PT School Cost Advice

[kcgregor]

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I will be applying to 2 schools next fall - Chapman University and Cal State Long Beach. I also just got engaged and my fiance and I would like to have a place of our own. I know that when you apply for home loans they take into account all of your debt including student loans. Here's my dilema: I would really like to go to Chapman (I've worked with lots of therapists from there and their interns seemed to have it together than interns I've seen from other schools) but at the end I would have $100,000+ in debt. If I go to Cal State Long Beach, I get an MPT instead of a DPT and they said the average cost of the entire program is about $13,000. I'm currently doing an internship at a hospital where they will pay up to $13,000 of my PT school loans as long as I work for them for a minimum of two years after I graduate (so I could potentially come out of PT school with very little to no debt if I go to Cal State Long Beach). I've toured both campuses (actually I'm working on a B.S. in Kinesiology specializing in exercise science and a minor in biology at Cal State Long Beach) and while I am happy with both programs, Chapman's program completely blew me away.

Long story short: Do you think that it's worth it for me to go to Chapman
or should I just go to Cal State Long Beach?

I know I haven't gotten in anywhere yet (after all I haven't applied) but I have a pretty good GPA with decent GRE scores and connections in the PT department of both schools so I'm confident that I will get into either program. I'm just trying to save some time (and money) with my applications.

 

[Akiramay]

Chapman because it's DPT. It's worth it and the debt will be gone eventually. Plus the program completely blew you away!

 

[djtrackie]

long beach, hands down.

1. it's much much cheaper
2. it's just as good, if not better
3. i've heard bad things about Chapman
4. right now MPT = DPT.

 

[jesspt]

CSLB without a doubt - the opportunity to come out of school without any debt as you start a new family far outways anything that a DPT could potentially offer you.

 

[DOctorJay]

CSLB without a doubt - the opportunity to come out of school without any debt as you start a new family far outways anything that a DPT could potentially offer you.

+1, no one will care where you went to PT school, get it done, pass the boards, and start working!

 

[pttrac]

I say go with CSULB. Since your an undergrad there already, it would probably be a very easy transition to grad school. You know the campus and all the professors already. I went to Calpoly Pomona and I wish they had a PT program there.

The fact that you are worried about home loans and money already tells me that money plays a big role in your decision. If you had tons of money than sure go to Chapman, but since you don't go to CSULB. To leave grad school with no debt is a great feeling. =)

My wife had her company pay for her master's and it was great. My situation on the other hand is not as fortunate. I will probably be buried in dept once I start my MPT or DPT.

 

[bipennate]

CSLB without a doubt - the opportunity to come out of school without any debt as you start a new family far outways anything that a DPT could potentially offer you.

This.

+1, no one will care where you went to PT school, get it done, pass the boards, and start working!

This.