Kinesiology Degree Programs

Arizona · Associate's ranking

Best Kinesiology Associate's Programs in Arizona

8 associate's programs in exercise science and kinesiology, ranked on graduation rate, admissions selectivity, in-state cost, and field outcomes.

Last updated

Programs ranked
8
In-state tuition
$2,328 to $2,338
Avg graduation rate
17%
Median wage (BLS)
$59,460

What Associate's in Kinesiology Programs in Arizona Cost and Who Gets In

We scored all 187 associate's programs in exercise science and kinesiology (CIP 31.0505) on the same weighted model, then pulled the 8 highest scoring in Arizona. Estrella Mountain Community College leads the state with a score of 69.2, which is national rank 130 out of 187. None of the 8 crack the national top 25, so read the scores below rather than assuming a national reputation.

In-state tuition runs from $2,328 to $2,338 across the 8 programs with a published rate. The 8 schools with a published graduation rate average 17%. Together they conferred 62 associate's degrees in the field in the latest IPEDS completions year.

All 8 are public institutions. 2 are flagged as offering an online option.

All 8 Associate's in Kinesiology Programs in Arizona, Ranked (2026)

Each bar shows where the program’s national score falls between 50 and 100, ticked at 75 for the middle of the range.

  1. Rank 1: Estrella Mountain Community College

    Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science

    Avondale, AZ · Public · suburban campus

    Our score

    1st of 8 in Arizona

    National rank 130 of 187

    Estrella Mountain's Associate in Arts in Exercise Science routes students toward one of two biology sequences, depending on which Arizona State University or Northern Arizona University program they plan to transfer into.

    Estrella Mountain Community College leads Arizona at 69.2, ahead of the other 7 programs ranked here. In-state tuition of $2,328 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $2,328 to $2,338. Its 32% graduation rate sits against a 9% to 32% spread across the 8 Arizona schools that report one.

    It confers 5 associate's degrees a year, 8% of the 62 awarded across Arizona at this level. Residency is worth $6,601 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $8,929 out-of-state rate. Nationally it is 130th of the 187 associate's programs scored at this level.

    • Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) transfer framework
    • Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice capstone course
    • Full-time load of 12 to 18 credits
    • 5 exercise-science degrees conferred a year
    • $8,929 nonresident tuition
    Graduation rate
    32%
    In-state tuition
    $2,328
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,929
    Undergrad enrollment
    10,109
    Degrees conferred
    5

    View Estrella Mountain Community College's Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science www.estrellamountain.edu

  2. Rank 2: Mesa Community College

    Associate's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Mesa, AZ · Public · city campus

    Our score

    2nd of 8 in Arizona

    National rank 145 of 187

    Mesa suits a student who wants to choose between a personal training certificate, a workforce-focused applied science associate, or a university-transfer Associate in Arts in Exercise Science, all inside one department.

    Mesa Community College places 2nd of 8 in Arizona at 65.2, with 1 program scoring above it. In-state tuition of $2,328 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $2,328 to $2,338. Its 16% graduation rate sits against a 9% to 32% spread across the 8 Arizona schools that report one.

    It confers 20 associate's degrees a year, 32% of the 62 awarded across Arizona at this level. Residency is worth $6,601 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $8,929 out-of-state rate.

    • Career pathway toward athletic training and physiology
    • Maricopa County wage data cited for listed occupations
    • Stackable entry and advanced training credentials
    • 20 exercise-science degrees conferred a year
    • 16% graduation rate
    Graduation rate
    16%
    In-state tuition
    $2,328
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,929
    Undergrad enrollment
    17,077
    Degrees conferred
    20

    View Mesa Community College's Associate's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.mesacc.edu

  3. Rank 3: Glendale Community College

    Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science

    Glendale, AZ · Public · suburban campus

    Our score

    3rd of 8 in Arizona

    National rank 149 of 187

    Glendale's Associate in Arts transfers into four ASU and NAU bachelor's tracks, but its graduation rate sits at the 1st percentile among 187 comparable programs.

    Glendale Community College places 3rd of 8 in Arizona at 64.2, with 2 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $2,328 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $2,328 to $2,338. Its 16% graduation rate sits against a 9% to 32% spread across the 8 Arizona schools that report one.

    It confers 18 associate's degrees a year, 29% of the 62 awarded across Arizona at this level. Residency is worth $6,601 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $8,929 out-of-state rate.

