Physical therapist assistant programs in the Houston area
5 accredited programs train physical therapist assistants in the Houston area. Here is how their graduates do on the NPTE-PTA, how many find jobs, and what each publishes as its cost.
The short version
- Lone Star College, Montgomery reports the highest NPTE-PTA rate in the area, 96.1% (2024 to 2025), against a Texas program median of 90.4%.
- Results vary widely: Pima Medical Institute, Houston reports 73.0%, 23 points below the area's best.
- Only Pima Medical Institute, Houston publishes a total cost ($44,620); the others list per-credit tuition or nothing.
These lines are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does.
Every PTA program in the area
Highest NPTE-PTA rate first. Tap a program for its full outcomes, cost breakdown and sources. 2
| Program | NPTE-PTA rate | Job placement | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Star College, Montgomery AAS, Conroe | 96.1% | 100% | Not published |
| Houston City College AAS, Houston | 92.2% | Not reported | Not published |
| San Jacinto College, South AAS, Houston | 90.6% | Not reported | Not published |
| Wharton County Junior College AAS, Wharton | 77.3% | 100% | Not published |
| Pima Medical Institute, Houston AAS, Houston | 73.0% | 96.7% | $44,620 |
Other career programs in the Houston area
How to read these numbers
Graduates who passed the NPTE-PTA licensing exam on their first try, as a two-year average for 2024 and 2025 graduates, published by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). Where a program also publishes its ultimate pass rate (including retakes), it is shown separately. Job placement: graduates who sought work as a PTA and were employed within a year of passing the exam, as the program reports it. All Texas PTA programs
Sources and dates
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Physical Therapist Assistants (31-2021), May 2025 estimates.
- Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), checked Nov. 2026.
- Lone Star College, Montgomery: outcomes, Program page (CAPTE annual report submitted Fall 2025), classes of 2025 and 2026: graduation 85%, first attempt 96%, ultimate 98%, employment 100% (current as of 10/26/2026)..
- Houston City College: outcomes, Program page table with first-time and ultimate columns gives a 2024-2025 two-year ultimate rate of 98.9%. Graduation and employment are not used: the page's tables are mislabeled (a 'Student Outcomes' table with no measure name and an empty 'Employment Rate' heading)..
- San Jacinto College, South: outcomes, Program admission page by class: 2024 first-time 92.9%, ultimate 100%, graduation 58%, employment 100%; 2025 first-time 88.9%, ultimate 100%, graduation 75%, employment 88.9%. The page's stated 2-year averages (100% each) do not match the class rows, so graduation and employment are left out; ultimate is 100% in both years..
- Wharton County Junior College: outcomes, Program accreditation page, 2023-2024 average: graduation 66.67%, first-time 81.25%, ultimate 95.85%, employment 100%. Older than the FSBPT 2024-2025 rate..
- Pima Medical Institute, Houston: outcomes, Pima PTA website outcomes (updated 11/14/2025), Houston, 2-year averages for Jan 1 to Dec 31 of 2023 and 2024: graduation 84.72%, first-time 83.87%, ultimate 96.77%, employment 96.67%..
- Pima Medical Institute Additional Tuition Disclosure, PTA, Listed as current Houston total program cost (file posted June 2025).
Every number was checked against its source on Nov. 4, 2026. Spot an error? Report it. Program Outcomes is independent and not affiliated with any school or CAPTE. Our independence policy