Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2026 posts 100% first-time pass rate on national licensing exam

The 50 graduates of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2026 posted a 100% first-time pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Examination.

Very few programs post 100% first-time pass rates, said Department of Physical Therapy Chair and Associate Professor Bradley Tragord, PT, DPT, DSc.

"We have historically high first-time pass rates and 100% ultimate pass rates, but there is some momentum here, and it’s exciting to see the fruits of that happening,” Tragord said. “It means good admissions and good students, and it means really great faculty to guide them through. It’s exciting.”

The 2026 national first-time pass rate for graduates of U.S. accredited physical therapy programs is 88.3%, Tragord said, citing to results reported by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), which administers the NPTE for physical therapists and physical therapy assistants. The program’s first-time pass rates in 2025 and 2024 were 97.8% and 95.7%, respectively, both with a 100% ultimate pass rate.

Earlier this year, the DPT program moved up 45 spots to tie for No. 87 out of 278 in the 2026 U.S. News and World Report rankings.

School of Health Professions Dean David Shelledy, PhD, RRT, RPFT, FAARC, FASAHP, congratulated the program on its achievement.

“We are all very proud of this amazing accomplishment,” he said.