Best Kinesiology Bachelor's Programs in Pennsylvania

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

All 12 Bachelor's in Kinesiology Programs in Pennsylvania, 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. 01

   Rank 1: Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

   Kinesiology, B.S. (Health and Human Development)

   University Park, PA · Public · city campus

   Our score

   95.7

   1st of 12 in Pennsylvania

   National rank 11 of 568

   Penn State accepts 61% of applicants to this bachelor's program, yet its 86% graduation rate still scores well above the 55% median across the 568 programs in this group.

   Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus leads Pennsylvania at 95.7, ahead of the other 11 programs ranked here. In-state tuition of $20,066 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 86% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one. It is the only public option among them, which is where the in-state rate above comes from.

   It admits 61% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 221 bachelor's degrees a year, 46% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level. Residency is worth $21,146 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $41,212 out-of-state rate. Nationally it is 11th of the 568 bachelor's programs scored at this level.

   • 42,604 undergraduates
   • 221 kinesiology degrees a year
   • $20,066 in-state tuition

   Graduation rate

   86%

   Admit rate

   61%

   In-state tuition

   $20,066

   Out-of-state tuition

   $41,212

   Cost of attendance

   $41,338

   Undergrad enrollment

   42,604

   Degrees conferred

   221

   View PSU's Kinesiology, B.S. (Health and Human Development) www.psu.edu

2. 02

   Rank 2: Grove City College

   Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

   Grove City, PA · Private nonprofit · town campus

   Our score

   87

   2nd of 12 in Pennsylvania

   National rank 49 of 568

   An 83% graduation rate, the 96th percentile among 568 bachelor's programs in this field, is the single figure behind Grove City College's score of 87, well past the 73.3 group median.

   Grove City College places 2nd of 12 in Pennsylvania at 87, with 1 program scoring above it. In-state tuition of $21,700 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 83% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

   It admits 72% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 26 bachelor's degrees a year, 5% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

   • 72% admit rate
   • 26 degrees conferred yearly
   • Private nonprofit town campus

   Graduation rate

   83%

   Admit rate

   72%

   In-state tuition

   $21,700

   Out-of-state tuition

   $21,700

   Cost of attendance

   $35,830

   Undergrad enrollment

   2,341

   Degrees conferred

   26

   www.gcc.edu

3. 03

   Rank 3: University of Scranton

   B.S. in Kinesiology

   Scranton, PA · Private nonprofit · city campus

   Our score

   83.4

   3rd of 12 in Pennsylvania

   National rank 88 of 568

   Scranton kinesiology majors compete in the ACSM Quiz Bowl and publish undergraduate research, but the 80% graduation rate, far above the 55% median for the level, is what separates its score from Temple University's 86.6.

   University of Scranton places 3rd of 12 in Pennsylvania at 83.4, with 2 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $53,208 is the highest in the state, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 80% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

   It admits 81% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 46 bachelor's degrees a year, 10% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

   • Phi Epsilon Kappa kinesiology honor society
   • Department of Health and Human Performance
   • Concentrations listed in coaching and nutrition
   • Leahy College of Health Sciences

   Graduation rate

   80%

   Admit rate

   81%

   In-state tuition

   $53,208

   Out-of-state tuition

   $53,208

   Cost of attendance

   $74,535

   Undergrad enrollment

   3,613

   Degrees conferred

   46

   View University of Scranton's B.S. in Kinesiology www.scranton.edu

4. 04

   Rank 4: Marywood University

   Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

   Scranton, PA · Private nonprofit · city campus

   Our score

   83.2

   4th of 12 in Pennsylvania

   National rank 94 of 568

   Only seven students earn Marywood's exercise science degree each year, yet a 72% graduation rate, seventeen points above the 55% median for the level, is the single figure driving its 83.2 score.

   Marywood University places 4th of 12 in Pennsylvania at 83.2, with 3 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $39,490 is above the state midpoint, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 72% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

   It admits 61% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 7 bachelor's degrees a year, 1% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

   • Two required 120-hour internships
   • Prepares for NASM and NSCA certification
   • 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio
   • Exercise Science Lab with body-composition testing

   Graduation rate

   72%

   Admit rate

   61%

   In-state tuition

   $39,490

   Out-of-state tuition

   $39,490

   Cost of attendance

   $61,294

   Undergrad enrollment

   1,833

   Degrees conferred

   7

   View Marywood University's Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science www.marywood.edu

5. 05

   Rank 5: Chatham University

   Exercise Science

   Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit · city campus

   Our score

   82

   5th of 12 in Pennsylvania

   National rank 111 of 568

   A 62% admit rate puts Chatham in the 85th percentile for selectivity among exercise science bachelor's programs, the single biggest factor behind its score.

