Three requirements
How We Ranked HBCU Kinesiology Programs
We started with programs classified in federal CIP 31.0505, Kinesiology and Exercise Science. Each one then had to sit at an institution on the published list of historically Black colleges and universities, and the school had to run its own page for the degree. A school name alone never established eligibility.
Bachelor’s programs keep their existing program score within the bachelor’s peer group, the same model described on our methodology page. The score reflects public federal measures, so it compares programs on one consistent footing. It does not measure campus culture, faculty mentoring or alumni networks, which matter at least as much when you choose an HBCU.
2026 shortlist
10 Best HBCU Kinesiology Bachelor’s Programs
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Rank 1: Hampton University
Kinesiology, B.S.
Hampton, VA · Private nonprofit
Program score
76.7
- Rank among these
- 1 of 10
- Graduation rate
- 57%
- Published tuition
- $27,482
- Degrees conferred
- 33
Hampton’s kinesiology bachelor’s is organized around a pre-physical therapy track, and the department says the degree is designed to meet entry requirements for most graduate physical therapy programs. It also gives a base for athletic training and exercise science study. Hampton is private, so the published price runs well above the public HBCUs here, which makes an early financial aid conversation part of the comparison.
View Hampton University’s Kinesiology, B.S. page Institution website
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Rank 2: Delaware State University
Kinesiology, B.S.
Dover, DE · Public
Program score
72.8
- Rank among these
- 2 of 10
- Graduation rate
- 39%
- Published tuition
- $9,050
- Degrees conferred
- 36
Delaware State ends the degree with research: seniors choose a capstone project or an internship, write a report, and present it orally. Coursework uses the Exercise Physiology and Movement Analysis Research Laboratories, and the department says graduates are prepared for physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training and other allied health graduate programs. It suits a student who wants real lab time before applying to clinical schools.
View Delaware State University’s Kinesiology, B.S. page Institution website
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Rank 3: Elizabeth City State University
Kinesiology, B.S.
Elizabeth City, NC · Public
Program score
71.8
- Rank among these
- 3 of 10
- Graduation rate
- 44%
- Published tuition
- $1,000
- Degrees conferred
- 23
Elizabeth City State lets you choose a direction inside one kinesiology degree: Exercise Science for physical therapy, occupational therapy and clinical exercise physiology, Fitness and Wellness for training and health coaching, or Physical Education and Health for K-12 teaching with North Carolina licensure. Minors in public health, science of coaching, and health and wellness promotion add a second focus.
View Elizabeth City State University’s Kinesiology, B.S. page Institution website
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Rank 4: Saint Augustine's University
Exercise Science, B.S.
Raleigh, NC · Private nonprofit
Program score
70.3
- Rank among these
- 4 of 10
- Graduation rate
- 25%
- Published tuition
- $10,968
- Degrees conferred
- 8
Saint Augustine’s, in Raleigh, houses its Bachelor of Science in exercise science in a dedicated Department of Exercise Science. Federal data counts only a handful of degrees conferred each year, so the cohort is small. Ask the department directly about internships, labs and graduate school connections before you apply, and compare its answers with the larger programs on this page.
View Saint Augustine's University’s Exercise Science, B.S. page Institution website
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Rank 5: Prairie View A & M University
Kinesiology, B.S.
Prairie View, TX · Public
Program score
70.2
- Rank among these
- 5 of 10
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- Published tuition
- $7,387
- Degrees conferred
- 144
Prairie View offers four tracks inside its 120-credit kinesiology degree: teaching certification, applied exercise science, sport management and a non-teaching option. Core courses include anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology, athletic injuries and research methods, and an internship course is available on some tracks. The program confers well over a hundred degrees a year, so ask how internship placements are arranged.
View Prairie View A & M University’s Kinesiology, B.S. page Institution website
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Rank 6: Huston-Tillotson University
Kinesiology, B.A. and B.S.
Austin, TX · Private nonprofit
Program score
69.3
- Rank among these
- 6 of 10
- Graduation rate
- 34%
- Published tuition
- $24,013
- Degrees conferred
- 25
Huston-Tillotson, in Austin, offers a BS in kinesiology with exercise science and athletic training concentrations, plus a BA with physical education and human performance. Written agreements open pathways into Texas State’s master’s in exercise science and into master’s athletic training programs at Texas Lutheran (3+2) and Sterling College. Small classes and student athletic trainer positions suit a student who already has a graduate route in mind.
View Huston-Tillotson University’s Kinesiology, B.A. and B.S. page Institution website
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Rank 7: Shaw University
Exercise Science, B.S.
