Kinesiology Degree Programs

Maryland · Bachelor's ranking

Best Kinesiology Bachelor's Programs in Maryland

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

Last updated

Programs ranked
4
In-state tuition
$7,254 to $10,087
Avg graduation rate
69%
Median wage (BLS)
$59,460

What Bachelor's in Kinesiology Programs in Maryland 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 4 highest scoring in Maryland. University of Maryland-College Park leads the state with a score of 97.6, which is national rank 4 out of 568. One of the 4 also lands in the national top 25.

In-state tuition runs from $7,254 to $10,087 across the 4 programs with a published rate. The 4 schools with a published graduation rate average 69%. Average admit rate across the 4 schools publishing one is 76%. Together they conferred 446 bachelor's degrees in the field in the latest IPEDS completions year.

All 4 are public institutions. None carry an online flag in IPEDS, so plan on attending in person.

All 4 Bachelor's in Kinesiology Programs in Maryland, 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: University of Maryland-College Park

    B.S. in Kinesiology

    College Park, MD · Public · suburban campus

    Our score

    1st of 4 in Maryland

    National rank 4 of 568

    Students who transfer into a major after starting elsewhere fit Maryland's B.S. in Kinesiology, one of its ten largest, at over 700 undergraduates who mostly transferred in.

    University of Maryland-College Park leads Maryland at 97.6, ahead of the other 3 programs ranked here. In-state tuition of $10,087 is the highest in the state, where the published range runs $7,254 to $10,087. Its 89% graduation rate sits against a 50% to 89% spread across the 4 Maryland schools that report one. It admits 45% of applicants, against 45% to 89% across Maryland.

    It confers 179 bachelor's degrees a year, 40% of the 446 awarded across Maryland at this level. Residency is worth $29,377 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $39,464 out-of-state rate. Nationally it is 4th of the 568 bachelor's programs scored at this level.

    • Created the first U.S. kinesiology degree, 1974
    • 120-credit plan: 46 major, 32 elective
    • Manual muscle testing course requirement
    • Sports finance and business intelligence elective
    Graduation rate
    89%
    Admit rate
    45%
    In-state tuition
    $10,087
    Out-of-state tuition
    $39,464
    Cost of attendance
    $31,731
    Undergrad enrollment
    31,133
    Degrees conferred
    179

    View University of Maryland-College Park's B.S. in Kinesiology www.umd.edu

  2. Rank 2: Salisbury University

    Exercise Science, B.S.

    Salisbury, MD · Public · suburban campus

    Our score

    2nd of 4 in Maryland

    National rank 102 of 568

    Salisbury's CAAHEP-accredited Exercise Science major splits into General, Allied Health, and Pre-Physical Therapy tracks, plus a five-year path to a Health and Human Performance master's degree.

    Salisbury University places 2nd of 4 in Maryland at 82.6, with 1 program scoring above it. In-state tuition of $7,860 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $7,254 to $10,087. Its 68% graduation rate sits against a 50% to 89% spread across the 4 Maryland schools that report one.

    It admits 87% of applicants, against 45% to 89% across Maryland. It confers 93 bachelor's degrees a year, 21% of the 446 awarded across Maryland at this level. Residency is worth $11,090 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $18,950 out-of-state rate.

    • Required senior internship (EXSC 479)
    • International internship option in Ireland
    • Shady Grove satellite location in Montgomery County
    • NSCA Education Recognition Program status
    Graduation rate
    68%
    Admit rate
    87%
    In-state tuition
    $7,860
    Out-of-state tuition
    $18,950
    Cost of attendance
    $30,472
    Undergrad enrollment
    6,288
    Degrees conferred
    93

    View Salisbury University's Exercise Science, B.S. www.salisbury.edu

  3. Rank 3: Towson University

    Exercise Science

    Towson, MD · Public · city campus

    Our score

    3rd of 4 in Maryland

    National rank 108 of 568

    Maryland residents pay $7,530 a year for Towson's exercise science degree while out-of-state students pay more than three times that, a trade worth weighing before the 150-hour internship even starts.

