Kinesiology Degree Programs

Faith-based ranking · 10 verified bachelor’s programs

Best Christian Kinesiology Programs

The best Christian kinesiology programs in this shortlist pair an exact bachelor’s program record with an official institutional statement of Christian identity. We use faith as an eligibility check, then rank programs by the same federal-data score used across this site.

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Two-source eligibility

How We Ranked Christian Kinesiology Programs

We started with bachelor’s programs classified in federal CIP 31.0505, Kinesiology and Exercise Science. Each candidate then needed two exact official sources: a school-run page for the kinesiology or exercise science degree and a mission, identity, values, or affiliation page where the institution identifies itself as Christian. We joined those sources by the program’s federal institution and program ID. A religious word in a college name never establishes eligibility.

Faith identity does not alter the numbers. After the source gate, programs keep their existing Hapi score within the bachelor’s peer group. That score uses public federal program and institution data; our methodology explains the model and each input. This makes the list a comparison of eligible academic programs, rather than a judgment about one Christian tradition over another.

These Christian kinesiology programs form a focused shortlist, not a national directory of religious colleges. The label “Christian” covers institutions with different affiliations, worship practices, conduct expectations, and approaches to integrating faith with coursework. Read each official identity source and student handbook before treating the label as a fit.

2026 national shortlist

10 Best Christian Kinesiology Programs

  1. Rank 1: Union University

    Exercise Science

    Jackson, TN · Private nonprofit

    Program score

    85.1

    Verified Christian identity: Christ-centered; affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention.

    Read the institution’s identity source
    Graduation rate
    66%
    Degrees conferred
    11
    Published tuition
    $36,005

    Federal data records 11 degrees conferred in the field and a 66% institution-wide graduation rate. Those inputs contribute to its 85.1 bachelor-level program score; the identity evidence serves only as the eligibility filter.

    View Union University’s Exercise Science Institution website

  2. Rank 2: Harding University

    Exercise Science

    Searcy, AR · Private nonprofit

    Program score

    84.5

    Verified Christian identity: Christian university affiliated with the Churches of Christ.

    Read the institution’s identity source
    Graduation rate
    69%
    Degrees conferred
    40
    Published tuition
    $25,290

    Federal data records 40 degrees conferred in the field and a 69% institution-wide graduation rate. Those inputs contribute to its 84.5 bachelor-level program score; the identity evidence serves only as the eligibility filter.

    View Harding University’s Exercise Science Institution website

  3. Rank 3: Biola University

    B.S. in Kinesiology

    La Mirada, CA · Private nonprofit

    Program score

    83.5

    Verified Christian identity: Biblically centered Christian university.

    Read the institution’s identity source
    Graduation rate
    68%
    Degrees conferred
    21
    Published tuition
    $48,984

    Federal data records 21 degrees conferred in the field and a 68% institution-wide graduation rate. Those inputs contribute to its 83.5 bachelor-level program score; the identity evidence serves only as the eligibility filter.

    View Biola University’s B.S. in Kinesiology Institution website

  4. Rank 4: LeTourneau University

    Human Performance and Sport Studies B.S., Performance and Health Professions Concentration

    Longview, TX · Private nonprofit

    Program score

    81.8

    Verified Christian identity: Interdenominational Christian university.

    Read the institution’s identity source
    Graduation rate
    59%
    Degrees conferred
    16
    Published tuition
    $36,340

    Federal data records 16 degrees conferred in the field and a 59% institution-wide graduation rate. Those inputs contribute to its 81.8 bachelor-level program score; the identity evidence serves only as the eligibility filter.

    View LeTourneau University’s Human Performance and Sport Studies B.S., Performance and Health Professions Concentration Institution website

  5. Rank 5: Abilene Christian University

    B.S. in Exercise Science

    Abilene, TX · Private nonprofit

    Program score

    81.3

    Verified Christian identity: Christian university with a Christ-centered mission.

    Read the institution’s identity source
    Graduation rate
    59%
    Degrees conferred
    49
    Published tuition
    $43,900

    Federal data records 49 degrees conferred in the field and a 59% institution-wide graduation rate. Those inputs contribute to its 81.3 bachelor-level program score; the identity evidence serves only as the eligibility filter.

    View Abilene Christian University’s B.S. in Exercise Science Institution website

  6. Rank 6: Concordia University-Irvine

    Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology

    Irvine, CA · Private nonprofit

    Program score

    80.5

    Verified Christian identity: Lutheran Christian university.

    Read the institution’s identity source
    Graduation rate
    58%
    Degrees conferred
    40
    Published tuition
    $42,500

    Federal data records 40 degrees conferred in the field and a 58% institution-wide graduation rate. Those inputs contribute to its 80.5 bachelor-level program score; the identity evidence serves only as the eligibility filter.

    View Concordia University-Irvine’s Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology Institution website

  7. Rank 7: Vanguard University of Southern California

    Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology

    Costa Mesa, CA · Private nonprofit

    Program score

    80.5

    Verified Christian identity: Christian university in the Pentecostal tradition.

