Kinesiology Degree Programs

Montana · Bachelor's ranking

Best Kinesiology Bachelor's Programs in Montana

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
$5,039 to $34,544
Avg graduation rate
46%
Median wage (BLS)
$59,460

What Bachelor's in Kinesiology Programs in Montana 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 Montana. Montana State University leads the state with a score of 77, which is national rank 205 out of 568. None of the 4 crack the national top 25, so read the scores below rather than assuming a national reputation.

In-state tuition runs from $5,039 to $34,544 across the 4 programs with a published rate. The 4 schools with a published graduation rate average 46%. Average admit rate across the 4 schools publishing one is 76%. Together they conferred 42 bachelor's degrees in the field in the latest IPEDS completions year.

2 of the 4 are public institutions and 2 are private. None carry an online flag in IPEDS, so plan on attending in person.

All 4 Bachelor's in Kinesiology Programs in Montana, 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: Montana State University

    B.S. in Kinesiology, Exercise Science Emphasis

    Bozeman, MT · Public · city campus

    Our score

    1st of 4 in Montana

    National rank 205 of 568

    Seven Exercise Science graduates leave Montana State each year while its Bozeman campus enrolls 17,135 students, and it's that campus scale, not degree output, pulling the program's score up.

    Montana State University leads Montana at 77, ahead of the other 3 programs ranked here. In-state tuition of $6,299 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $5,039 to $34,544. Its 57% graduation rate sits against a 28% to 57% spread across the 4 Montana schools that report one. It admits 82% of applicants, against 50% to 100% across Montana.

    It confers 7 bachelor's degrees a year, 17% of the 42 awarded across Montana at this level. Residency is worth $24,485 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $30,784 out-of-state rate. Nationally it is 205th of the 568 bachelor's programs scored at this level.

    • Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab research access
    • Required internship in senior year
    • Health and Fitness option also offered
    • 96% of grads employed or continuing study within a year
    • $6,299 in-state tuition
    Graduation rate
    57%
    Admit rate
    82%
    In-state tuition
    $6,299
    Out-of-state tuition
    $30,784
    Cost of attendance
    $27,936
    Undergrad enrollment
    15,046
    Degrees conferred
    7

    View MSU's B.S. in Kinesiology, Exercise Science Emphasis www.montana.edu

  2. Rank 2: University of Providence

    Exercise Science, B.S.

    Great Falls, MT · Private nonprofit · city campus

    Our score

    2nd of 4 in Montana

    National rank 395 of 568

    Only 28% of University of Providence's exercise science majors graduate on time, a 4th-percentile figure nationally that outweighs the program's unusually selective 50% admit rate in setting its 69.5 score.

    University of Providence places 2nd of 4 in Montana at 69.5, with 1 program scoring above it. In-state tuition of $30,048 is in the dearer quarter of the state, where the published range runs $5,039 to $34,544. Its 28% graduation rate sits against a 28% to 57% spread across the 4 Montana schools that report one.

    It admits 50% of applicants, against 50% to 100% across Montana. It confers 12 bachelor's degrees a year, 29% of the 42 awarded across Montana at this level.

    • Five concentrations from pre-clinical to coaching
    • Required internship for every exercise science major
    • MOA sports-officiating certification in coaching track
    • 12 exercise science degrees conferred yearly
    • 92nd percentile for admissions selectivity
    Graduation rate
    28%
    Admit rate
    50%
    In-state tuition
    $30,048
    Out-of-state tuition
    $30,048
    Cost of attendance
    $46,732
    Undergrad enrollment
    590
    Degrees conferred
    12

    View University of Providence's Exercise Science, B.S. www.uprovidence.edu

  3. Rank 3: Rocky Mountain College

    Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Billings, MT · Private nonprofit · city campus

    Our score

    3rd of 4 in Montana

    National rank 441 of 568

    Rocky Mountain College trades broader access for a more selective 70% admit rate, the 73rd percentile among peers, at a cost of attendance near $51,204.

    Rocky Mountain College places 3rd of 4 in Montana at 67.8, with 2 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $34,544 is the highest in the state, where the published range runs $5,039 to $34,544. Its 48% graduation rate sits against a 28% to 57% spread across the 4 Montana schools that report one.

    It admits 70% of applicants, against 50% to 100% across Montana. It confers 9 bachelor's degrees a year, 21% of the 42 awarded across Montana at this level.

    • Health and Human Performance department
    • Access to CINAHL and MEDLINE research databases
    • 851 undergraduates enrolled
    • 9 degrees conferred yearly in the field
    Graduation rate
    48%
    Admit rate
    70%
    In-state tuition
    $34,544
    Out-of-state tuition
    $34,544
    Cost of attendance
    $51,204
    Undergrad enrollment
    851
    Degrees conferred
    9

    View Rocky Mountain College's Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.rocky.edu

  4. Rank 4: The University of Montana-Western

    Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology

    Dillon, MT · Public · town campus

    Our score

    4th of 4 in Montana

    National rank 511 of 568

    Montana Western's Kinesiology B.S. is one of four Health and Human Performance majors on campus, the only one built strictly around exercise science rather than K-12 teaching licensure or two-year fitness credentials.

    The University of Montana-Western places 4th of 4 in Montana at 63.2, with 3 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $5,039 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $5,039 to $34,544. Its 51% graduation rate sits against a 28% to 57% spread across the 4 Montana schools that report one.

    It admits 100% of applicants, against 50% to 100% across Montana. It confers 14 bachelor's degrees a year, 33% of the 42 awarded across Montana at this level. Residency is worth $13,381 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $18,420 out-of-state rate.

    • Experience One hands-on learning model
    • HHP Lab research facility
    • Strength & Conditioning minor
    • 100% open admission rate
    • $5,039 in-state annual tuition
    Graduation rate
    51%
    Admit rate
    100%
    In-state tuition
    $5,039
    Out-of-state tuition
    $18,420
    Cost of attendance
    $23,432
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,335
    Degrees conferred
    14

    View University of Montana-Western's Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology umwestern.edu

Every Bachelor's in Kinesiology Program in Montana 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 Montana State University Bozeman 57% 82% $6,299
02 University of Providence Great Falls 28% 50% $30,048
03 Rocky Mountain College Billings 48% 70% $34,544
04 The University of Montana-Western Dillon 51% 100% $5,039

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

What Kinesiology Careers Pay in Montana

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

Every Montana Occupation This Field Feeds, by Median Wage

Occupation MT median vs national Jobs in MT
Physical Therapists $91,450 −$11,310 1,180
Occupational Therapists $88,990 −$11,340 420
Physical Therapist Assistants $62,650 −$5,730 250
Athletic Trainers $60,090 −$2,430 50
Recreational Therapists $51,110 −$10,850 40
Coaches and Scouts $48,020 +$700 990
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $43,940 −$3,220 1,420

Of the 7 occupations in this field that BLS prices for Montana, Physical Therapists pays the most at $91,450 ($11,310 below its national median). The largest employer of the 7 is Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, at 1,420 jobs in the state paying a median of $43,940. 1 of the 7 with a national comparison pays above its national median here.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Other Kinesiology Degree Levels in Montana

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

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