   Chatham University places 5th of 12 in Pennsylvania at 82, with 4 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $43,518 is above the state midpoint, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 63% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

   It admits 62% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 28 bachelor's degrees a year, 6% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

   • Applied Exercise Physiology I and II
   • Junior-year Clinical Experience course requirement
   • Senior capstone plus internship course
   • $43,518 flat tuition regardless of residency

   Graduation rate

   63%

   Admit rate

   62%

   In-state tuition

   $43,518

   Out-of-state tuition

   $43,518

   Cost of attendance

   $61,226

   Undergrad enrollment

   1,550

   Degrees conferred

   28

   View Chatham University's Exercise Science www.chatham.edu

6. 06

   Rank 6: DeSales University

   Sport and Exercise Physiology, B.S.

   Center Valley, PA · Private nonprofit · suburban campus

   Our score

   80.5

   6th of 12 in Pennsylvania

   National rank 140 of 568

   DeSales suits students already aiming at physical therapy or athletic training, since its Sport and Exercise Physiology tracks carry guaranteed admission agreements into DeSales's own DPT program and Immaculata University's MAT program.

   DeSales University places 6th of 12 in Pennsylvania at 80.5, with 5 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $45,000 is in the dearer quarter of the state, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 72% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

   It admits 77% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 17 bachelor's degrees a year, 4% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

   • Guaranteed DPT seats reserved each year
   • 4+3 Orthotics & Prosthetics master's with Drexel's Salus University
   • Required internship for every student
   • 72% graduation rate

   Graduation rate

   72%

   Admit rate

   77%

   In-state tuition

   $45,000

   Out-of-state tuition

   $45,000

   Cost of attendance

   $65,562

   Undergrad enrollment

   2,166

   Degrees conferred

   17

   View DeSales University's Sport and Exercise Physiology, B.S. www.desales.edu

7. 07

   Rank 7: Elizabethtown College

   Exercise Science

   Elizabethtown, PA · Private nonprofit · suburban campus

   Our score

   80.5

   7th of 12 in Pennsylvania

   National rank 141 of 568

   Elizabethtown ties DeSales University and Thomas Jefferson University at 80.5, but a 76% graduation rate, 21 points above the median for the level, is the differentiator.

   Elizabethtown College places 7th of 12 in Pennsylvania at 80.5, with 6 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $37,250 is above the state midpoint, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 76% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

   It admits 78% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 7 bachelor's degrees a year, 1% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

   • 78% admit rate
   • 7 kinesiology degrees conferred yearly
   • $37,250 flat tuition, in state and out

   Graduation rate

   76%

   Admit rate

   78%

   In-state tuition

   $37,250

   Out-of-state tuition

   $37,250

   Cost of attendance

   $53,440

   Undergrad enrollment

   1,903

   Degrees conferred

   7

   View Elizabethtown College's Exercise Science www.etown.edu

8. 08

   Rank 8: Thomas Jefferson University

   Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

   Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit · city campus

   Our score

   80.5

   8th of 12 in Pennsylvania

   National rank 142 of 568

   Thomas Jefferson requires two part-time 16-week internships at affiliate sites, from cardiac rehab clinics to sports performance centers, before this exercise science degree is complete.

   Thomas Jefferson University places 8th of 12 in Pennsylvania at 80.5, with 7 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $46,175 is in the dearer quarter of the state, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 69% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

   It admits 81% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 12 bachelor's degrees a year, 3% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

   • 135 credits over four years
   • Housed in the College of Rehabilitation Sciences
   • On-campus, full-time format at the East Falls campus
   • Prepares for roles from personal training to clinical exercise specialist

   Graduation rate

   69%

   Admit rate

   81%

   In-state tuition

   $46,175

   Out-of-state tuition

   $46,175

   Cost of attendance

   $67,707

   Undergrad enrollment

   3,772

   Degrees conferred

   12

   View Thomas Jefferson University's Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science www.jefferson.edu

9. 09

   Rank 9: Immaculata University

   Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

   Immaculata, PA · Private nonprofit · suburban campus

   Our score

   78.9

   9th of 12 in Pennsylvania

   National rank 168 of 568

   Sixteen points separate Immaculata's 71% graduation rate from the 55% median for the level, and that gap is what lifts the score.

   Immaculata University places 9th of 12 in Pennsylvania at 78.9, with 8 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $28,130 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 71% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

   It admits 86% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 14 bachelor's degrees a year, 3% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

   • 86% admit rate
   • 1,652 undergraduates enrolled
   • 14 degrees conferred yearly

   Graduation rate

   71%

   Admit rate

   86%

   In-state tuition

   $28,130

   Out-of-state tuition

   $28,130

   Cost of attendance

   $46,764

   Undergrad enrollment

   1,652

   Degrees conferred

   14

   View Immaculata University's Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.immaculata.edu

10. 10

    Rank 10: Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia

    Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology

    Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit · city campus

    Our score

    78.5

    10th of 12 in Pennsylvania

    National rank 175 of 568

    Saint Joseph's Exercise Physiology confers only a handful of degrees each year, yet 79% of its students graduate, a tradeoff that comes with tuition that undercuts just 4% of comparable programs.

    Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia places 10th of 12 in Pennsylvania at 78.5, with 9 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $53,060 is in the dearer quarter of the state, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 79% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

    It admits 89% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 3 bachelor's degrees a year, 1% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

    • Exercise physiologist or CSCS certification
    • Accelerated BS/DPT pathway under six years
    • Two-semester supervised practicum
    • $53,060 annual tuition
    • 3 exercise physiology degrees yearly

    Graduation rate

    79%

    Admit rate

    89%

    In-state tuition

    $53,060

    Out-of-state tuition

    $53,060

    Cost of attendance

    $72,180

    Undergrad enrollment

    5,044

    Degrees conferred

    3

    View Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia's Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology www.sju.edu

11. 11

    Rank 11: Lebanon Valley College

    Exercise Science

    Annville, PA · Private nonprofit · suburban campus

    Our score

    78.1

    11th of 12 in Pennsylvania

    National rank 180 of 568

    A 65% graduation rate, well above the 55% median for the level, does the heaviest lifting for Lebanon Valley College's Exercise Science score.

    Lebanon Valley College places 11th of 12 in Pennsylvania at 78.1, with 10 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $50,600 is in the dearer quarter of the state, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 65% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

    It admits 84% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 76 bachelor's degrees a year, 16% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

    • Graduate/Professional Track toward allied health
    • CSCS certification exam preparation
    • Strength and Conditioning Specialization add-on
    • $50,600 annual tuition
    • 76 degrees conferred yearly

    Graduation rate

    65%

    Admit rate

    84%

    In-state tuition

    $50,600

    Out-of-state tuition

    $50,600

    Cost of attendance

    $72,524

    Undergrad enrollment

    1,720

    Degrees conferred

    76

    View Lebanon Valley College's Exercise Science www.lvc.edu

12. 12

    Rank 12: Seton Hill University

    Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

    Greensburg, PA · Private nonprofit · suburban campus

    Our score

    76.2

    12th of 12 in Pennsylvania

    National rank 219 of 568

    Seton Hill holds CAAHEP accreditation through 2033, and a 67% graduation rate, twelve points above the 55% median for the level, lifts its score to 76.2, the 76th percentile among 568 comparable programs.

    Seton Hill University places 12th of 12 in Pennsylvania at 76.2, with 11 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $42,294 is above the state midpoint, where the published range runs $20,066 to $53,208. Its 67% graduation rate sits against a 63% to 86% spread across the 12 Pennsylvania schools that report one.

    It admits 80% of applicants, against 61% to 89% across Pennsylvania. It confers 20 bachelor's degrees a year, 4% of the 477 awarded across Pennsylvania at this level.

    • Clinical and Health and Fitness concentrations
    • 480-hour internship requirement
    • Boyle Health Sciences Center labs
    • Senior capstone exercise prescription project
    • 80% admit rate

    Graduation rate

    67%

    Admit rate

    80%

    In-state tuition

    $42,294

    Out-of-state tuition

    $42,294

    Cost of attendance

    $60,866

    Undergrad enrollment

    1,501

    Degrees conferred

    20

    View Seton Hill University's Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science www.setonhill.edu

Every Bachelor's in Kinesiology Program in Pennsylvania Compared

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

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

What Kinesiology Careers Pay in Pennsylvania

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

Exercise Physiologists in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania median

$48,040

vs national

−$11,420

Employed in PA

640

10th to 90th

$38,900 – $67,820

Every Pennsylvania Occupation This Field Feeds, by Median Wage

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Other Kinesiology Degree Levels in Pennsylvania

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

• Associate's Associate's in Kinesiology in Pennsylvania 1 program ranked
• Master's Master's in Kinesiology in Pennsylvania 4 programs ranked
• Doctoral PhD in Kinesiology in Pennsylvania 1 program ranked

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 Pennsylvania’s own BLS medians where published.

• Physical Therapist$101,380 median in Pennsylvania · needs doctoral degree
• Occupational Therapist$98,440 median in Pennsylvania · needs master's degree
• Physical Therapist Assistant$62,580 median in Pennsylvania · reachable at this level
• Athletic Trainer$61,060 median in Pennsylvania · needs master's degree
• Recreational Therapist$58,940 median in Pennsylvania · reachable at this level
• Coach or Scout$48,730 median in Pennsylvania · reachable at this level
• Exercise Physiologist$48,040 median in Pennsylvania · reachable at this level
• Fitness Trainer or Group Instructor$45,250 median in Pennsylvania · reachable at this level

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 Pennsylvania, 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

• U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS)
• BLS OOH: Exercise Physiologists
• BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 29-1128)
• CAAHEP / CoAES accredited exercise science programs

Bachelor's in Kinesiology Programs Near Pennsylvania

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

• Connecticut 4
• Maine 3
• Massachusetts 9
• New Hampshire 1
• New Jersey 6
• New York 12