    • 60 to 64 credit hours required
    • C or better needed in every program course
    • Personal trainer certificates offered alongside the AA
    • Separate AAS track in Health, Fitness and Sports Performance
    Graduation rate
    16%
    In-state tuition
    $2,328
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,929
    Undergrad enrollment
    13,914
    Degrees conferred
    18

    View Glendale Community College's Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science www.gccaz.edu

  4. Rank 4: Rio Salado College

    Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science

    Tempe, AZ · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    4th of 8 in Arizona

    National rank 170 of 187

    Rio Salado College reports an online enrollment option to IPEDS, sitting alongside a graduation rate at the very bottom of the 187 programs at this level.

    Rio Salado College places 4th of 8 in Arizona at 59.9, with 3 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $2,338 is the highest in the state, where the published range runs $2,328 to $2,338. Its 9% graduation rate sits against a 9% to 32% spread across the 8 Arizona schools that report one.

    It confers 1 associate's degrees a year, 2% of the 62 awarded across Arizona at this level. Residency is worth $6,590 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $8,928 out-of-state rate.

    • 18,841 total enrollment
    • IPEDS-flagged online enrollment option
    • Public four-year institution, city campus
    Graduation rate
    9%
    In-state tuition
    $2,338
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,928
    Undergrad enrollment
    18,841
    Degrees conferred
    1

    View Rio Salado College's Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science www.riosalado.edu

  5. Rank 5: Paradise Valley Community College

    Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science

    Phoenix, AZ · Public · city campus

    Our score

    5th of 8 in Arizona

    National rank 174 of 187

    Paradise Valley's AA is built to transfer into ASU's College of Health Solutions, a different bet than the college's own terminal AAS in Health, Fitness, and Sports Performance.

    Paradise Valley Community College places 5th of 8 in Arizona at 59.3, with 4 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $2,328 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $2,328 to $2,338. Its 19% graduation rate sits against a 9% to 32% spread across the 8 Arizona schools that report one.

    It confers 9 associate's degrees a year, 15% of the 62 awarded across Arizona at this level. Residency is worth $6,601 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $8,929 out-of-state rate.

    • Named transfer maps to ASU and NAU
    • Certificates of Completion in Personal Training
    • 60 to 64 credits required
    • C or better required in every course
    Graduation rate
    19%
    In-state tuition
    $2,328
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,929
    Undergrad enrollment
    6,148
    Degrees conferred
    9

    View Paradise Valley Community College's Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science www.paradisevalley.edu

  6. Rank 6: Phoenix College

    Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science

    Phoenix, AZ · Public · city campus

    Our score

    6th of 8 in Arizona

    National rank 177 of 187

    Phoenix College's 58.7 falls between Arizona's Paradise Valley Community College at 59.3 and Scottsdale Community College at 56.8, a cluster shaped by its first-percentile graduation rate.

    Phoenix College places 6th of 8 in Arizona at 58.7, with 5 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $2,328 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $2,328 to $2,338. Its 14% graduation rate sits against a 9% to 32% spread across the 8 Arizona schools that report one.

    It confers 3 associate's degrees a year, 5% of the 62 awarded across Arizona at this level. Residency is worth $6,601 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $8,929 out-of-state rate.

    • 10,660 total enrollment
    • 3 degrees conferred yearly
    • Public four-year institution, city campus
    Graduation rate
    14%
    In-state tuition
    $2,328
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,929
    Undergrad enrollment
    10,660
    Degrees conferred
    3

    View Phoenix College's Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science www.phoenixcollege.edu

  7. Rank 7: Scottsdale Community College

    Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science

    Scottsdale, AZ · Public · rural campus · online option

    Our score

    7th of 8 in Arizona

    National rank 182 of 187

    A 17% graduation rate, worse than 96% of the 187 associate exercise-science programs we scored, is the single figure behind Scottsdale's 56.8 score, 18 points under the median for the level of 74.8.

    Scottsdale Community College places 7th of 8 in Arizona at 56.8, with 6 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $2,328 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $2,328 to $2,338. Its 17% graduation rate sits against a 9% to 32% spread across the 8 Arizona schools that report one.

    It confers 1 associate's degrees a year, 2% of the 62 awarded across Arizona at this level. Residency is worth $6,601 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $8,929 out-of-state rate.

