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PTA programs in North Carolina

9 PTA (physical therapist assistant) programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

9 schools offer these physical therapist assistant programs, and North Carolina has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Physical therapist assistants work under a physical therapist, helping patients move again and manage pain after injuries and illness. Every state requires an associate degree from an accredited program and a license or certification, which takes passing an exam.1 The exam is the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.2

In North Carolina, 7 of the 9 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent and 2 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 9 programs here are PTA (associate degree, 6 programs) and physical therapy aide course (3 programs).

See the 9 programs

How much do PTA programs cost in North Carolina?

Two-year degrees (6 programs)
$5,826 to $6,213most of them, usually 72 to 79 weeks long
Other physical therapist assistant programs (3 programs)
$125 to $4,000all 3 with a price

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program
54%
Working 6 months later
74%
Earned a year, estimated
about $39,100
Length
52 to 76 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in North Carolina may also offer PTA programs. How these figures are made

Are there free PTA programs in North Carolina?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 9 PTA programs in North Carolina approved for WIOA funding

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9 programs

How to pay for PTA programs in North Carolina

WIOA funding can pay for PTA programs in North Carolina

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for PTA programs

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

GI Bill for PTA programs

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: PTA programs in North Carolina

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
3rd of 14
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
7 of 10
PTA programs here, against the typical state's 4
9 vs 4

State comparisons use the same figures as the PTA programs by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

PTA programs in New Bern, Hickory, Charlotte and other North Carolina cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 2 in smaller cities and towns and 2 online.

Other training in North Carolina

How PTA programs compare with the rest of allied health: Allied health programs in North Carolina

Where the North Carolina physical therapist assistant program numbers come from

Which North Carolina physical therapist assistant programs are on this list?

These are the physical therapist assistant programs North Carolina approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what North Carolina offers.

How the prices and results of North Carolina physical therapist assistant programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about PTA programs in North Carolina

Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides
  2. Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy: State Licensure
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List