Retraining ReportJob training public funding can pay for

Find training

PTA programs in Tennessee

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

6 schools offer these physical therapist assistant programs, and Tennessee 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 Tennessee, 1 of the 6 programs takes students without a high school diploma, 3 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 2 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 6 programs here are PTA (associate degree, 5 programs) and PTA program (level not stated, 1 program).

See the 6 programs

How much do PTA programs cost in Tennessee?

$11,930 to $12,694 is what most PTA programs in Tennessee cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 6 programs with a price. All of them: $10,345 to $47,190

In the typical program

Finished the program
68%
Working 6 months later
88%
Earned a year, estimated
about $38,600
Length
56 to 70 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 Tennessee may also offer PTA programs. How these figures are made

Are there free PTA programs in Tennessee?

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

All 6 PTA programs in Tennessee approved for WIOA funding

Filters
What you need to enroll
Kind of program
School
How it's taught
How to show the list

6 programs

  • PTA (associate degree)In personEducation and courses

    Physical Therapist Assistant

    Jackson State Community College

    Jackson

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Jackson State Community College, JacksonPTA (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$38,600
    Price if you pay yourself$11,838

    4 students trained with WIOA funding

    School website, Physical Therapist Assistant at Jackson State Community College
    More details about Physical Therapist Assistant at Jackson State Community College
    Finished
    68%
    Working at 6 months
    80%
    Earned in a quarter
    $9,641
    Length
    70 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $4,922
    Students counted
    171
    Earned a year, estimated
    $38,600
    Price if you pay yourself
    $11,838
    students trained with WIOA funding
    4
    School website, Physical Therapist Assistant at Jackson State Community College

  • PTA (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed

    Physical Therapist Assistant

    WSCC Morristown Campus

    Morristown

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    WSCC Morristown Campus, MorristownPTA (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$43,600
    Price if you pay yourself$12,206
    School website, Physical Therapist Assistant at WSCC Morristown Campus
    More details about Physical Therapist Assistant at WSCC Morristown Campus
    Finished
    88%
    Working at 6 months
    88%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,895
    Length
    68 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $15,025
    Students counted
    105
    Earned a year, estimated
    $43,600
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,206
    School website, Physical Therapist Assistant at WSCC Morristown Campus

  • PTA program (level not stated)In personEducation and courses

    Physical Therapist Assistant

    Chattanooga State Community College

    Chattanooga

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Chattanooga State Community College, ChattanoogaPTA program (level not stated) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$41,000
    Price if you pay yourself$12,207
    Program website, Physical Therapist Assistant at Chattanooga State Community College
    More details about Physical Therapist Assistant at Chattanooga State Community College
    Finished
    68%
    Working at 6 months
    86%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,257
    Length
    15 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,398
    Students counted
    93
    Earned a year, estimated
    $41,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,207
    Program website, Physical Therapist Assistant at Chattanooga State Community College

  • PTA (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Physical Therapist Assistant

    Concorde Career College

    Memphis

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Concorde Career College, MemphisPTA (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$31,700
    Price if you pay yourself$47,190
    Program website, Physical Therapist Assistant at Concorde Career College
    More details about Physical Therapist Assistant at Concorde Career College
    Finished
    41%
    Working at 6 months
    88%
    Earned in a quarter
    $7,914
    Length
    80 weeks, 50 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $2,254
    Students counted
    59
    Earned a year, estimated
    $31,700
    Price if you pay yourself
    $47,190
    Program website, Physical Therapist Assistant at Concorde Career College

  • PTA (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Physical Therapist Assistant

    Roane State Community College

    Harriman

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Roane State Community College, HarrimanPTA (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$35,100
    Price if you pay yourself$12,856

    7 students trained with WIOA funding

    Program website, Physical Therapist Assistant at Roane State Community College
    More details about Physical Therapist Assistant at Roane State Community College
    Finished
    77%
    Working at 6 months
    95%
    Earned in a quarter
    $8,777
    Length
    68 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $4,300
    Students counted
    13
    Earned a year, estimated
    $35,100
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,856
    students trained with WIOA funding
    7
    Program website, Physical Therapist Assistant at Roane State Community College

  • PTA (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Physical Therapist Assistant

    Southwest Tennessee Community College

    Memphis

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Southwest Tennessee Community College, MemphisPTA (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$10,345
    School website, Physical Therapist Assistant at Southwest Tennessee Community College
    More details about Physical Therapist Assistant at Southwest Tennessee Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    52 weeks, 30 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    24
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $10,345
    School website, Physical Therapist Assistant at Southwest Tennessee Community College

How to pay for PTA programs in Tennessee

WIOA funding can pay for PTA programs in Tennessee

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 Tennessee

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
11th of 14
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
6 of 10
PTA programs here, against the typical state's 4
6 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 Memphis, Jackson, Morristown and other Tennessee cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Tennessee

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

Where the Tennessee physical therapist assistant program numbers come from

Which Tennessee physical therapist assistant programs are on this list?

These are the physical therapist assistant programs Tennessee 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 Tennessee offers.

How the prices and results of Tennessee 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 Tennessee

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