NBCOT pass rate, 2025
Median new-graduate pass rate across programs (NBCOT)
Master’s vs. OTD →2027 admissions · ACOTE data October 9, 2026
Find the right occupational therapy school
Compare every accredited OTD, master’s and OTA program, checked against each school’s own website.
648 programs listed by ACOTE
- 231 Entry-level OTD
- 191 Master’s (MOT/MSOT)
- 226 OTA (associate/bachelor’s)
545checked on the school’s website
474with NBCOT pass rates
- NBCOT 2025 median pass rate: 98% (OTD) · 92% (master’s)
- Lowest published master’s tuition: $18,761 (University of Louisiana at Monroe)
- 102 of 108 verified OT programs don’t require the GRE
- OTCAS 2026–2027 opened July 16, 2026
- 36 states in the OT Compact, 10 issuing privileges
- Median OT pay $100,330 · OTA $72,300 (BLS, May 2025)
- 128 new programs working toward accreditation
Explore the map
OT programs, pay and pass rates, state by state
Switch the map between program counts, OT pay and NBCOT results. Every state links to its full program list.
Entry-level OTD + master’s programs listed by ACOTE. Gray = no data.
United States
422 OT programs · 226 OTA
- Entry-level OTD
- 231
- Master’s
- 191
- OTA programs
- 226
- Median OT pay
- $100,330
Hover, tap or tab to a state to see its programs, pay, NBCOT results and OT Compact status.
List all states
- Alabama 7
- Arizona 8
- Arkansas 5
- California 31
- Colorado 3
- Connecticut 7
- Delaware 1
- District of Columbia 3
- Florida 19
- Georgia 8
- Hawaii 1
- Idaho 1
- Illinois 17
- Indiana 14
- Iowa 4
- Kansas 2
- Kentucky 5
- Louisiana 5
- Maine 6
- Maryland 4
- Massachusetts 13
- Michigan 13
- Minnesota 9
- Mississippi 2
- Missouri 10
- Montana 2
- Nebraska 6
- Nevada 2
- New Hampshire 4
- New Jersey 9
- New Mexico 1
- New York 41
- North Carolina 13
- North Dakota 3
- Ohio 15
- Oklahoma 3
- Oregon 4
- Pennsylvania 34
- Puerto Rico 1
- Rhode Island 2
- South Carolina 5
- South Dakota 1
- Tennessee 12
- Texas 24
- Utah 5
- Vermont 1
- Virginia 11
- Washington 8
- West Virginia 3
- Wisconsin 12
- Wyoming 2
The path
From pre-OT student to licensed OTR/L
- 01
Bachelor’s + prerequisites
Any major works. Anatomy, physiology, psychology and statistics are the usual core.
Prerequisites - 02
Observation hours
Median requirement: 30 hours across 103 verified programs; some require none.
Hours by program - 03
Apply through OTCAS
The 2026–2027 cycle opened July 16, 2026. Most programs use it.
OTCAS guide - 04
Master’s or OTD
191 master’s and 231 OTD programs. Same exam, same license.
Compare degrees - 05
Pass the NBCOT exam
2025 median new-grad pass rate: 92% master’s, 98% OTD.
OTR/L explained - 06
Get your state license
52 boards; 36 states share the OT Compact.
Licensing by state
What the data says
Facts you won’t find on a brochure
Published tuition
Median full-program tuition from schools’ own cost pages
What OT school costs →The GRE is (mostly) gone
102 of 108 OT programs whose policy we verified don’t require it
No-GRE programs →Guides
Plan every step
- FINDProgram FinderFilter by your GPA, budget, GRE and schedule.
- VSCompare programsUp to 4 programs side by side.
- ROICost vs. salary calculatorYour loan payment against OT pay.
- PTPart-time & weekendEvening, weekend and part-time programs.
- $OT school costPublished tuition from 211 programs.
- GPAGPA requirementsLowest minimum GPAs, program by program.
- GRENo-GRE programs102 programs confirm no GRE.
- APPOTCAS guide2026–2027 dates, fees and deadlines.
- OTHow to become an OTFrom prerequisites to license.
- %NBCOT pass ratesResults for 474 programs, 2021–2025.
- PAYOT salary by stateMedian $100,330 (BLS).
- LICOT Compact states36 member states, 10 issuing.
How we keep this accurate
We start from ACOTE’s school directory, the only official list of accredited OT and OTA programs. Then we open each program’s website and record its degree, length, format and start term, with the exact quote we used. Pass rates come from NBCOT and pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If a program says it is no longer admitting, we flag it even when ACOTE still lists it.
Reviewed by Deepam Pawar, OT. Read the full methodology.