These programs have admitted at least one class of students and have been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.  Candidate for Accreditation is awarded prior to enrollment of students in the technical (PTA programs) or professional

Demographic information about PT and PTA education programs is available, including program, student and faculty data. This information is collected on an annual basis in the Annual Accreditation Report (AAR); in earlier years, the data was collected on a biannual basis. All uses of this data should

Feb 2, 2024/PDF

This document comprises the official operating policies, procedures and practices used by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

Jul 27, 2025/Event

Mar 10, 2021/Article

Accreditation by CAPTE is a statement that a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant education program meets the standards for quality set by the profession.

CAPTE's Accreditation Handbook includes the Rules of Practice and Procedure, the Standards and Required Elements for PTs and PTAs, and CAPTE's Position Papers.

On-site visits are conducted to validate the information submitted by programs seeking or maintaining accreditation in order to facilitate CAPTE's evaluation of the extent of compliance with the Standards and Required Elements.

The APTA Accreditation Department is comprised of ten individuals who provide support for the activities related to program accreditation review and CAPTE meetings. Staff are also available to respond to questions about the accreditation process.

CAPTE provides periodic updates, at least twice a year, on policy and procedure updates, changes to the standards and required elements, new regulations, leadership and staff changes, as well as other topics and areas of interest to faculty, program directors, and onsite reviewers.