Raleigh, NC · Private nonprofit
Program score
63.7
- Rank among these
- 7 of 10
- Graduation rate
- 22%
- Published tuition
- $12,792
- Degrees conferred
- 20
Shaw’s exercise science degree is a pre-athletic training program in Raleigh with a required clinical internship, a 2.5 cumulative GPA and a C or better in every major course. A separate Fitness and Wellness concentration sits in the same department. Athletic training entry now runs through an accredited master’s program, so ask how Shaw’s advising connects graduates to those programs.
View Shaw University’s Exercise Science, B.S. page Institution website
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Rank 8: Norfolk State University
Exercise Science, B.S.
Norfolk, VA · Public
Program score
63.3
- Rank among these
- 8 of 10
- Graduation rate
- 38%
- Published tuition
- $6,076
- Degrees conferred
- 20
Norfolk State splits its exercise science degree into four concentrations: Physical Education and Health Education for K-12 teaching, Health Fitness Instructor, Kinesiotherapy, and Health Wellness and Rehabilitation, which points toward cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. Supervised clinical experience runs from 100 to 600 documented hours depending on the concentration, and every required course needs at least a C. Pick the concentration before you enroll.
View Norfolk State University’s Exercise Science, B.S. page Institution website
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Rank 9: Bethune-Cookman University
Health & Exercise Science, B.S.
Daytona Beach, FL · Private nonprofit
Program score
61.1
- Rank among these
- 9 of 10
- Graduation rate
- 31%
- Published tuition
- $13,844
- Degrees conferred
- 29
Bethune-Cookman’s Health and Exercise Science degree offers a Sport, Fitness and Health track and a Pre-Clinical Health track, and says it prepares students for the workforce or for graduate and professional school. A 21-credit minor is open to any major and is suggested alongside pre-medicine, pre-chiropractic, nursing, psychology and aging studies, which helps students who want exercise science as a second focus.
View Bethune-Cookman University’s Health & Exercise Science, B.S. page Institution website
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Rank 10: University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Exercise Science, B.S.
Princess Anne, MD · Public
Program score
61.0
- Rank among these
- 10 of 10
- Graduation rate
- 35%
- Published tuition
- $5,750
- Degrees conferred
- 20
UMES builds its exercise science degree around a Health Fitness track and a Clinical track, with internships through sports organizations and health clinics. The department offers guaranteed seating in graduate programs for physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training and rehabilitation counseling when prerequisites are met. Study abroad options in Greece and Japan are listed on the department page.
View University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Exercise Science, B.S. page Institution website
An HBCU Master’s Program in Kinesiology
One HBCU master’s program qualifies. It is scored against 177 master’s programs, a different peer group, so it is shown here instead of being ordered with the bachelor’s degrees.
Alabama A & M University
Kinesiology, M.S.
Normal, AL · Public
- Program score
- 66.1
- Graduation rate
- 24%
- Published tuition
- $8,610
- Degrees conferred
- 5
Alabama A&M’s master’s in kinesiology offers three pathways: Applied Sport Science for non-teaching careers, Class A teacher certification, and an alternative fifth-year Class A certification. Students are expected to finish in four to six semesters and must keep a 3.00 GPA. The department points to roles such as coach, fitness instructor, personal trainer and physical education teacher, with a focus on underserved and diverse communities.
View Alabama A & M University’s Kinesiology, M.S. page Institution website
Compare it with every other program in the master’s kinesiology rankings.
Choosing Between HBCU Kinesiology Programs
Start with the career you want. Teaching licensure, clinical exercise physiology, pre-physical therapy and kinesiotherapy each come from a different concentration, and the labels differ from school to school. Read each program page for its tracks and required internship hours before you compare scores.
If athletic training is the goal, remember that the entry route is now a master’s from an accredited program. Our post on the athletic trainer master’s degree lays out the route. For physical therapy, check how your coursework lines up with the DPT prerequisites.
Price matters at every campus. The tuition shown is a published annual rate from federal reporting, not an aid offer. Ask each school for a written estimate, and browse our bachelor’s kinesiology rankings and most affordable bachelor’s programs to see where these programs fall beside the rest of the country.
Questions About HBCU Kinesiology Programs
How did you rank the best HBCU kinesiology programs?
Why is the master’s program listed separately?
Are these all the HBCUs that offer kinesiology or exercise science?
Can an HBCU kinesiology degree lead to physical therapy or athletic training?
What should I compare beyond the ranking?
Sources and Review Date
Program measures come from the federal IPEDS records used throughout this site. HBCU status was confirmed against the published list of historically Black colleges and universities, and each program name links to the school’s own degree page, which supplied the concentrations, internships and graduate pathways described above. Everything was reviewed on October 2, 2026. Recheck the school page before you apply, because programs change.