    • 60 to 64 credit hours required
    • C or better required in every course
    • Transfer-aligned with ASU and NAU bachelor's tracks
    • Personal trainer certificates run alongside the AA
    • Online option flagged in federal data
    Graduation rate
    17%
    In-state tuition
    $2,328
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,929
    Undergrad enrollment
    7,065
    Degrees conferred
    1

    View Scottsdale Community College's Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science www.scottsdalecc.edu

  8. Rank 8: South Mountain Community College

    Exercise Science: Health, Fitness, and Sports

    Phoenix, AZ · Public · city campus

    Our score

    8th of 8 in Arizona

    National rank 185 of 187

    South Mountain Community College's 16% graduation rate, well under the 36% median for the level, sits at the very bottom of the 187-program field and anchors its score of 56.1.

    South Mountain Community College places 8th of 8 in Arizona at 56.1, with 7 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $2,328 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $2,328 to $2,338. Its 16% graduation rate sits against a 9% to 32% spread across the 8 Arizona schools that report one.

    It confers 5 associate's degrees a year, 8% of the 62 awarded across Arizona at this level. Residency is worth $6,600 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $8,928 out-of-state rate.

    • 4,516 total enrollment
    • 5 degrees conferred yearly
    • Public four-year institution, city campus
    Graduation rate
    16%
    In-state tuition
    $2,328
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,928
    Undergrad enrollment
    4,516
    Degrees conferred
    5

    View South Mountain Community College's Exercise Science: Health, Fitness, and Sports www.southmountaincc.edu

Every Associate's in Kinesiology Program in Arizona Compared

The same scores in one readout. Tuition is the published in-state rate before aid.

# School City Grad rate Admit rate In-state Our score
01 Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale 32% $2,328
02 Mesa Community College Mesa 16% $2,328
03 Glendale Community College Glendale 16% $2,328
04 Rio Salado College Tempe 9% $2,338
05 Paradise Valley Community College Phoenix 19% $2,328
06 Phoenix College Phoenix 14% $2,328
07 Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale 17% $2,328
08 South Mountain Community College Phoenix 16% $2,328

A blank cell means the institution did not file that figure with IPEDS.

What Kinesiology Careers Pay in Arizona

Occupational medians for everyone in the job, not starting pay and not outcomes for any one program.

Exercise Physiologists in Arizona

Arizona median
$62,350
vs national
+$2,890
Employed in AZ
220
10th to 90th
$51,950 – $77,630

Exercise Physiologists in Arizona earn a median of $62,350, $2,890 above the national median of $59,460, across 220 jobs in the state. The bottom tenth earn under $51,950 and the top tenth clear $77,630, so the median is a midpoint rather than an offer.

Every Arizona Occupation This Field Feeds, by Median Wage

Occupation AZ median vs national Jobs in AZ
Occupational Therapists $103,660 +$3,330 2,680
Physical Therapists $103,220 +$460 5,170
Physical Therapist Assistants $64,650 −$3,730 2,010
Recreational Therapists $62,610 +$650 170
Exercise Physiologists $62,350 +$2,890 220
Athletic Trainers $61,710 −$810 590
Coaches and Scouts $53,130 +$5,810 4,120
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $47,980 +$820 7,010

Of the 8 occupations in this field that BLS prices for Arizona, Occupational Therapists pays the most at $103,660 ($3,330 above its national median). The largest employer of the 8 is Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, at 7,010 jobs in the state paying a median of $47,980. 6 of the 8 with a national comparison pay above their national medians here.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Other Kinesiology Degree Levels in Arizona

This page ranks associate's programs only. Arizona reports programs at other levels too, and each level is compared only with programs at that same level.

What Careers Can You Get With an Associate's in Kinesiology?

These 2 occupations list this credential, or less, as their typical entry requirement. The other 6 need further study, and each page says what. Figures are Arizona’s own BLS medians where published.

Entry requirements are O*NET’s typical-entry field; wages are BLS OEWS. Neither is a guarantee about any individual program’s graduates.

Rank 1 here is highest scoring in Arizona, not nationally; each card carries its national rank as well. Every program on this site is ranked the same way — see how we compare them.

Sources for this page

Associate's in Kinesiology Programs Near Arizona

The same ranking, filtered to one state at a time. The number is how many programs that state ranks.