New Occupational Therapy Programs

What each status means

From ACOTE’s program status definitions:

Applicant (52)

The school has sent ACOTE a letter of intent. “Until Candidacy Status has been granted by ACOTE, these programs cannot admit students.”

Candidacy (55)

ACOTE judged the plans and resources able to meet its standards. The program “may admit its first class of students,” but must still pass preaccreditation and an on-site evaluation before its graduates can sit for the NBCOT exam. (3 programs are listed with Provisional Candidacy.)

Preaccreditation (21)

On paper, the program “would appear to meet the ACOTE Accreditation Standards if fully implemented.” An initial on-site evaluation comes before the accreditation decision.

Accreditation

The program is in substantial compliance with ACOTE standards, and its graduates are eligible for the NBCOT exam.

Questions to ask a new program

• When is the initial on-site evaluation, and when do you expect an accreditation decision? (ACOTE’s next on-site date is in the table below where listed.)
• Will the program be accredited before my class graduates?
• What is the plan for students if accreditation is delayed or denied? ACOTE says students of a program that is not accredited would need to transfer to an accredited program to become eligible for the exam.
• Do you have fieldwork sites lined up for the first cohort?

All 128 programs in development

Source: ACOTE school directory, retrieved October 9, 2026. Status changes several times a year as ACOTE meets; check the program’s current status in ACOTE’s directory before you apply.

States with the most new programs

California (11), New York (11), Illinois (8), Pennsylvania (8), Indiana (7), Texas (7), Alabama (6), Michigan (4).

Related: how many OT programs there are