physical therapy educators who are basic scientists, curriculum specialists, and academic administrators; physical therapy clinicians and clinical educators; administrators from institutions of higher education; and public representatives. The wide-ranging experience and expertise of this group in education in general and physical therapy education in particular provide ongoing assurance that the accreditation process of physical therapy education programs is fair, reliable, and effective.

The CAPTE Accreditation Process depends on the commitment of numerous volunteers, who undertake the important work of providing peer review of physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs. The volunteer groups include the CAPTE members and the Cadre of On-site Reviewers. Both groups are supported by staff of APTA.