Kinesiology Degree Programs

National ranking · Online delivery

Best Online Kinesiology Programs for 2026, Ranked by Level

58 of the 568 programs ranked on this site are reported to the federal government as offered fully at a distance. All 58 are below, in four lists, because the level you enter at decides how much choice you get: the share runs from 25% at the master’s level down to 5% at the associate’s level.

Last updated

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The count

How Many Online Kinesiology Programs Are There?

Online kinesiology degree programs run from an associate’s through a doctorate, and the selection at one level tells you almost nothing about the selection at the next. At the master’s level, 28 of 114 programs carry the federal IPEDS flag for being offered fully at a distance. At the bachelor’s level it is 21 of 343. Same field, same federal code, roughly 4 times the share one level up.

Read the count column next to the share column. A percentage computed on 25 doctoral programs swings several points when one school changes what it reports, while the same percentage on 343 bachelor’s programs barely moves.

Online kinesiology programs by award level, with the share of programs at each level
Level Online Ranked Share
Associate’s 4 86 5%
Bachelor’s 21 343 6%
Master’s 28 114 25%
Doctoral 5 25 20%

Programs flagged in IPEDS as offered fully at a distance. The flag records what the institution reports about the program, not that no course in it meets in person. IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics

Is an Online Exercise Science Degree the Same Thing?

Federally, yes. Every program on this site shares one CIP code, 31.0505. Across the 475 programs whose degree title we have from the school’s own page, schools use 231 distinct titles for that one code, and exercise science is the largest family at 249 programs. So a search for an online exercise science degree and a search for online kinesiology degree programs return overlapping but different lists. Both are in the lists below. The naming question has its own guide, which breaks the titles into families.

How the Four Lists Below Are Ranked

Each list holds the online programs at one award level, ordered by our score, which is built from 7 federal inputs and computed against every other program at the same level. That is why there are four lists rather than one. Scoring all 58 against each other would put a doctoral score next to an associate’s score, and those two numbers were never measured on the same peer group.

It also means the program at the top of a list is the strongest of the online options at that level, not the strongest program at that level. The leading online master’s program here, University of Connecticut, ranks 13 of the 177 master’s programs scored. Every card carries that peer-group rank, so you can see the distance yourself, and the methodology sets out the weights and what the score cannot see.

4 online associate’s programs

Best Online Associate’s Degrees in Kinesiology

4 of the 86 associate’s programs ranked here are flagged as fully online, 5%, in 3 states. At that count you are not comparing a market. You are checking a handful of departments one at a time, and a phone call to each is a realistic afternoon.

An online associate’s carries one risk the other levels do not, because most people take one intending to transfer. The credits a four-year kinesiology program cares about most are anatomy and physiology with a lab, and the receiving institution decides for itself whether an online lab satisfies its requirement. Get that answer from the school you plan to transfer to, not from the one enrolling you, and get it before you enroll.

Ranked among the online associate’s programs only, so the top of this list is the strongest online option at the level rather than the strongest program at it. Each card also gives its place among all 187 associate’s programs the model scored, a wider field than the 86 with a page here.

  1. Rank 1: Eastern Iowa Community College District

    Exercise Science and Kinesiology, AA

    Davenport, IA · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 70 of 187

    EICC's transfer major runs a two-semester Anatomy and Physiology sequence that's part lecture, part lab, spread across three campuses: Clinton, Muscatine, and Scott Community College.

    EICC's Exercise Science and Kinesiology transfer major is a 62-credit Associate of Arts anchored by that two-semester Anatomy and Physiology sequence, alongside Nutrition, Biology, College Physics, and Statistics, with remaining credits split across general education electives like contemporary world issues, macroeconomics, and psychology. It runs through the district's statewide Transfer Major partnership between Iowa's community colleges and public universities, guaranteeing that credits transfer to Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, or the University of Northern Iowa, each estimated at two more years to finish the bachelor's degree, with Iowa State requiring a 2.0 GPA for the transfer to go through. Students who complete 12 credit hours at a 3.5 GPA can join the campus Phi Theta Kappa chapter for transfer scholarships.

    A 45% graduation rate, the 81st percentile among the 187 comparable programs against a 36% median, drives our score here; conferring just 2 degrees a year in this field, the 8th percentile, is the clearest drag. In-state tuition of $4,848 a year is cheaper than roughly a quarter of peers, and total cost of attendance is estimated at $23,120. It fits an Iowa resident planning a four-year kinesiology degree who wants coursework and labs available across three campuses rather than one.

    • 62-credit Associate of Arts
    • Guaranteed transfer to three Iowa universities
    • 2.0 GPA required for ISU transfer
    • Phi Theta Kappa transfer scholarships available
    Graduation rate
    45%
    In-state tuition
    $4,848
    Out-of-state tuition
    $6,456
    Cost of attendance
    $23,120
    Undergrad enrollment
    7,426
    Degrees conferred
    2

    View Eastern Iowa Community College District's Exercise Science and Kinesiology, AA www.eicc.edu

  2. Rank 2: Georgia Military College

    AS in Kinesiology

    Milledgeville, GA · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 85 of 187

    Georgia Military College's AS in Kinesiology runs across eleven satellite locations, an on-campus track, and a fully online option, and awards about 30 degrees a year, nearly triple the median for the level.

    The AS in Kinesiology prepares students for bachelor's-level work in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, covering anatomy and physiology, energy systems and bioenergetics, biomechanics, planes of motion, muscular contractions, exercise testing, program design, and injury identification and rehabilitation protocols. Core courses include a two-semester Human Anatomy and Physiology sequence with lab work (BIO 207 and BIO 208), Introduction to Kinesiology (KIN 200), and Structural Kinesiology (KIN 210). Students can complete the degree at the Milledgeville campus, at any of eleven satellite locations, or fully online, and transfer agreements are built to carry the credits into a four-year college.

    A graduation rate of 38% sits at the 57th percentile of the 187 programs at this level, the largest single input at 26% weight. Degrees conferred, about 30 a year, land at the 87th percentile against a median for the level of 11, while total enrollment of 6,575 pulls the other way at just the 33rd percentile. The result is a score of 75.8 against a median for the level of 74.8, and because only three of five model inputs are on file here, that score sits close to the middle of the group. Tuition runs $7,605 whether a student is a Georgia resident or not, cheaper than only 4.4% of peers, so this suits a student who values delivery flexibility and completion odds over the lowest possible price.

    • Milledgeville campus with satellite network
    • Structural Kinesiology course requirement
    • Two-course Human Anatomy and Physiology lab sequence
    • Transfer agreements to four-year colleges
    • Coursework in coach-athlete interactions
    Graduation rate
    38%
    In-state tuition
    $7,605
    Out-of-state tuition
    $7,605
    Cost of attendance
    $25,924
    Undergrad enrollment
    6,575
    Degrees conferred
    30

    View Georgia Military College's AS in Kinesiology www.gmc.edu

  4. Rank 3: Rio Salado College

    Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science

    Tempe, AZ · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 170 of 187

    Rio Salado College reports an online enrollment option to IPEDS, sitting alongside a graduation rate at the very bottom of the 187 programs at this level.

