CAPTE publishes a one-page fee schedule for 2026, and this page reads it line by line. The schedule covers the fees CAPTE charges PT and PTA education programs, from the Letter of Intent through annual accreditation, visits, workshops, appeals and waivers. Every figure below comes from the CAPTE, 2026 Fee Schedule (page opened October 3, 2026), and the schedule is dated December 12, 2025. Verify current fees with CAPTE.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
What CAPTE publishes and where
The schedule is a PDF on CAPTE's site. Its left column cites a rule number in section 15.5 for most lines, which lets you match a charge to CAPTE's own rules. The footer carries an APTA copyright notice, so conditions are stated here in our own words. Read the PDF for exact wording (CAPTE, 2026 Fee Schedule, page opened October 3, 2026).
The fee table
Amounts are as printed on the December 12, 2025 schedule. Conditions are the ones the schedule attaches to each line.
Program path and annual fees
| Fee | Amount | Condition stated on the schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Letter of Intent to Start a New Program | $500 | The schedule says the letter must come in together with payment, and ties that to the program getting a place in a review cycle. |
| Pre-accreditation: Application for Candidacy review | $2,500 | None stated. |
| Pre-accreditation | $12,500 | None stated. |
| Initial accreditation | $5,000 | None stated. |
| Annual accreditation, calendar year 2026 | $5,085 | Billed September 2025. |
| Annual accreditation, calendar year 2027 | $5,085 | Billed September 2026. |
| Annual accreditation late fee | $250 | Applies to a payment received after January 1. |
Changes, visits, workshops and other charges
| Fee | Amount | Condition stated on the schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Application for approval of a substantive change | $3,390 | Labeled as two thirds of the annual fee. |
| Substantive change resubmission | $1,695 | Labeled as one third of the annual fee. |
| Focused visit, on-site | $2,600 | Per staff person, first day. |
| Focused visit, on-site, each additional day | $600 | Per person. |
| Focused visit, on-site, each additional day, non-staff | $750 | Per person. |
| Focused visit, virtual | $200 | Per person. |
| In-person self-study workshop | $2,600 | Held at a program at its request. Per staff person, first day. |
| In-person workshop, each additional day | $600 | Per person, per additional day. |
| In-person workshop, commissioner | $150 | Per commissioner, per day. |
| Virtual self-study workshop | $1,600 | Held online at the program's request. |
| Reconsideration of an adverse decision | $4,280 | None stated. |
| Appeal of a reconsideration decision that upholds a previous adverse action, or of a decision on a formal complaint | $7500 | Printed without a comma on the schedule. |
| Petition for waiver | $3,390 | None stated. |
| Sanction fee: failure to provide appropriate notifications | $500 | None stated. |
| Sanction fee: breach of academic integrity | To be determined | No greater than two times the current annual fee. |
| Special fees: specific projects | To be determined | No amount or limit shown. |
| Research and development data request, per hour | $50 for an APTA member, $100 for a non-member | None stated. |
| Self-study report or Application for Candidacy resubmission | No amount shown | The item is listed with no figure beside it. |
Verify current fees with CAPTE. Source: CAPTE, 2026 Fee Schedule, page opened October 3, 2026.
How the fee structure works
IHS's reading of the schedule on October 3, 2026 is that it has four layers. The first holds the step fees: the Letter of Intent, the candidacy application review, pre-accreditation and initial accreditation. The schedule does not label these as a sequence or say who pays which. The second is the annual fee, with a September billing date printed beside each year's line. Events add their own fees: a substantive change, a focused visit, a waiver petition, a reconsideration or an appeal. The self-study workshops are priced separately and happen at the program's request.
Two notes under the annual fee carry most of the structure. The first note sets the base: an institution's first or only program is billed the whole annual fee, and that one fee is for a single cohort. If the program enrolls more cohorts in the same year, expansion cohorts included, each extra one is billed at 60 percent of it. A cohort admitted only in some years still carries the annual fee. The second applies the same 60 percent rule to cohorts of any additional program the institution has accredited separately, and charges that program the full annual fee for its own first cohort. The schedule does not say who counts cohorts or when, so ask CAPTE how the notes apply to your enrollment plan.
