Today we are going to talk about the 10 easiest occupational therapy schools to get into. If you are planning to study for a profession, but not sure what it should be, or if you are not happy with your career and looking for a switch, this article is for you.
Right off the bat, let’s understand what occupational therapy (OT) really is. Occupational therapists help people do or participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (also known as occupations). Occupational therapy is a science degree-based, social care and health profession. It needs a holistic, ‘whole-person approach to physical health and mental well-being. An occupational therapist can help people develop and reach their potential. Occupational therapy includes practical support to help individuals with recovery so that they live a fulfilling life. The word “occupation” means practical methods to enable people to lead an independent life. OT is especially focused on physically- and mentally-challenged people who are unable to perform daily human activities smoothly. Children and adults of all ages turn to occupational therapists with a range of conditions, such as learning or physical disabilities and mental health illnesses. Occupational therapists work for social care services, education, health organizations, housing, voluntary organizations or they can be independent practitioners.
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So what do occupational therapists do? Let’s say a person was injured in an accident, and they completely stopped driving because of the fear that event infused in them. Not being able to drive to perform your daily tasks usually affects your and your family’s life. This is where occupational therapists come in. An occupational therapist will help this person start driving again. For that they will use science-backed techniques they learned in OT schools. This is just one example. To name a few other examples, occupational therapists help people do the activities they need or want to do. OTs help people who cannot lead active lives (think arthritis patients), had a severe trauma in their childhood, cannot play, cannot go to the bathroom and are unable to interact with other people. Occupational therapists also work with people who live with some kind of physical disabilities. These therapists concentrate on enabling the patients to overcome barriers, developing their well-being and helping them to adapt their modified life-style. People having mental issues can also count on occupational therapists, as they support them to develop their self-care, and to live independently, among others. People in their golden age can also ask occupational therapists help to go on with pursuing the daily activities that improve their well-being and both mental and physical health.
In order to compile our list of the easiest occupational therapy schools to get into, we consulted U.S.News and Niche to see all the schools that offer OT programs. Additionally, we also studied various sources, including Reddit, to see how students appreciate all the information collected on Niche. After narrowing down to the schools where acceptance rate is 100%, we focused on the schools with lowest tuition fees/year. We mined some data about the colleges based on some key metrics like total aid awarded/year, starting and median salary 6 years after graduation, and the quality of reviews. With every college we will mention its fee details as well. These quotations are not older than half a year. Occupation therapy is one of the most useful and growing careers in the world. If you have a limited budget and you want to pursue OT as a profession, check out 7 most affordable occupational therapy schools in the US. If you are interested in medicine but your grades are not up to the mark, you can check out medical schools with highest acceptance rates in America. Education is swiftly becoming one of the fastest-growing sectors in terms of economy. Some of the education stocks we are paying attention to are Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE), 2U Inc. (NASDAQ:TWOU), One Smart International Education Group Limited (NYSE: ONE) and American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI).
Let’s begin our list of 10 easiest occupational therapy schools to get into.
10. Western New Mexico, New Mexico
Net tuition fee/year (National $15,523): $11,909/ year
Length of Education: 4 years
Application fee: $30
Average Total Aid Awarded (National $7,535): $9,758/ year
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 95%
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation (National $33,028): $30,900/ year
Excellent/Total Reviews: 34/288
“Applying and starting is easy, worthwhile and the staff are there to help you along the way. Attending WNMU is one of the smartest and best decisions I have ever made. I am grateful to be a Mustang..”
Let’s start the list of the easiest occupational therapy schools to get into with WNMU. Silver City is the home to Western New Mexico. It’s a small institution, providing excellent education to 1,189 undergraduate students. The school offers other successful programs as well, such as Liberal Arts and Humanities, Nursing and Welding. The starting salary for alumni is generally around $24,000.
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9. Vincennes University, Indiana
Net tuition fee/year (National $15,523): $10,205/ year
Length of Education: 4 years
Application fee: $20
Average Total Aid Awarded (National $7,535) : $7,116/ year
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 89%
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation (National $33,028): $32,800/ year
Excellent/Total Reviews: 115/629
“Vincennes University is a great college! The professors work very hard for their students success! I earned my Associates degree there in 2017, and now I’m finishing up my bachelors with them online. I’m very thankful for VU!”
Vincennes is an Indiana-located, small public university with 4,970 undergraduate students. Students can choose among several excellent majors, like Nursing, Liberal Arts and Humanities and Manufacturing Engineering Technician. And as for the starting salary, alumni usually get around $27,500.
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8. Community College of Baltimore County, Maryland
Net tuition fee/year (National $15,523): $8,274/ year
Length of Education: 2 years
Application fee: $0
Average Total Aid Awarded (National $7,535): $4,795/ year
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 78%
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation (National $33,028) : $35,100/ year
Excellent/Total Reviews: 257/1265
“CCBC has amazing professors and a great reputation. During the pandemic they transitioned quickly and made it a seamless transition.”