    Rio Salado College is a public institution in Tempe with an online enrollment option flagged by IPEDS, serving 18,841 students overall, a total in the 84th percentile of the 187 associate's exercise science and kinesiology programs scored. A 9% graduation rate sits at the bottom of the group, against a 36% median for the level, and the program confers just 1 degree a year, also the group floor. In-state tuition of $2,338 is cheaper than 38% of comparable programs. With three of five scoring inputs on file, the result of 59.9 falls well under the median at this level of 74.8. Arizona's silo leader, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, scores 73. The program fits a candidate drawn to a large, online-capable community college who can look past a low completion rate.

    • 18,841 total enrollment
    • IPEDS-flagged online enrollment option
    • Public four-year institution, city campus
    Graduation rate
    9%
    In-state tuition
    $2,338
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,928
    Undergrad enrollment
    18,841
    Degrees conferred
    1

    View Rio Salado College's Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science www.riosalado.edu

  5. Rank 4: Scottsdale Community College

    Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science

    Scottsdale, AZ · Public · rural campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 182 of 187

    A 17% graduation rate, worse than 96% of the 187 associate exercise-science programs we scored, is the single figure behind Scottsdale's 56.8 score, 18 points under the median for the level of 74.8.

    The Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science runs 60 to 64 credit hours with a C or better required in every course. It's built to transfer into ASU College of Health Solutions bachelor's tracks in Healthy Lifestyles and Fitness Science, Sports Science and Performance Programming, Clinical Exercise Science, and Kinesiology, or into NAU's Fitness Wellness BS. Coursework covers human movement analysis through anatomy, physiology, biology and psychology, and Certificates of Completion in Personal Trainer and Personal Trainer Advanced run alongside a separate Applied Science exercise science degree.

    A 17% graduation rate, worse than 96% of the 187 comparable programs against a 36% median, is the dominant force behind the 56.8 score against the 74.8 median for the level; only one exercise-science degree a year, the lowest count in the entire peer set, adds a second drag, while total enrollment of 7,065 at the 39th percentile does little to offset either. Annual tuition of $2,328 in state runs to $8,929 for non-residents, a gap that over the AA's two years grows from $4,656 to $17,858, a spread of $13,202. IPEDS also flags an online option at Scottsdale. This suits a student already anchored in the Scottsdale area who wants the ASU or NAU transfer credit and is not weighing the college's completion or output numbers heavily.

    • 60 to 64 credit hours required
    • C or better required in every course
    • Transfer-aligned with ASU and NAU bachelor's tracks
    • Personal trainer certificates run alongside the AA
    • Online option flagged in federal data
    Graduation rate
    17%
    In-state tuition
    $2,328
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,929
    Undergrad enrollment
    7,065
    Degrees conferred
    1

    View Scottsdale Community College's Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science www.scottsdalecc.edu

every associate’s program we rank

21 online bachelor’s programs

Best Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Kinesiology and Exercise Science

21 of the 343 bachelor’s programs ranked here carry the online flag, 6%, spread across 16 states. That is a shortlist you can research one school at a time, which is a better use of a week than reading another list of ten.

Ask one question of every online bachelor’s you shortlist: does the online section admit first-time students, or is it built as a completion track for people who already hold transferable credit? The two are priced and paced differently, and the second assumes a prior institution where you already took the laboratory courses.

Ranked among the online bachelor’s programs only, so the top of this list is the strongest online option at the level rather than the strongest program at it. Each card also gives its place among all 568 bachelor’s programs the model scored, a wider field than the 343 with a page here.

  1. Rank 1: University of Central Missouri

    B.S. in Kinesiology

    Warrensburg, MO · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 86 of 568

    Getting into UCM's kinesiology program is the harder part, a 64% admit rate against an 80% median for the level, but only 54% of students who enroll go on to finish, just under the 55% median.

    UCM's kinesiology major branches into five concentrations, Exercise Science, Corporate Fitness, Pre-Athletic Training, Pre-Occupational Therapy and Pre-Physical Therapy, plus an optional Fitness/Wellness minor, all built around a required 300-hour internship that has placed students at St. Luke's Health System, Western Missouri Medical Center and Boost Physical Therapy. Three on-campus labs, the Human Performance Lab, the Biomechanics Lab and the Clinical Exercise Physiology Lab, run equipment including a ParvoMedics metabolic cart, a GE dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scanner, a Cosmed BodPod, a Kistler force plate and a Qualysis motion capture system, alongside a 21-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio and coursework built toward the ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and NSCA certification exams.

    Selectivity is the main lever: a 64% admit rate against an 80% median across 568 comparable programs puts UCM at the 82nd percentile, and total enrollment near 12,900 lands at the 79th percentile. The 54% graduation rate, just under the 55% median for the level, sits at the 44th percentile and pulls the score back slightly, even as 43 degrees conferred a year clears the 24-degree median. In-state tuition of $8,550 against $17,100 for non-residents is a $34,200 gap over four years, and the department reports 95% of majors employed or continuing their education within six months. This suits a candidate set on one of the five pre-professional concentrations who can clear the admit bar and is comfortable that completion is closer to even odds than a certainty.

    • Five pre-professional concentration tracks
    • 300-hour required internship
    • Three equipped exercise-science labs
    • 21-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio
    Graduation rate
    54%
    Admit rate
    64%
    In-state tuition
    $8,550
    Out-of-state tuition
    $17,100
    Cost of attendance
    $24,731
    Undergrad enrollment
    7,584
    Degrees conferred
    43

    View University of Central Missouri's B.S. in Kinesiology www.ucmo.edu

  2. Rank 2: Southern Utah University

    Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

    Cedar City, UT · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 119 of 568

    SUU's Exercise Science majors complete cardiac-rehabilitation and conditioning-gym internships inside an ACSM-recognized program that graduates 61% of students against a 55% median for the level.

    SUU's Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science sits in the Kinesiology and Outdoor Recreation Department within the College of Health Sciences, delivered on campus, and blends anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics coursework as a foundation for later study in Allied Health Sciences, physical therapy, or physician assistant programs. Majors complete internships and research placements in cardiac rehabilitation centers, community fitness programs, conditioning gyms, and athletic fields, and the department participates in the American College of Sports Medicine's Exercise Is Medicine on-campus initiative alongside campus-wide wellness programming.

    Graduation rate is the strongest lift here: 61% of students finish, against a 55% median across the 568 bachelor's programs scored at this level, and the department confers 75 degrees a year versus a median for the level of 24. In-state tuition of $6,186 undercuts 92% of comparable programs; paying the $20,416 out-of-state rate across four years instead would add roughly $56,920 to the degree. That combination suits an in-state Utah resident aiming at a pre-PT or pre-PA track who wants hands-on clinical internships without graduate-school-level tuition.

    • ACSM-recognized Exercise is Medicine initiative
    • Cardiac rehab and conditioning-gym internships
    • Kinesiology and Outdoor Recreation department
    • $6,186 in-state tuition
    • 75 degrees conferred yearly
    Graduation rate
    61%
    Admit rate
    82%
    In-state tuition
    $6,186
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,416
    Cost of attendance
    $20,898
    Undergrad enrollment
    13,126
    Degrees conferred
    75

    View Southern Utah University's Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science www.suu.edu

  3. Rank 3: Abilene Christian University

    B.S. in Exercise Science

    Abilene, TX · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 125 of 568

    ACU's online B.S. in Exercise Science locks in your per-credit rate for all four years, but $395 a credit hour still prices the degree above most peers scored at this level.

