Program Outcomes

PTA Program Outcomes

The physical therapist assistant (PTA) is a skilled technical health care worker who delivers physical therapy services under the direction and supervision of the physical therapist (PT).  These services may include instructing patients in therapeutic exercises for strengthening, flexibility, balance/coordination, mobility, function; applying physical agents such as heat, cold, electricity, and traction; communicating with the PT as the patient’s medical condition changes; monitoring/documenting/reporting patient response to treatment.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for physical therapist assistants working in the United States was estimated to be between $37,000 - $80,000, with the mean at $60,000.  In our geographical area, new graduates typically start at the lower end of this range.

The PTA Program’s average two-year employment rate is over 90% for graduates licensed within a year of graduation. Statistics on the program’s graduation rate, licensure exam pass rate, and employment rate can be found below.

Graduates of the PTA program at Gulf Coast State College earn a two-year Associate in Science Degree and may apply for licensure as a Physical Therapist Assistant by examination in the state of Florida. 

Admission & Retention Data

Admission data describes the number of applicants to the PTA program at Gulf Coast State College received by the admission deadline. Acceptance rate describes the number of candidates offered “conditional acceptance” to the program out of the number of applications received. Retention rate by semester also shows those students that continue in the program, with successful completion of each semester.

Cohort/Class	# of Applications Received	# of Applicants Offered a Spot (includes alternates)	Acceptance Rate	# of Students admitted	Retention Rate: successful completion by end of each semester
					I	II	III	IV	V
2022 (applied 2020)	60	21	21/60 35%	16	15/16 93%	13/16 81%	13/16 81%	12/16 75%	12/16 75%
2023 (applied 2021)	69	22	22/60 36%	16	15/16 93%	14/16 87.5%	13/16 81%	12/16 75%	12/16 75%
2024 (applied 2022)	54	20	20/54 37%	18	15/18 83%	14/18 77%	14/18 77%
2025 (applied In 2023)	34	26	26/34 76%	18

Graduation Rate Data

This is the percentage of graduates by year for the PTA program at Gulf Coast State College. *The CAPTE graduation rate does not include admitted students that did not complete the program due to military, health, or issues not related to academic or clinical deficits.

Cohort	# Admitted	# Graduated	*CAPTE Graduation Rate
2021	20	15	78.9% (15/19)
2022	16	12	85.7% (12/14)
2023	16	12	80% (12/15)
Two-year rate:
2021 - 2022	36	27	81.8% (27/33)
2022 - 2023	32	24	82.7% (24/29)

Licensure Pass Rate Data

This is the percentage of graduates that passed the National Physical Therapist Assistant Exam (NPTE) following graduation from the PTA program at Gulf Coast State College.  This test is required as a part of licensure in many states, including Florida. First attempt indicates the first time the exam was attempted by the class.  The ultimate pass rate includes the pass rate for  all attempts by the class.  This information is consistent with the information published by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

Cohort	1st Attempt Pass Rate	Ultimate Pass Rate
2020	94.1% (16/17)	100%  (17/17)
2021	93.0% (14/15)	100%  (15/15)
2022	83.3 % (10/12)	91.6% (11/12)
Two-year rate:
2020 - 2021	93.75% (30/32)	100% (32/32)
2021 - 2022	88.88% (24/27)	96.2% (26/27)

Employment Rate Data

This is the percentage of graduates who sought employment and were employed as a PTA  within one year of graduation from the Gulf Coast State College PTA program.

Cohort	Employment Rate
2020	86% (13/15)
2021	100% (14/14)
2022	100% (11/11)
Two-year rate:
2020 - 2021	93.1% (27/29)
2021 - 2022	100% (25/25)