CCBC is among the few mid-sized colleges in our list where you can learn occupational therapy. There are 5,081 undergraduate students. You can find other great majors, like Nursing, Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement Administration and Liberal Arts and Humanities. Average starting salary for graduates is $27,700.
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7. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Mississippi
Net tuition fee/year (National $15,523): $7,433/ year
Length of Education: 2 years
Application fee: $0
Average Total Aid Awarded (National $7,535): $5,387/ year
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 91%
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation (National $33,028): $27,900/ year
Excellent/Total Reviews: 250/702
“The teachers and staff were very helpful and polite. My advisor went above and beyond to make sure I had classes I needed before I transferred to university.”
This mid-sized public college has about 5,756 undergraduate students. Alongside educating occupational therapists, the college offers great majors, such as Manufacturing Engineering Technician, Instrumentation Technician and Liberal Arts and Humanities. Once graduated, you can earn $22,000 as a starting salary.
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6. East Mississippi Community College, Mississippi
Net tuition fee/year (National $15,523): $6,951/ year
Length of Education: 2 years
Application fee: $0
Average Total Aid Awarded (National $7,535): $6,239/ year
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 92%
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation (National $33,028): $24,900/ year
Excellent/Total Reviews: 58/183
“EMCC is the best college I have ever seen in my life. The teachers are so nice. The scenery is amazing. I highly recommend anyone to attend school there.”
This community college ranks 6th on the list of 10 easiest occupational therapy schools to get into. This public college is located in Scooba, Mississippi. Being a small institution, it can give opportunity for 2,360 students to study. There are several popular majors, such as Health Service, Preparatory Studies, Electrician and Liberal Arts and Humanities. After graduating from EMC, alumni can get a starting salary of $21,200.
5. Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma
Net tuition fee/year (National $15,523): $6,825/ year
Length of Education: 2 years
Application fee: $30
Average Total Aid Awarded (National $7,535): $5,520/ year
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 59%
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation (National $33,028): $33,200/ year
Excellent/Total Reviews: 211/693
“I love Oklahoma City Community College. I am an older, adult student and was convinced that I could not go back to school, but OCCC proved me wrong! Everyone here is very welcoming and encouraging and want you to succeed.”
OCCC ranks 5th on the list of 10 easiest occupational therapy schools to get into. It is an Oklahoma City-located public college. Having 4,119 undergraduates, it’s a small institution. Popular majors are Nursing, Business and Liberal Arts and Humanities. After graduation, alumni generally get a starting income of $28,000.
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4. Amarillo College, Texas
Net tuition fee/year (National $15,523): $6,005
Length of Education: 2 years
Application fee: $0
Average Total Aid Awarded (National $7,535): $4,350
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 72%
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation (National $33,028): $32,400/ year
Excellent/Total Reviews: 212/564
“My experience has been great and very thorough. All of the staff and faculty are very kind and helpful as well.”
Amarillo is a Texas-located, small public college, with 3,236 undergraduate students. Among the popular majors are Liberal Arts and Humanities, Nursing and Business. After graduating from this college, students generally make a starting income of $28,000.
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3. Northeast Mississippi Community College, Mississippi
Net tuition fee/year (National $15,523): $5,908/ year
Length of Education: 2 years
Application fee: $0
Average Total Aid Awarded (National $7,535): $5,673/ year
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 99%
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation (National $33,028): $29,200/ year
Excellent/Total Reviews: 61/229
“My online learning experience was educational. Taking courses online allowed me to view my strengths and my weaknesses.”
Ranking 3rd on the list of 10 easiest occupational therapy schools to get into is Northeast Mississippi Community College. Since its establishment in 1927, the college has offered affordable and quality tertiary education. The students are taught key academic and technical skills in order to be competitive in the labor market. Most importantly, 99% of students receive financial aid in this college.
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2. Alpena Community College, Michigan
Net tuition fee/year (National $15,523): $3,177/ year
Length of Education: 4 years
Application fee: $0
Average Total Aid Awarded (National $7,535): $6,109/ year
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 89%
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation (National $33,028): $31,600/ year
Excellent/Total Reviews: 37/124
“I’m having a great experience here. All of my professors have been nothing but kind, caring, and invested in my learning. The other students have been nice and there is a large student life that is working to make the atmosphere even more welcoming and inviting to everyone.”
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1. Coahoma Community College, Mississippi
Net tuition fee/year (National $15,523): 1,153
Length of Education: 2 years
Application fee: $0
Average Total Aid Awarded (National $7,535): $7,045/ year
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 99%
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation (National $33,028): $19,500/ year
Excellent/Total Reviews: 19/73
“I love how put together everything is and how the teachers stay in contact with everything going on in the world. Although I wish we cause be in person everything is going find.”
Coahoma Community College tops the list of 10 easiest occupational therapy schools to get into. It has a very high acceptance rate and a very affordable tuition fee. However, median earnings of this college’s alumni lag behind other competitors.
Also read: 7 best physical therapy companies to work for and most affordable physical therapy schools in the US.
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This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