    ACU's online Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science runs 120 total credit hours, 56 in university requirements including 9 to 15 hours of Bible coursework and 64 in the major, with up to 17 of those as electives. Tuition runs $395 per credit hour plus a $310 resource fee per term, locked at that rate for the length of the degree under the university's Locked-In Tuition program. Coursework spans psychology, statistics, chemistry, anatomy and physiology before moving into nutrition, kinesiology, strength and conditioning and research methods, and a partnership with the National Academy of Sports Medicine lets students bank up to 9 credit hours toward the degree for an existing NASM certification such as the Certified Personal Trainer credential.

    Among the 568 bachelor's programs scored at this level, admissions selectivity, a 66% admit rate landing at the 79th percentile, does the most to lift the 81.3 score against a 73.3 median for the level; 49 degrees conferred a year, more than double the 24-degree median for the level, add a smaller boost. The 59% graduation rate sits close to the 55% median for the level, neither a lift nor a drag. Tuition of $43,900 a year is cheaper than only about 12% of programs in the group, so the tradeoff here is a fully online, credential-friendly format at a price well above most peers, best suited to a working adult who values the locked rate and the NASM credit path over the lowest sticker price.

    • Locked-In Tuition rate for the full degree
    • NASM certification credit transfer
    • 64 major credit hours
    • Fully online delivery
    Graduation rate
    59%
    Admit rate
    66%
    In-state tuition
    $43,900
    Out-of-state tuition
    $43,900
    Cost of attendance
    $63,262
    Undergrad enrollment
    3,263
    Degrees conferred
    49

    View Abilene Christian University's B.S. in Exercise Science www.acu.edu

  4. Rank 4: Parker University

    B.S. in Strength and Human Performance

    Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 127 of 568

    A 300-hour internship inside the Strength and Conditioning Concentration should draw candidates chasing Parker University's CASCE-accredited B.S. in Strength and Human Performance and an early run at the CSCS exam.

    Parker's online B.S. in Strength and Human Performance runs two tracks: an 80-hour in-person Practicum Track for students still exploring exercise and sport science careers, and a Strength and Conditioning Concentration built around a 300-hour in-person internship at a training facility anywhere in the country, paired with online coursework aimed at the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam. The program carries CASCE accreditation from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, among the first Strength and Human Performance programs to hold it, a credential that becomes a requirement for the CSCS exam itself by 2030.

    A 74% graduation rate lands at the 90th percentile, the strongest single push behind the 81.1 score, but Parker reports only three of the model's five inputs to IPEDS, including no admissions-selectivity figure, so the score is drawn back toward the 73.3 median for the level rather than reflecting the graduation rate on its own. Three degrees conferred a year, far under the 24-degree median for the level, adds its own drag. Tuition of $26,208 undercuts about half of peers in the group. The internship-heavy structure and the CASCE credential suit a self-directed student already set on strength and conditioning as a career rather than one still comparing broad exercise-science programs.

    • 80-hour Practicum Track option
    • Online coursework paired with the internship
    • SACSCOC institutional accreditation
    • 3 degrees conferred a year
    Graduation rate
    74%
    In-state tuition
    $26,208
    Out-of-state tuition
    $26,208
    Undergrad enrollment
    621
    Degrees conferred
    3

    View Parker University's B.S. in Strength and Human Performance www.parker.edu

  5. Rank 5: University of Kansas

    Bachelor of Applied Science in Exercise Science

    Lawrence, KS · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 144 of 568

    Kansas keeps admission open, welcoming most applicants into a Bachelor of Applied Science track that ends in a hands-on capstone, Clinical Fitness Evaluation Techniques, fitting students who want access over selectivity.

    Kansas's Bachelor of Applied Science in Exercise Science runs through the School of Education and Human Sciences and requires 120 total credit hours, including a 34-hour general education core plus applied science coursework in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, strength and conditioning, personal training, and exercise physiology. Faculty teaching the major are Fellows of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American College of Sports Medicine. Eighteen elective hours can be shaped into a formal minor, including options in Sport Management, Business, Psychology, or Nutrition, and the degree closes with a capstone course, Clinical Fitness Evaluation Techniques. Students who want the optional internship must first complete every program requirement and hold a 2.75 cumulative GPA, a threshold that also governs admission for transfer students.

    A 93% admit rate is the model's biggest drag here, at the 15th percentile for selectivity, but a 69% graduation rate offsets it heavily at the 81st percentile against a 55% median for the level. Total enrollment of 29,792 across all levels adds further lift at the 94th percentile for scale, and the major confers 124 degrees a year against a 24-degree median for the level, near the 91st percentile. In-state tuition of $10,968 against $29,298 out-of-state works out to a $73,320 gap over four years. This fits Kansas residents who want open admission, strong completion numbers, and a program built around national certifications at a fraction of the peer-typical price; out-of-state students pay closer to the group norm.

    • Faculty are NSCA and ACSM Fellows
    • 120 total credit hours required
    • 2.75 GPA required for the optional internship
    • Elective hours can complete a formal minor
    Graduation rate
    69%
    Admit rate
    93%
    In-state tuition
    $10,968
    Out-of-state tuition
    $29,298
    Cost of attendance
    $28,808
    Undergrad enrollment
    22,085
    Degrees conferred
    124

    View University of Kansas' Bachelor of Applied Science in Exercise Science ku.edu

  6. Rank 6: Canisius University

    Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 148 of 568

    Canisius fits a candidate who wants a small private Buffalo campus with a 66% graduation rate and a 72% admit rate, even though this major graduates just 11 students a year.

    A 66% graduation rate is the strongest input here, at the 75th percentile against a 55% median for the level, and a 72% admit rate adds further lift at the 68th percentile for selectivity. Only 11 degrees a year go out in this field, against a 24-degree median for the level, and total enrollment of 2,451 across all levels sits below the group's typical scale, both modest drags. Canisius is a private nonprofit university on a city campus in Buffalo with 1,724 undergraduates, an online option flagged in its federal record, and tuition of $32,200 that undercuts 36.7% of the 568 comparable programs on price. This fits a candidate who values completion and selectivity at a small private campus over a larger program's scale.

    • Nonprofit four-year institution in an urban setting
    • IPEDS flags an online option at the institution
    • $32,200 tuition undercuts 36.7% of comparable programs
    Graduation rate
    66%
    Admit rate
    72%
    In-state tuition
    $32,200
    Out-of-state tuition
    $32,200
    Cost of attendance
    $50,830
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,724
    Degrees conferred
    11

    View Canisius University's Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.canisius.edu

  7. Rank 7: Olivet Nazarene University

    Exercise Science

    Bourbonnais, IL · Private nonprofit · suburban campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 154 of 568

    Olivet Nazarene's exercise science program sits inside a Christian university whose department chair has spent 26 years as a certified athletic trainer, and a 56% admit rate anchors most of its lift.

