Kinesiology Degree Programs

Kentucky · Bachelor's ranking

Best Kinesiology Bachelor's Programs in Kentucky

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

Last updated

Programs ranked
7
In-state tuition
$9,704 to $47,180
Avg graduation rate
53%
Median wage (BLS)
$59,460

What Bachelor's in Kinesiology Programs in Kentucky Cost and Who Gets In

We scored all 568 bachelor's programs in exercise science and kinesiology (CIP 31.0505) on the same weighted model, then pulled the 7 highest scoring in Kentucky. Asbury University leads the state with a score of 81.4, which is national rank 122 out of 568. None of the 7 crack the national top 25, so read the scores below rather than assuming a national reputation.

In-state tuition runs from $9,704 to $47,180 across the 7 programs with a published rate. The 7 schools with a published graduation rate average 53%. Average admit rate across the 7 schools publishing one is 79%. Together they conferred 200 bachelor's degrees in the field in the latest IPEDS completions year.

3 of the 7 are public institutions and 4 are private. None carry an online flag in IPEDS, so plan on attending in person.

All 7 Bachelor's in Kinesiology Programs in Kentucky, 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: Asbury University

    B.A. in Exercise Science, Pre-Athletic Training

    Wilmore, KY · Private nonprofit · town campus

    Our score

    1st of 7 in Kentucky

    National rank 122 of 568

    A 3+2 pathway lets Asbury's Exercise Science, Pre-Athletic Training B.A. feed directly into the University of Kentucky's Master of Science in Athletic Training after three years on campus.

    Asbury University leads Kentucky at 81.4, ahead of the other 6 programs ranked here. In-state tuition of $33,072 is above the state midpoint, where the published range runs $9,704 to $47,180. Its 65% graduation rate sits against a 39% to 65% spread across the 7 Kentucky schools that report one.

    It admits 63% of applicants, against 63% to 94% across Kentucky. It confers 9 bachelor's degrees a year, 5% of the 200 awarded across Kentucky at this level. Nationally it is 122nd of the 568 bachelor's programs scored at this level.

    • Two hands-on practicum placements
    • 3.00 minimum GPA in science courses
    • Capstone bio-research integration
    • 80-credit major
    Graduation rate
    65%
    Admit rate
    63%
    In-state tuition
    $33,072
    Out-of-state tuition
    $33,072
    Cost of attendance
    $49,116
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,789
    Degrees conferred
    9

    View Asbury University's B.A. in Exercise Science, Pre-Athletic Training www.asbury.edu

  2. Rank 2: Morehead State University

    Exercise Science, B.S.

    Morehead, KY · Public · town campus

    Our score

    2nd of 7 in Kentucky

    National rank 196 of 568

    Morehead State freshmen can enter the Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program immediately and train on diagnostic equipment in the Human Performance Lab, features behind a 77.2 score close to Asbury University's 81.4 in Kentucky.

    Morehead State University places 2nd of 7 in Kentucky at 77.2, with 1 program scoring above it. In-state tuition of $9,704 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $9,704 to $47,180. Its 52% graduation rate sits against a 39% to 65% spread across the 7 Kentucky schools that report one.

    It admits 77% of applicants, against 63% to 94% across Kentucky. It confers 36 bachelor's degrees a year, 18% of the 200 awarded across Kentucky at this level. Residency is worth $4,956 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $14,660 out-of-state rate.

    • NSCA and ACSM certification exam prep
    • Facility design coursework
    • Graduates placed at Norton Healthcare and TriHealth
    • Four-year, full-time, face-to-face delivery
    • 36 degrees conferred a year
    Graduation rate
    52%
    Admit rate
    77%
    In-state tuition
    $9,704
    Out-of-state tuition
    $14,660
    Cost of attendance
    $24,526
    Undergrad enrollment
    8,258
    Degrees conferred
    36

    View MSU's Exercise Science, B.S. www.moreheadstate.edu

  3. Rank 3: Bellarmine University

    Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science

    Louisville, KY · Private nonprofit · city campus

    Our score

    3rd of 7 in Kentucky

    National rank 265 of 568

    Bellarmine's 86% admit rate lands below the median on selectivity within its group of comparable programs, but it comes bundled with early entry into the university's own Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

    Bellarmine University places 3rd of 7 in Kentucky at 74.1, with 2 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $47,180 is the highest in the state, where the published range runs $9,704 to $47,180. Its 64% graduation rate sits against a 39% to 65% spread across the 7 Kentucky schools that report one.