    Towson University places 3rd of 4 in Maryland at 82.2, with 2 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $7,530 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $7,254 to $10,087. Its 69% graduation rate sits against a 50% to 89% spread across the 4 Maryland schools that report one.

    It admits 82% of applicants, against 45% to 89% across Maryland. It confers 146 bachelor's degrees a year, 33% of the 446 awarded across Maryland at this level. Residency is worth $18,092 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $25,622 out-of-state rate.

    • Internship credit capped at six hours
    • 150 to 300 required internship hours
    • 2.5 GPA and KNES prerequisites
    • Baltimore-Washington metro internship placements
    Graduation rate
    69%
    Admit rate
    82%
    In-state tuition
    $7,530
    Out-of-state tuition
    $25,622
    Cost of attendance
    $32,730
    Undergrad enrollment
    16,264
    Degrees conferred
    146

    View Towson University's Exercise Science www.towson.edu

  4. Rank 4: Frostburg State University

    Exercise and Sport Science, B.S.

    Frostburg, MD · Public · town campus

    Our score

    4th of 4 in Maryland

    National rank 389 of 568

    Frostburg's exercise and sport science major is accredited by CAAHEP and the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences, and trains students toward the NSCA and ACSM certification exams.

    Frostburg State University places 4th of 4 in Maryland at 69.8, with 3 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $7,254 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $7,254 to $10,087. Its 50% graduation rate sits against a 50% to 89% spread across the 4 Maryland schools that report one.

    It admits 89% of applicants, against 45% to 89% across Maryland. It confers 28 bachelor's degrees a year, 6% of the 446 awarded across Maryland at this level. Residency is worth $15,594 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $22,848 out-of-state rate.

    • 22-credit coaching minor tied to Frostburg athletics
    • Cordts Physical Education Center's Activities for Life program
    • 5-year combined bachelor's and master's Athletic Training pathway
    • $54,860 median exercise physiologist pay per BLS
    Graduation rate
    50%
    Admit rate
    89%
    In-state tuition
    $7,254
    Out-of-state tuition
    $22,848
    Cost of attendance
    $27,708
    Undergrad enrollment
    3,422
    Degrees conferred
    28

    View FSU's Exercise and Sport Science, B.S. www.frostburg.edu

Every Bachelor's in Kinesiology Program in Maryland 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 University of Maryland-College Park College Park 89% 45% $10,087
02 Salisbury University Salisbury 68% 87% $7,860
03 Towson University Towson 69% 82% $7,530
04 Frostburg State University Frostburg 50% 89% $7,254

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

What Kinesiology Careers Pay in Maryland

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

Exercise Physiologists in Maryland

Maryland median
$62,220
vs national
+$2,760
Employed in MD
90
10th to 90th
$50,980 – $76,130

Exercise Physiologists in Maryland earn a median of $62,220, $2,760 above the national median of $59,460, across 90 jobs in the state. The bottom tenth earn under $50,980 and the top tenth clear $76,130, so the median is a midpoint rather than an offer.

Every Maryland Occupation This Field Feeds, by Median Wage

Occupation MD median vs national Jobs in MD
Occupational Therapists $106,980 +$6,650 2,390
Physical Therapists $106,890 +$4,130 3,940
Physical Therapist Assistants $77,670 +$9,290 1,430
Recreational Therapists $64,300 +$2,340 290
Athletic Trainers $63,970 +$1,450 320
Exercise Physiologists $62,220 +$2,760 90
Coaches and Scouts $50,590 +$3,270 3,960
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $47,420 +$260 8,650

Of the 8 occupations in this field that BLS prices for Maryland, Occupational Therapists pays the most at $106,980 ($6,650 above its national median). The largest employer of the 8 is Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, at 8,650 jobs in the state paying a median of $47,420. All 8 with a national comparison pay above their national medians here.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Other Kinesiology Degree Levels in Maryland

This page ranks bachelor's programs only. Maryland 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 Maryland’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 Maryland, 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 Maryland

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