    Olivet Nazarene's exercise science offering sits within the Department of Exercise and Sports Science, alongside sibling majors in Kinesiology for pre-health professions, physical education and health teaching, recreation, sport and fitness studies, and sport management. Physical Education and Health Education teaching tracks in the department carry accreditation from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Dr. Brian Hyma chairs the department and directs the Athletic Training Program, bringing 26 years as a certified athletic trainer to oversight of the majors, and the university frames the degree around preparing a Christian professional for graduate school and professional certification.

    A 56% admit rate lands Olivet Nazarene in the 90th percentile for selectivity, the strongest single driver behind our score of 79.7 against a 73.3 median across the 568 bachelor's programs at this level, with a 61% graduation rate against a 55% median for the level adding further support. Nineteen degrees a year land the program in just the 40th percentile for awards, and a total enrollment of 3,339 (including 2,711 undergraduates) sits in the 46th percentile for institutional scale, both closer to the middle of the group than its selectivity score. Tuition runs a flat $37,910 in state or out, and at $55,685 the full cost of attendance is cheaper than only 22.3% of comparable programs. It suits a candidate seeking a small, selective, faith-based setting who can manage the higher price tag.

    • NASPE-accredited PE teaching track
    • Sport Management and Recreation majors in same department
    • Christian professional formation mission
    • 56% admit rate
    Graduation rate
    61%
    Admit rate
    56%
    In-state tuition
    $37,910
    Out-of-state tuition
    $37,910
    Cost of attendance
    $55,685
    Undergrad enrollment
    2,711
    Degrees conferred
    19

    View Olivet Nazarene University's Exercise Science www.olivet.edu

  8. Rank 8: University of North Carolina at Greensboro

    Kinesiology, B.S., Sports Medicine and Movement Science Concentration

    Greensboro, NC · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 160 of 568

    UNCG's Sports Medicine and Movement Science concentration packs 14 hours of concentration coursework, including a course on correcting pathological movement patterns, taught by faculty who also lead the university's Master's in Athletic Training program.

    UNC Greensboro's Kinesiology, B.S., Sports Medicine and Movement Science concentration targets students headed toward athletic training, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, chiropractic, pharmacy or medical school, and doubles as preparation for graduate study in neuromechanics and biomechanics. The concentration adds 14 hours of dedicated coursework, including Detection and Correction of Pathological Movement Patterns, Foundational Skills in Sports Medicine and General Physics, and draws on faculty who also serve as core instructors in UNCG's Master's in Athletic Training program. Two minors, Sport and Social Development and Sport Coaching, sit alongside the concentration in the Department of Kinesiology, and the university also offers a general Kinesiology degree and a separate Exercise Specialist concentration for students who want a different emphasis.

    An 89% admit rate is the steepest drag on our score of 79.3, landing selectivity in just the 24th percentile, but that is offset by scale: 136 kinesiology degrees a year put the program in the 92nd percentile for awards, and a total enrollment of 18,012 (including 14,416 undergraduates) lands in the 86th percentile for institutional scale, together holding the score to 79.3 against a 73.3 median across the 568 bachelor's programs at this level. In-state tuition of $4,422 against $20,773 out of state is one of the widest gaps in this comparison, worth about $65,404 in tuition alone across four years, and full cost of attendance is cheaper than 98.4% of comparable programs. It suits a North Carolina resident aiming at a specific allied-health pipeline who wants the lowest possible price for a program this size.

    • General Physics required for the concentration
    • Preparation for graduate study in neuromechanics and biomechanics
    • Sport and Social Development and Sport Coaching minors
    • Separate Exercise Specialist concentration option
    Graduation rate
    56%
    Admit rate
    89%
    In-state tuition
    $4,422
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,773
    Cost of attendance
    $22,585
    Undergrad enrollment
    14,416
    Degrees conferred
    136

    View University of North Carolina at Greensboro's Kinesiology, B.S., Sports Medicine and Movement Science Concentration www.uncg.edu

  9. Rank 9: Ouachita Baptist University

    Kinesiology B.A.

    Arkadelphia, AR · Private nonprofit · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 159 of 568

    Ouachita's five-emphasis kinesiology B.A. pushes exercise-science majors toward an ACSM certification while teaching majors take on a second education major and a licensure internship.

    Ouachita's Kinesiology B.A. runs five emphases, teaching/coaching, recreation and sports administration, exercise science, recreation and sports ministry, and pre-professional studies, each also offered as a 21-hour minor. The exercise science emphasis builds toward an American College of Sports Medicine exercise-specialist certification, while the teaching emphasis pairs with a second major in education, a coaching endorsement, and a semester-long student-teaching internship ahead of state licensure. Seniors in every emphasis complete a placement alongside a practicing exercise professional, and the department runs a concussion clinic serving high schools across five counties while staffing sports medicine for the university's 15 NCAA Division II teams. Three of the four kinesiology faculty hold ACSM certification, and students in the program dissect a cadaver alongside a practicing orthopedic surgeon.

    Ouachita's selectivity for this cohort sits at the 77th percentile among the 568 bachelor's programs scored in this field nationwide, 68% admitted against an 80% median for the level, the strongest lever behind our score of 79.3 against a 73.3 group median. A 62nd-percentile graduation rate, 61% against a 55% median, adds further support, though the program confers just 14 kinesiology degrees a year against a 24-degree median, pulling the score back down. At $33,780 a year regardless of residency, four years runs close to $135,120 before aid, a fit for a student set on a specific emphasis, teaching licensure, ACSM-track exercise science, or ministry-based recreation, at a small Christian university rather than one comparing sticker price first.

    • Five kinesiology emphases, each also a 21-hour minor
    • Cadaver dissection with an orthopedic surgeon
    • Concussion clinic serving five counties
    • Senior placement with a practicing exercise professional
    Graduation rate
    61%
    Admit rate
    68%
    In-state tuition
    $33,780
    Out-of-state tuition
    $33,780
    Cost of attendance
    $50,360
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,729
    Degrees conferred
    14

    View Ouachita Baptist University's Kinesiology B.A. obu.edu

  10. Rank 10: University of Memphis

    Exercise, Sport & Movement Sciences, B.S.

    Memphis, TN · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 185 of 568

    A 240-hour senior-year internship anchors Memphis's Exercise, Sport & Movement Sciences degree, with a paid Cooperative Education alternative for students aiming at athletic training or physical therapy graduate programs.

    The Exercise, Sport & Movement Sciences concentration sits inside Memphis's Health Studies major and covers kinesiology, physiology, biomechanics, motor behavior and exercise programming across lecture and laboratory coursework spanning anatomical, musculoskeletal, neural, cardiovascular, metabolic and respiratory systems. Every student completes a one-semester, 240-hour internship in the final senior semester, choosing a focus area, with permission to complete it inside one of the department's own labs instead. Students wanting more field exposure before graduate school can opt into a two-semester Cooperative Education program, paid hourly by the work site, with tracks for pre-athletic training, pre-occupational therapy, pre-physical therapy or pre-strength and conditioning. The program carries an endorsement from the National Strength and Conditioning Association's Education Recognition Program, tied to preparation for the NSCA-CPT and CSCS certification exams.