    It admits 86% of applicants, against 63% to 94% across Kentucky. It confers 26 bachelor's degrees a year, 13% of the 200 awarded across Kentucky at this level.

    • Health and Wellness and Sport Performance tracks
    • Flynn Building human performance lab with metabolic carts
    • 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, labs capped near 16
    • Study abroad in Dominican Republic, Australia
    Graduation rate
    64%
    Admit rate
    86%
    In-state tuition
    $47,180
    Out-of-state tuition
    $47,180
    Cost of attendance
    $64,280
    Undergrad enrollment
    2,240
    Degrees conferred
    26

    View Bellarmine University's Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science www.bellarmine.edu

  4. Rank 4: Eastern Kentucky University

    Bachelor of Science in Exercise & Sport Science

    Richmond, KY · Public · town campus

    Our score

    4th of 7 in Kentucky

    National rank 303 of 568

    EKU trades a below-median graduation rate for a price tag cheaper than most comparable programs and a 3+2 option that adds a master's after just one extra year on top of the bachelor's.

    Eastern Kentucky University places 4th of 7 in Kentucky at 72.6, with 3 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $10,020 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $9,704 to $47,180. Its 50% graduation rate sits against a 39% to 65% spread across the 7 Kentucky schools that report one.

    It admits 78% of applicants, against 63% to 94% across Kentucky. It confers 45 bachelor's degrees a year, 23% of the 200 awarded across Kentucky at this level. Residency is worth $10,910 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $20,930 out-of-state rate.

    • Pre-Physical Therapy concentration
    • Pre-Athletic Training concentration
    • 3+2 BS/MS pathway in five years
    • Coaching and Food and Nutrition minors
    • $10,020 in-state tuition
    Graduation rate
    50%
    Admit rate
    78%
    In-state tuition
    $10,020
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,930
    Cost of attendance
    $26,238
    Undergrad enrollment
    13,448
    Degrees conferred
    45

    View Eastern Kentucky University's Bachelor of Science in Exercise & Sport Science www.eku.edu

  5. Rank 5: Campbellsville University

    Sports Medicine

    Campbellsville, KY · Private nonprofit · town campus

    Our score

    5th of 7 in Kentucky

    National rank 407 of 568

    Campbellsville splits its Sports Medicine program into three tracks, Fitness Wellness Specialist, Pre-Athletic Training, and Exercise Science, well short of Union Commonwealth University's 70.9 score in Kentucky's field.

    Campbellsville University places 5th of 7 in Kentucky at 69.1, with 4 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $27,498 is below the state midpoint, where the published range runs $9,704 to $47,180. Its 42% graduation rate sits against a 39% to 65% spread across the 7 Kentucky schools that report one.

    It admits 80% of applicants, against 63% to 94% across Kentucky. It confers 14 bachelor's degrees a year, 7% of the 200 awarded across Kentucky at this level.

    • CU Online personal training track
    • CPR certification and immunization requirements
    • Faith-based Christian-centered learning community
    • Courses in therapeutic exercise
    Graduation rate
    42%
    Admit rate
    80%
    In-state tuition
    $27,498
    Out-of-state tuition
    $27,498
    Cost of attendance
    $45,000
    Undergrad enrollment
    6,848
    Degrees conferred
    14

    View Campbellsville University's Sports Medicine www.campbellsville.edu

  6. Rank 6: Western Kentucky University

    Exercise Science, Bachelor of Science

    Bowling Green, KY · Public · city campus

    Our score

    6th of 7 in Kentucky

    National rank 408 of 568

    Western Kentucky's exercise science major closes with a six hour internship or a capstone option, inside a 68 to 69 hour sequence covering clinical exercise physiology and biomechanics.

    Western Kentucky University places 6th of 7 in Kentucky at 69.1, with 5 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $11,652 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $9,704 to $47,180. Its 56% graduation rate sits against a 39% to 65% spread across the 7 Kentucky schools that report one.

