Tuition & Fees
The total for first-year tuition, university-based fees, and university health insurance premiums for California residents is $47,113 for the 2025-2026 academic year*. A breakdown of those costs is available on the UCSF Registrar's fees webpage (the DPT program is listed under Graduate Division). This does not include living and commuting expenses, books and supplies, or the additional program expenses listed below. For an estimate of the cost of attendance for each year of the program including living expenses, commuting, books, and supplies, please see Student Financial Services Student Cost of Attendance.
Students who are not California residents pay an additional non-resident tuition of $12,245 for the 2025-2026 academic year. The criteria for establishing California residency for tuition purposes are available on the Registrar's California Residency webpage.
At the request of the program's accrediting organization, CAPTE, students can also view three-year program costs and student loan debt in this CAPTE Financial Fact Sheet.
Health Insurance
Graduate and professional students are required to maintain continuous coverage under an approved health insurance plan at all times while enrolled in the program. All registered students are covered under the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) unless they have applied for and been granted a waiver.
Additional Program Costs
In addition to tuition and fees, students will incur costs related to starting in the program and participating in clinical education experiences. These include:
- APTA student membership: $103 for each year in the program.
- CPR certification: cost varies by location. Students must maintain active certification for the three years of the program.
- Certified background check and drug test: $88.74 for initial packet including background check; $45 for each drug test, as needed; $33.75 for each additional background check, as needed.
- Health exam and immunizations/titers: cost varies depending on health insurance plans. If you are enrolled in UC SHIP, immunizations and titers will be at no additional cost.
- Clinical experience expenses: approximately $3,000 per student. Liability insurance is covered by the DPT program but students are responsible for all other costs including but not limited to transportation, housing, meals, attire, and clinic requirements.
Financial Aid
A variety of financial support to students in the DPT program, including grants and federal loans, and both internal and external scholarships. Financial aid is provided to students through UCSF. For more information about grants, loans, external scholarships, and program-specific financial aid budgets, please visit the UCSF Student Financial Services website.
Internal Scholarships
UCSF does not use race, gender, sex, or other protected categories or proxies for protected categories in the selection process.
All students enrolled in the UCSF/SFSU DPT program are eligible for the internal scholarships listed below. These scholarships are awarded based on need, merit, professionalism, and leadership. No application is required except for the Physical Therapy Leadership Award.
- Physical Therapy Leadership Award: students who have demonstrated academic excellence and show promise of leadership and potential to serve the profession of physical therapy.
- Irene Gilbert Scholarship: honors Dr. Gilbert, a beloved former Director of the program. Students are selected based on passion for a career in physical therapy, financial need, a record of success in initial coursework, and an exceptional commitment to ethics and professionalism.
- JoAnn Baldwin Peters Memorial Scholarship: recipients demonstrate financial need, have promise in the area of leadership, and potential to serve the profession of physical therapy.
- Kean Scholarship: criteria include academic performance, financial need, and the potential to be an exceptional colleague and contribute to the physical therapy profession.
- Keller Family Scholarship: recipients are selected based on their passion for a career in physical therapy, financial need, a record of success in clinical rotations, and exceptional “bedside manner.”
- Regents Scholarships: awarded on the basis of outstanding scholastic performance, financial need, evidence of achievement, and promise as a leader.
Additional Resources
- In addition to the list of outside scholarships provided by Student Financial Services, prospective students may also be interested in viewing APTA Scholarships, Awards, and Grants (by clicking on the link, you will be exiting the UCSF site).
- The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's (WICHE) Professional Student Exchange Program (by clicking on the link, you will be exiting the UCSF site) provides financial support to students in certain Western states enrolling in select out-of-state professional programs. Students receive substantial tuition support from their home state or territory. Residents of the following states and commonwealths are encouraged to apply for WICHE funding: Alaska, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Wyoming.
*All tuition and university-based fees are subject to annual increases.