    Our score of 77.9 sits above the 73.3 median across the 568 bachelor's programs scored in this field. A 72% admit rate outperforms 67.8% of comparable programs on selectivity, the strongest lift behind the score, while a 51% graduation rate outperforms just 38.3% of peers, well under the 55% median for the level and the main drag. The program also awards 392 degrees a year, more than 99.6% of comparable programs, at a school whose 20,276 total enrollment outsizes 87.8% of them. In-state tuition of $8,856 a year runs to $35,424 over four years against $54,048 out of state, an $18,624 gap. That combination favors Tennessee residents who want a large, lab-anchored program with a clinical or cooperative-education track built in before applying to graduate school.

    • NSCA Education Recognition Program endorsement
    • Optional internship inside campus research labs
    • Paid rotations toward pre-AT or pre-PT tracks
    • 392 degrees conferred each year
    • 51% graduation rate
    Graduation rate
    51%
    Admit rate
    72%
    In-state tuition
    $8,856
    Out-of-state tuition
    $13,512
    Cost of attendance
    $29,644
    Undergrad enrollment
    15,770
    Degrees conferred
    392

    View University of Memphis' Exercise, Sport & Movement Sciences, B.S. www.memphis.edu

  11. Rank 11: United States Sports University

    B.S.S. in Exercise Science

    Daphne, AL · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 199 of 568

    United States Sports University suits a student chasing a certification pathway more than a traditional campus, since its exercise science coursework is built to prepare graduates for ACSM and NSCA certification exams.

    USSU's B.S.S. in Exercise Science runs both in person and online, built around human movement, fitness, sport performance and strength and conditioning. Coursework is mapped directly to industry certification exams, preparing graduates to sit for American College of Sports Medicine credentials such as Certified Personal Trainer or Clinical Exercise Physiologist, and National Strength and Conditioning Association credentials including the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. An Allied Health track layers in the prerequisite science courses and observation hours that physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training graduate programs require, without adding time to the four year degree.

    USSU reports just three of the five inputs behind our score to IPEDS, which pulls the result toward the 73.3 median for the level; even so, a 61% admit rate, the 87th percentile among the 568 bachelor's programs in this field against an 80% median, is strong enough to carry it to 77.1 in our score, even with a total institutional enrollment of 367 that lands in the bottom 1% of the field at this level. Tuition holds flat at $20,700 for residents and nonresidents, and the program awards about four exercise science degrees a year on an undergraduate body of 234. Students weighing a certification pathway over a large, selective campus are the strongest fit here.

    • Allied Health track adds PT and OT prerequisite courses
    • Offered both in person and online
    • Flat $20,700 tuition for residents and nonresidents
    • About 4 exercise science degrees awarded a year
    Admit rate
    61%
    In-state tuition
    $20,700
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,700
    Undergrad enrollment
    234
    Degrees conferred
    4

    View United States Sports University's B.S.S. in Exercise Science www.ussa.edu

  12. Rank 12: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

    Online Bachelor's in Human Performance

    Whitewater, WI · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 206 of 568

    UW-Whitewater's online Human Performance major requires a 6-credit internship and 3-credit capstone inside 47 major credits, plus a minor in health promotion, recreation, strength and conditioning or sport management.

    UW-Whitewater's B.S. in Human Performance is delivered fully online and asynchronously, a 120-credit degree built from 45 credits of general education, 6 credits of College of Education and Professional Studies requirements, and 47 credits of major coursework that includes a 6-credit internship and a 3-credit capstone. Every student also completes a roughly 22-credit minor, choosing from the department's own online options in health promotion, recreation, strength and conditioning or sport management, or a minor from outside the department. The internship can be completed as a distance learner, so students working full time can finish without relocating to campus.

    The open 86% admit rate lands only at the 34th percentile among the 568 bachelor's programs at this level, the drag that keeps our score at 77 rather than higher, even though the 59% graduation rate and an enrollment above 11,700 (77th percentile) both pull it up against the 73.3 median for the level. Wisconsin residents pay $7,119 a year against $17,219 for nonresidents, a gap that totals roughly $40,400 over a four year degree. This program fits a working adult or distance learner who wants a self-paced, asynchronous major with a built-in internship and capstone, not a residential campus experience.

    • Fully online, asynchronous course delivery
    • Internship completable entirely as a distance learner
    • Minors offered in health promotion, recreation, strength and conditioning, or sport management
    • 120 total credits to degree
    Graduation rate
    59%
    Admit rate
    86%
    In-state tuition
    $7,119
    Out-of-state tuition
    $17,219
    Cost of attendance
    $20,216
    Undergrad enrollment
    10,084
    Degrees conferred
    29

    View University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Online Bachelor's in Human Performance www.uww.edu

  13. Rank 13: Georgia Southern University

    B.S. in Kinesiology, Exercise Science

    Statesboro, GA · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 252 of 568

    Georgia Southern trades a wide-open 88% admit rate for one of the least expensive exercise science degrees in the country, at $4,488 a year in state.

    Georgia Southern awards the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a major in Exercise Science, a 124-credit-hour program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and assessed by the Committee on the Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences. Every student completes a required internship before graduation, drawing on more than 100 onsite partnerships for clinical rotations in gyms, hospital wellness centers and physical therapy clinics, and coursework runs through the university's human performance and body composition labs, where students work with ECGs and other monitoring equipment. Electives track toward physical activity and fitness and wellness management, sport performance, or tactical strength and conditioning.

    On our score, Georgia Southern sits at 74.6, just above the 73.3 median across the 568 bachelor's programs at this level, propped up by scale: total enrollment of 27,423 across all levels lands in the 93rd percentile for institutional size, and the 184 exercise science and kinesiology degrees it confers each year sit in the 95th percentile for output, well above the 24-degree median for the level. That size comes with a wide-open door: an 88% admit rate puts selectivity in just the 28th percentile of peers, the single biggest drag on the score. In-state tuition of $4,488 a year, near $17,952 across four years, undercuts 98% of comparable programs on cost; an out-of-state student pays $16,200 a year instead, a $46,848 gap over the same four years. This is a fit for a student prioritizing internship access and low cost over a selective admissions bar.

    • CAAHEP accredited, CoAES assessed
    • Required internship before graduation
    • Human performance, body composition labs
    • 124 credit hours required
    • 184 degrees conferred yearly
    Graduation rate
    55%
    Admit rate
    88%
    In-state tuition
    $4,488
    Out-of-state tuition
    $16,200
    Cost of attendance
    $26,906
    Undergrad enrollment
    23,541
    Degrees conferred
    184

    View Georgia Southern University's B.S. in Kinesiology, Exercise Science www.georgiasouthern.edu

  14. Rank 14: Crown College

    Exercise Science B.S.

    Saint Bonifacius, MN · Private nonprofit · rural campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 274 of 568

    Only 23 of every 100 applicants get into Crown College's exercise science program, a selectivity edge strong enough to offset a graduation rate that trails most of its group of comparable programs.

    Crown College's Exercise Science B.S. runs through the School of Health and Science and builds a required internship into the curriculum alongside coursework in anatomy and physiology, public health, and strength and conditioning. Students move through courses such as EXS 325 Biomechanics, EXS 380 Exercise Physiology, and EXS 425 Exercise Testing and Interpretation, with labs run in the Human Performance Lab on a COSMED Metabolic Cart, a BOD POD, Dartfish biomechanical software, and a Velotron Wingate Anaerobic Analysis system. The college holds its faculty-to-student ratio at 17:1.