    Read the institution’s identity source
    Graduation rate
    57%
    Degrees conferred
    59
    Published tuition
    $40,800

    Federal data records 59 degrees conferred in the field and a 57% institution-wide graduation rate. Those inputs contribute to its 80.5 bachelor-level program score; the identity evidence serves only as the eligibility filter.

    View Vanguard University of Southern California’s Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology Institution website

  8. Rank 8: Colorado Christian University

    Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science

    Lakewood, CO · Private nonprofit

    Program score

    80.4

    Verified Christian identity: Christian liberal arts university.

    Read the institution’s identity source
    Graduation rate
    64%
    Degrees conferred
    13
    Published tuition
    $27,631

    Federal data records 13 degrees conferred in the field and a 64% institution-wide graduation rate. Those inputs contribute to its 80.4 bachelor-level program score; the identity evidence serves only as the eligibility filter.

    View Colorado Christian University’s Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science Institution website

  9. Rank 9: Bob Jones University

    Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology

    Greenville, SC · Private nonprofit

    Program score

    80.1

    Verified Christian identity: Christian university with a published biblical mission.

    Read the institution’s identity source
    Graduation rate
    65%
    Degrees conferred
    22
    Published tuition
    $20,752

    Federal data records 22 degrees conferred in the field and a 65% institution-wide graduation rate. Those inputs contribute to its 80.1 bachelor-level program score; the identity evidence serves only as the eligibility filter.

    View Bob Jones University’s Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology Institution website

  10. Rank 10: Olivet Nazarene University

    Exercise Science

    Bourbonnais, IL · Private nonprofit

    Program score

    79.7

    Verified Christian identity: Christian university in the Wesleyan tradition.

    Read the institution’s identity source
    Graduation rate
    61%
    Degrees conferred
    19
    Published tuition
    $37,910

    Federal data records 19 degrees conferred in the field and a 61% institution-wide graduation rate. Those inputs contribute to its 79.7 bachelor-level program score; the identity evidence serves only as the eligibility filter.

    View Olivet Nazarene University’s Exercise Science Institution website

Compare Faith Fit Separately From Program Fit

A shared Christian label does not produce a shared campus experience. Some colleges connect faith directly to every course. Others emphasize chapel, service, community standards, or a denominational heritage. The official identity links beside each entry give you a starting point, but the current catalog and student handbook give the rules that affect daily life.

Comparing Christian kinesiology programs still requires a separate academic review. Compare anatomy and physiology sequences, biomechanics labs, research methods, practicum hours, internship sites, and certification preparation. If graduate school is your goal, map the prerequisites for physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, or another intended path before you enroll. A kinesiology degree title alone does not promise that every prerequisite is included.

Cost also belongs outside the score. The tuition shown is a published annual institutional rate from IPEDS, not an aid offer or a complete bill. Request an itemized estimate that adds housing, fees, books, transportation, lab costs, and internship travel, then subtract only grants and scholarships the school has confirmed for you.

Questions to Ask a Christian Kinesiology Department

Before choosing among Christian kinesiology programs, ask how the school’s stated mission affects the curriculum, campus expectations, experiential learning, and your full cost.

  • How does Christian faith appear in kinesiology courses, labs, internships, and faculty mentoring?
  • Which chapel, service, theology-course, or conduct requirements apply to undergraduates?
  • Which laboratory courses use dedicated equipment, and how much supervised practice does each student receive?
  • Which internships are arranged by the department, and which placements must students find themselves?
  • Which graduate-school prerequisites and certification exam topics are built into the selected track?
  • What will the full first-year budget be after confirmed aid?

Questions About the Best Christian Kinesiology Programs

How did you choose the best Christian kinesiology programs?
A program had to be an exact bachelor’s record in federal CIP 31.0505, have an official kinesiology or exercise science page, and belong to an institution whose own mission, identity, or affiliation page expressly identifies it as Christian. Eligible programs retain their existing bachelor-level Hapi score and sort from highest to lowest.
Does a school’s denomination affect its rank?
No. Faith identity is an eligibility requirement, not a scoring factor. The ranking does not award points for a denomination, worship practice, statement of faith, or campus ministry.
Are these all the Christian kinesiology programs in the United States?
No. This is a researched shortlist built from programs in the site’s current federal dataset that also cleared the official-source faith check. It is not a census of Christian colleges or of every faith tradition.
What should I compare beyond the ranking?
Read the curriculum, laboratory requirements, internship or practicum rules, campus faith expectations, total cost after aid, and transfer-credit policy. Ask the program which professional certifications its courses prepare students to pursue.

Sources and Review Date

Program measures come from the same federal IPEDS records used throughout this site. Program names link to current school-run degree pages. Christian identity was reviewed on each institution’s official mission, values, identity, or affiliation page on September 4, 2026. Recheck both sources because programs and institutional statements can change.