Recurring and one-time are not labeled on the schedule. The annual fee and its late fee plainly repeat. The Letter of Intent, review, pre-accreditation and initial accreditation lines are listed once each, with no statement about repeating.
What the schedule does not include
- Travel, lodging and meals for visits and workshops. The schedule gives per-person and per-day fees and says nothing about expenses.
- An amount for the self-study report or Application for Candidacy resubmission item.
- A set amount for academic integrity sanctions or special project fees.
- A timetable. It does not say when pre-accreditation or initial accreditation fees fall due relative to the review steps.
- Expedited processing of any kind. No such line appears.
- Any cost outside CAPTE, such as faculty hires or consultants.
Reading the schedule
This is arithmetic on the published figures, not a quote or an estimate of any bill. The program's actual invoice depends on CAPTE's application of the notes above. Verify current fees with CAPTE.
- The four step fees (Letter of Intent, candidacy review, pre-accreditation, initial accreditation) add up to $20,500 as listed. The schedule does not say that one program pays all four.
- Two years of the annual fee, 2026 and 2027, add up to $10,170 at $5,085 each.
- Sixty percent of $5,085 is $3,051, the charge the notes describe for each additional cohort in a year.
- The substantive change application is labeled two thirds of the annual fee: two thirds of $5,085 is $3,390, matching the printed figure. A resubmission at one third is $1,695, also matching.
The schedule does not say who decides which row applies. The rule numbers in its left column point to CAPTE's rules, which this page does not read, so ask CAPTE about a specific line.
Where this fits
This page covers the fee schedule only. The CAPTE PT and PTA program accreditation page covers the accreditation itself: the 2024 standards, how a program starts, hiring lead times, what to have ready and how IHS supports a program's self-study.
What this is not
- It is not CAPTE's text. The figures are restated from a PDF opened October 3, 2026, and may have changed.
- It is not IHS pricing. IHS does not set or collect accreditor fees, and the schedule is CAPTE's own document.
- It is not a budget or a prediction of what any program will pay.
Frequently asked questions
Does CAPTE publish its accreditation fees?
Yes. CAPTE posts a 2026 fee schedule as a PDF dated December 12, 2025, with most lines carrying a rule number from section 15.5 of CAPTE's rules. Verify current fees with CAPTE.
Which CAPTE fees are charged every year?
The schedule lists an annual accreditation fee of $5,085 for calendar year 2026 and for 2027. It also lists a $250 late fee for an annual payment received after January 1. The other fees are tied to a step, a request or an event. Verify current fees with CAPTE.
What does a program pay if it admits more than one cohort a year?
The schedule's first note starts with an institution's first or only program, which is billed the full annual fee for one cohort. Each further cohort admitted in the same year adds 60 percent of that fee, and a cohort admitted only in some years still carries the annual fee. Verify current fees with CAPTE.
Does the schedule say what a Letter of Intent fee buys?
Only a condition. The schedule says the $500 Letter of Intent to Start a New Program fee must come in together with payment, and ties that to the program getting a place in a review cycle. It does not describe the review cycle itself. Verify current fees with CAPTE. CAPTE's program development page, covered on our CAPTE parent page, describes the process.
Are travel costs for a focused visit or workshop on the schedule?
The schedule lists per-person fees for focused visits and self-study workshops, and daily rates for additional days. It does not mention travel, lodging or meals. Ask CAPTE in writing how those are handled.
What happens if a program asks for reconsideration or an appeal?
The schedule lists $4,280 for reconsideration of an adverse decision. It lists $7500 (as printed) for an appeal of a reconsideration decision that upholds a previous adverse action, or of a decision on a formal complaint. Verify current fees with CAPTE.
Does IHS collect or set CAPTE fees?
No. CAPTE publishes this schedule, and IHS does not set or collect the fees. IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.