    Crown's 23% admit rate runs far below the field at this level's 80% median, placing it in the 99th percentile for selectivity among the 568 bachelor's programs scored in this field and supplying the single largest lift on its 73.9. A 45% graduation rate offsets much of that gain, trailing the 55% median and landing in just the 21st percentile across the same group. The program also confers only 3 exercise science degrees a year against a 24-degree median, inside an undergraduate population of 1,523 and a total institutional enrollment of 1,846. Tuition runs $30,470 toward a $48,538 total cost of attendance. An applicant prepared for a selective, faith-integrated program with a small graduating cohort, more than a high completion rate, should shortlist Crown.

    • Biblical worldview integrated into every course
    • Human Performance Lab with COSMED Metabolic Cart
    • 17:1 faculty-to-student ratio
    • IPEDS lists an online delivery option
    Graduation rate
    45%
    Admit rate
    23%
    In-state tuition
    $30,470
    Out-of-state tuition
    $30,470
    Cost of attendance
    $48,538
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,523
    Degrees conferred
    3

    View Crown College's Exercise Science B.S. www.crown.edu

  15. Rank 15: Aurora University

    Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

    Aurora, IL · Private nonprofit · suburban campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 282 of 568

    Aurora structures its Exercise Science major into three tracks, athletic training, fitness and wellness promotion, and sports performance, with a 3+2 option that adds a Master of Science in Athletic Training in five years.

    Aurora's Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science splits into three concentrations, athletic training, fitness and wellness promotion, and sports performance, and pairs classroom work with the university's strength and conditioning department so majors train alongside AU's student-athletes. A required internship and coursework prepare graduates to sit for the Certified Exercise Physiologist exam and the NSCA's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist credential, and the major carries an NSCA Education Recognition Program designation. Students bound for athletic training can apply during junior year to a 3+2 program that stacks a Master of Science in Athletic Training onto the bachelor's for a five-year finish, and a pre-physical-therapy track and a four-year double major with business administration or sport management round out the options.

    A 60% graduation rate lands in the 60th percentile among the 568 bachelor's programs scored in exercise science and kinesiology, above the 55% median for the level and the strongest lift behind the 73.5 score against a 73.3 median. An 81% admit rate sits at the 46th selectivity percentile, a mild drag, while institutional enrollment sits at the 61st percentile and degrees conferred in the field sit at the 59th percentile, both a touch above their peer medians. Tuition of $28,800 a year undercuts 44% of comparable programs. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures the program cites, exercise physiologists earn a $54,160 median salary with 9% projected job growth from 2024 to 2034, a data point worth weighing against the concentration choice. It suits a student who wants a named concentration and a fast-tracked path into athletic training graduate study without leaving a mid-sized private university.

    • NSCA Education Recognition Program designation
    • Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam prep
    • Pre-physical-therapy track available
    • 60% graduation rate
    • $28,800 annual tuition
    Graduation rate
    60%
    Admit rate
    81%
    In-state tuition
    $28,800
    Out-of-state tuition
    $28,800
    Cost of attendance
    $47,460
    Undergrad enrollment
    4,106
    Degrees conferred
    30

    View Aurora University's Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science aurora.edu

  16. Rank 16: Texas A&M University-Texarkana

    Kinesiology, B.S.

    Texarkana, TX · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 300 of 568

    A 30% graduation rate, the steepest single drag in our model at the 5th percentile among peers, defines Texas A&M-Texarkana's kinesiology degree more than any other figure.

    Texas A&M-Texarkana's Kinesiology, B.S. splits into a Coaching and Administration Track, a General Track and a Pre-Therapy Track, alongside a separate teacher certification pathway. Every student completes a credit-bearing internship placed in a local school or community organization, timed to the next-to-last or final semester of senior year, and graduates can layer on a teacher certificate, a coaching credential or a personal trainer certification after finishing. The department frames the major around the Texarkana region's own health and rehabilitation needs, positioning graduates for roles from athletic training and physical therapy prep to community health promotion across northeast Texas.

    That 30% graduation rate is the single steepest pull in our model, sitting at just the 5th percentile among comparable programs. Selectivity offsets much of it: a 64% admit rate, tighter than the 80% median for the level, lands at the 82nd percentile and adds back nearly as much as the graduation rate subtracts. In-state tuition of $6,209 undercuts 92% of comparable programs, but out-of-state students pay $22,540, a gap that compounds to roughly $65,300 across a four-year degree. This one fits a Texas resident set on the Pre-Therapy or Coaching and Administration track who can accept a program where finishing on time is the exception, not the rule.

    • Coaching and Administration, General and Pre-Therapy tracks
    • Credit-bearing internship placed in senior year
    • IPEDS flags an online option at this campus
    • In-state tuition undercuts 92% of comparable programs
    • 64% admit rate, tighter than the 80% median for the level
    Graduation rate
    30%
    Admit rate
    64%
    In-state tuition
    $6,209
    Out-of-state tuition
    $22,540
    Cost of attendance
    $29,381
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,982
    Degrees conferred
    23

    View Texas A&M University-Texarkana's Kinesiology, B.S. www.tamut.edu

  17. Rank 17: Concordia University-Saint Paul

    Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

    Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 309 of 568

    Concordia backs a 64-credit exercise science major, shorter than most peers' 120-credit sequences, with an athletic training specialization and a reported 97.5% graduate placement rate.

    The on-campus major blends biology, chemistry, and human anatomy with foundations of exercise and sports science, nutrition, psychology, biomechanics, athletic training, and injury prevention, closing with a hands-on internship alongside working professionals. Students who want to pursue athletic training specifically can choose the Exercise Science degree with an Emphasis in Athletic Training. The university reports that 97.5% of its undergraduates find placement after graduation, per its First Destination Survey.

    A 46% graduation rate sits at the 22nd percentile among the 568 bachelor's programs scored at this level, well under the 55% median and the main reason the 72.3 score trails the 73.3 group median. The 73 exercise science degrees Concordia confers each year land at the 84th percentile for field output, more than triple the 24-degree median for the level relative to an undergraduate body of only 3,424, a partial offset. Tuition of $25,600 a year, with a cost of attendance of $45,532, sits close to the group's $25,000 in-state median. The shorter core and athletic training emphasis suit students who want to move quickly into fieldwork, provided they can tolerate a completion rate below most peers.

    • Athletic Training emphasis pathway
    • 64-credit major requirement
    • Coursework spans biology, chemistry, and biomechanics
    • 73 exercise science degrees awarded yearly
    • 46% graduation rate
    Graduation rate
    46%
    Admit rate
    79%
    In-state tuition
    $25,600
    Out-of-state tuition
    $25,600
    Cost of attendance
    $45,532
    Undergrad enrollment
    3,424
    Degrees conferred
    73

    View Concordia University-Saint Paul's Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science www.csp.edu

  18. Rank 18: Lander University

    Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Greenwood, SC · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 339 of 568

    Choosing Lander's exercise science bachelor's trades a 50% graduation rate, five points under the median for the level, for $10,700 in-state tuition, well under half the median for the level cost of $25,000.