    It admits 94% of applicants, against 63% to 94% across Kentucky. It confers 65 bachelor's degrees a year, 33% of the 200 awarded across Kentucky at this level. Residency is worth $15,348 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $27,000 out-of-state rate.

    • ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist exam prep
    • NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist prep
    • Supporting science includes college chemistry
    • 94% admit rate
    • $15,348 yearly in-state tuition edge
    Graduation rate
    56%
    Admit rate
    94%
    In-state tuition
    $11,652
    Out-of-state tuition
    $27,000
    Cost of attendance
    $27,718
    Undergrad enrollment
    14,151
    Degrees conferred
    65

    View Western Kentucky University's Exercise Science, Bachelor of Science www.wku.edu

  7. Rank 7: Alice Lloyd College

    Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology

    Pippa Passes, KY · Private nonprofit · rural campus

    Our score

    7th of 7 in Kentucky

    National rank 512 of 568

    Alice Lloyd requires 50 documented volunteer or work hours split across two clinical settings before graduation, a concrete bar for kinesiology majors eyeing physical therapy school.

    Alice Lloyd College places 7th of 7 in Kentucky at 62.9, with 6 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $12,000 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $9,704 to $47,180. Its 39% graduation rate sits against a 39% to 65% spread across the 7 Kentucky schools that report one.

    It admits 75% of applicants, against 63% to 94% across Kentucky. It confers 5 bachelor's degrees a year, 3% of the 200 awarded across Kentucky at this level.

    • GPA benchmark required for admission to UK's PT program
    • Red Cross CPR and First Aid certification required
    • 5 kinesiology degrees conferred a year
    • 589 total enrollment
    Graduation rate
    39%
    Admit rate
    75%
    In-state tuition
    $12,000
    Out-of-state tuition
    $12,000
    Cost of attendance
    $32,036
    Undergrad enrollment
    589
    Degrees conferred
    5

    View Alice Lloyd College's Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology www.alc.edu

Every Bachelor's in Kinesiology Program in Kentucky 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 Asbury University Wilmore 65% 63% $33,072
02 Morehead State University Morehead 52% 77% $9,704
03 Bellarmine University Louisville 64% 86% $47,180
04 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond 50% 78% $10,020
05 Campbellsville University Campbellsville 42% 80% $27,498
06 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green 56% 94% $11,652
07 Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes 39% 75% $12,000

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

What Kinesiology Careers Pay in Kentucky

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

Exercise Physiologists in Kentucky

Kentucky median
$51,070
vs national
−$8,390
Employed in KY
60
10th to 90th
$45,960 – $64,810

Exercise Physiologists in Kentucky earn a median of $51,070, $8,390 below the national median of $59,460, across 60 jobs in the state. The bottom tenth earn under $45,960 and the top tenth clear $64,810, so the median is a midpoint rather than an offer.

Every Kentucky Occupation This Field Feeds, by Median Wage

Occupation KY median vs national Jobs in KY
Physical Therapists $100,710 −$2,050 3,390
Occupational Therapists $97,650 −$2,680 2,190
Physical Therapist Assistants $61,480 −$6,900 2,580
Athletic Trainers $60,680 −$1,840 720
Recreational Therapists $59,240 −$2,720 100
Exercise Physiologists $51,070 −$8,390 60
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $45,280 −$1,880 1,990
Coaches and Scouts $35,570 −$11,750 2,800

Of the 8 occupations in this field that BLS prices for Kentucky, Physical Therapists pays the most at $100,710 ($2,050 below its national median). It is also the largest of the 8 by employment, at 3,390 jobs in the state. None of the 8 with a national comparison pays above its national median here, which is the single most useful thing to know before committing to staying in Kentucky.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Other Kinesiology Degree Levels in Kentucky

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

What Careers Can You Get With a Bachelor's in Kinesiology?

These 5 occupations list this credential, or less, as their typical entry requirement. The other 3 need further study, and each page says what. Figures are Kentucky’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 Kentucky, 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

Bachelor's in Kinesiology Programs Near Kentucky

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