    Lander's exercise science bachelor's runs through the Exercise Science and Human Performance department, inside the College of Nursing, Human Performance and Health Sciences alongside the School of Nursing and a Public Health program, on the university's campus in Greenwood, South Carolina. IPEDS lists an online delivery option for the program alongside its on-campus track.

    Lander scores 71.6 against a 73.3 median across 568 bachelor's peers. Its 50% graduation rate sits at the 35th percentile, the steepest single drag on the score at a 26-point weight, and an 81% admit rate lands just under the median for the level for selectivity, a smaller drag. In-state tuition of $10,700 runs $9,600 a year below the $20,300 out-of-state rate, a gap that compounds to roughly $38,400 over a four-year degree for a South Carolina resident against a non-resident classmate. It suits a South Carolina resident prioritizing tuition savings over a stronger completion-rate track record.

    • In the Exercise Science and Human Performance department
    • Online delivery option flagged by IPEDS
    • Public university in Greenwood, South Carolina
    • 40 exercise science degrees conferred a year
    • $10,700 in-state tuition
    Graduation rate
    50%
    Admit rate
    81%
    In-state tuition
    $10,700
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,300
    Cost of attendance
    $29,555
    Undergrad enrollment
    3,776
    Degrees conferred
    40

    View Lander University's Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.lander.edu

  19. Rank 19: Southeastern Oklahoma State University

    Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Durant, OK · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 375 of 568

    Southeastern Oklahoma backs its kinesiology coursework with an 18-hour Sports Coaching Minor covering everything from officiating to sport-specific coaching in six sports.

    Southeastern Oklahoma State's Department of Kinesiology backs its coursework with a Sports Coaching Minor open to majors, an 18 semester hour sequence anchored by Foundations of Kinesiology and Organization and Administration. Electives pull from a roster that includes Principles of Athletic Coaching, Principles of Strength and Conditioning, Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries, and sport-specific coaching courses in football, basketball, baseball, track, softball and volleyball.

    Southeastern Oklahoma's 70.2 trails the 73.3 median across this 568 programs at this level almost entirely on completion: a 32% graduation rate sits at just the 6th percentile against a 55% median for the level, the single largest drag in the model. Admissions selectivity actually helps, with a 76% admit rate landing at the 60th percentile, and the program's 28 degrees a year edge past the 24-degree median for the level. In-state tuition of $6,600 against $15,810 for out-of-state residents is a gap of roughly $36,840 over four years, and the sticker price undercuts 90% of comparable programs. This suits an Oklahoma resident willing to trade a lower graduation rate for a low-cost, coaching-heavy kinesiology curriculum.

    • Foundations of Kinesiology and Organization and Administration required courses
    • Electives in Strength and Conditioning and Athletic Injury Care
    • $6,600 in-state tuition, among the cheapest in its group of comparable programs
    • 76% admit rate
    Graduation rate
    32%
    Admit rate
    76%
    In-state tuition
    $6,600
    Out-of-state tuition
    $15,810
    Cost of attendance
    $19,706
    Undergrad enrollment
    3,224
    Degrees conferred
    28

    View SOSU's Bachelor's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.se.edu

  20. Rank 20: University of Southern Mississippi

    Kinesiology (Exercise Science), B.S.

    Hattiesburg, MS · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 428 of 568

    USM's Kinesiology program scores 68.1, well under the University of Mississippi's 77.5, weighed down by a 99% admit rate at the 2nd percentile for selectivity.

    The Kinesiology (Exercise Science) B.S. is a CAAHEP-accredited, Hattiesburg-based track recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association's Education Recognition Program, one of several kinesiology emphases at USM that also include a K-12 Physical Education Licensure degree and a fully online Sport Coaching B.S. Students complete internships arranged with local and national health care providers and sports training centers, supported by more than 500 declared majors, more than 20 dedicated faculty, and six program-specific scholarships. For the 2025-2026 year, the department reports a 100% internship pass rate, a 100% pass rate on national credentialing exams among students who pursued one, and full employer and program satisfaction ratings.

    Admissions selectivity is the dominant drag on the score, at the 2nd percentile among the 568 peer bachelor's programs on a 99% admit rate. Graduation rate works against it too, at the 32nd percentile on a 49% rate against a 55% median for the level. Tuition runs $9,888 in state and $11,888 out of state, with a total cost of attendance of $27,860, cheaper than about 72% of peers. It suits a student who wants an accredited, on-campus exercise science track with credentialing exam support and low list tuition, entering through open admissions.

    • CAAHEP-accredited exercise science track
    • NSCA Education Recognition Program status
    • K-12 licensure dual-degree option
    • 500+ declared kinesiology majors
    • $9,888 in-state tuition
    Graduation rate
    49%
    Admit rate
    99%
    In-state tuition
    $9,888
    Out-of-state tuition
    $11,888
    Cost of attendance
    $27,860
    Undergrad enrollment
    10,193
    Degrees conferred
    136

    View University of Southern Mississippi's Kinesiology (Exercise Science), B.S. www.usm.edu

  21. Rank 21: Northeastern State University

    Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance

    Tahlequah, OK · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 540 of 568

    Northeastern State's Health and Human Performance degree carries CAAHEP accreditation and scores 61.1, just short of Southern Nazarene University's 66.9 among Oklahoma's exercise science programs.

    The Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, built on a 35-hour major core covering human anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology, kinesiology, and care and prevention of athletic injuries. Majors choose between two 21-hour options, Clinical Health and Wellness or Exercise Science, each ending in a supervised practicum, and every student completes a department capstone and a Professional Development Site placement before reaching the 120 total degree hours. The degree also serves as pre-professional preparation for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and chiropractic programs.

    Two inputs pull our score down: a 35% graduation rate sits at the 8th percentile among the 568 bachelor's exercise science programs scored at this level, against a 55% median for the level, and full open admission puts selectivity at the floor of the same group. Two inputs push back: 52 degrees conferred a year clears the 24-program median for the level and lands at the 75th percentile, and total enrollment of 6,751 sits above most peers. In-state tuition of $6,920 undercuts 89% of comparable programs, and the $9,480 in-state to out-of-state tuition gap compounds to $37,920 over four years for an applicant crossing state lines. This is a fit for an Oklahoma resident who wants CAAHEP accreditation and a defined clinical track at a low sticker price, not for someone screening on completion rate.

    • Two options: Clinical Health and Wellness or Exercise Science
    • Practicum plus department capstone required
    • Professional Development Site placement
    • $6,920 in-state tuition
    • 52 degrees conferred yearly
    Graduation rate
    35%
    Admit rate
    100%
    In-state tuition
    $6,920
    Out-of-state tuition
    $16,400
    Cost of attendance
    $23,042
    Undergrad enrollment
    5,111
    Degrees conferred
    52

    View NSU's Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance www.nsuok.edu

the full bachelor’s ranking

28 online master’s programs

Best Online Master’s in Kinesiology Programs

28 of the 114 master’s programs ranked here are flagged as fully online, 25%, the widest online choice at any level on this site, in 21 states. An online master’s in kinesiology is also the version of this degree most often built around a job: research methods, program design and applied practice move to a screen more readily than a cadaver lab does.

Where a graduate program keeps a clinical or practicum component, the usual arrangement is a site near you rather than a trip to campus. Get the terms of that placement in writing before you accept an offer. Who finds the site, how many hours it runs, and whether the program already holds an agreement with a facility in your city.

Ranked among the online master’s programs only, so the top of this list is the strongest online option at the level rather than the strongest program at it. Each card also gives its place among all 177 master’s programs the model scored, a wider field than the 114 with a page here.

  1. Rank 1: University of Connecticut

    Exercise Science (M.S., Ph.D.)

    Storrs, CT · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 13 of 177

    An 83% graduation rate, 25 points above the 58% median for the level, does more to explain this master's program's 92 score than any other figure it reports.

    This public four-year university's master's program in exercise science and kinesiology carries our score of 92 against a 73.8 median, led by an 83% graduation rate, in the 91st percentile among comparable programs, and a 52% admit rate, in the 88th percentile for selectivity. It confers 21 of these degrees a year against a 9-degree median and enrolls 28,306 students in total on a town campus. In-state tuition runs $17,010 against $39,678 out of state, with a total cost of attendance of $40,744. Federal data flags an online option at the university alongside its on-campus offerings. It suits an applicant who wants a strong completion record at a mid-sized public university and is open to online-flagged options at the same institution.

    • Public four-year, town campus
    • $39,678 out-of-state tuition
    • 20,056 undergraduate enrollment
    Graduation rate
    83%
    Admit rate
    52%
    In-state tuition
    $17,010
    Out-of-state tuition
    $39,678
    Cost of attendance
    $40,744
    Undergrad enrollment
    20,056
    Degrees conferred
    21

    View University of Connecticut's Exercise Science (M.S., Ph.D.) uconn.edu

  2. Rank 2: Parker University

    Master of Science in Strength and Human Performance

    Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 42 of 177

    Parker's M.S. in Strength and Human Performance pairs a fully online CASCE-accredited curriculum with a required 300-hour in-person internship at a training facility the program helps you secure.

    Parker's fully online M.S. in Strength and Human Performance runs through a CASCE-accredited curriculum covering exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor learning, nutrition, and strength and conditioning, completed in two years or less. The Strength and Conditioning concentration requires a 300-hour, in-person internship at a training facility anywhere in the country, with the program director helping secure the placement, while students complete online coursework alongside the internship to prepare for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam. An advisory board of industry figures, including Dan John, Kelly Starrett, and Brett Winchester, shapes the program, and Parker notes that CASCE accreditation will become a requirement for CSCS certification by 2030.

    A 74% graduation rate places Parker in the 81st percentile among the 177 master's programs scored in this field, well above the median for the level of 58% and the largest single factor behind its score. The program also confers 36 degrees a year, the 93rd percentile of peers against a median of 9. Parker's small total enrollment of 2,308 pulls the score down somewhat, at the 11th percentile of this group of programs. Parker reports thin admissions data to IPEDS for this program, so the model pulls that portion of the score toward the median for the level rather than crediting Parker's applicant pool directly, holding the overall score closer to the middle than its graduation rate and degree output alone would suggest. Tuition is a flat $26,208 whether online or not, cheaper than about 20% of peers. Candidates who want a fully online, accredited path to CSCS-track certification with structured hands-on internship placement fit this program well.

    • Prepares for NSCA's CSCS credential
    • Advisory board includes Kelly Starrett
    • CASCE accreditation required for CSCS by 2030
    • $26,208 flat annual tuition
    • 36 degrees conferred yearly
    Graduation rate
    74%
    In-state tuition
    $26,208
    Out-of-state tuition
    $26,208
    Undergrad enrollment
    621
    Degrees conferred
    36

    View Parker University's Master of Science in Strength and Human Performance www.parker.edu

  3. Rank 3: Calvin University

    Master of Science in Exercise Science

    Grand Rapids, MI · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 48 of 177

    Calvin waives the GRE and compresses its M.S. in Exercise Science into as little as 12 months online, a convenience priced at $720 per credit inside a curriculum built on a Reformed Christian perspective.

    Calvin's M.S. in Exercise Science runs fully online in 12 to 25 months, with full- or part-time schedules and no GRE required for admission, and students choose between a Health and Exercise Rehabilitation concentration or a Performance and Sport Science concentration, each pairing seven shared exercise-science core courses with three concentration-specific courses. Both tracks include a clinical externship placement and prepare graduates to sit for the National Strength and Conditioning Association's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam, with the rehabilitation track also covering cardiac rehabilitation and clinical exercise physiology and the performance track covering injury prevention and sport psychology, plus eligibility for the Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator and Certified Performance and Sport Scientist credentials.

    A 74% graduation rate sits at the 81st percentile among the 177 master's programs scored in this field, well above the median for the level of 58% and the largest single factor behind Calvin's score. A 71% admit rate lands at the 69th percentile in selectivity, more selective than the median for the level of 81% and the second-largest driver. Calvin's small total enrollment of 3,681 pulls the score down somewhat, at the 16th percentile of this group of programs, and the program's 8 degrees a year sit at the 41st percentile, close to the median for the level of 9, adding little either way. Tuition runs a flat $39,350 whether or not a student lives in Michigan, cheaper than only about 7% of peers, with total cost of attendance near $55,070; the program's own per-credit rate is $720. That combination suits career changers and working professionals who want a fast, fully online path to certification and are comfortable paying a premium for it.

    • Concentrations in rehab and sport performance
    • Prepares for NSCA's CSCS, TSAC-F, and CPSS
    • No GRE required for admission
    • Clinical externship required
    • $55,070 total cost of attendance
    Graduation rate
    74%
    Admit rate
    71%
    In-state tuition
    $39,350
    Out-of-state tuition
    $39,350
    Cost of attendance
    $55,070
    Undergrad enrollment
    3,356
    Degrees conferred
    8

    View Calvin University's Master of Science in Exercise Science www.calvin.edu

  4. Rank 4: Southern Utah University

    Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Cedar City, UT · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 53 of 177

    A metabolic cart system, BodPod body composition testing, and EKG analyzer units in the Exercise Physiology Lab separate Southern Utah's kinesiology master's from typically equipped peers.

    Southern Utah's Exercise Physiology Lab is built around a metabolic cart system that measures energy expenditure, oxygen consumption, and exercise capacity, paired with portable blood pressure cuffs for exercise stress testing. A separate Body Composition Assessment Lab runs a BodPod along with InBody and portable BIA units, and the space includes EKG analyzer systems and oximeters to track heart electrical activity and blood oxygen saturation. Power rack systems, lifting platforms, dumbbells, and kettlebells give students room to practice coaching resistance training technique on each other, alongside classroom seating built into the lab for instruction before each session.

    Southern Utah confers 16 exercise science master's degrees a year, the 76th percentile among the 177 programs scored at this level against a median for the level of 9, and a 61% graduation rate sits close to the middle of the group at the 55th percentile against a 58% median; these are the two biggest lifts on our score of 78.6, against a 73.8 median. An 82% admit rate lands near the middle as well, at the 47th percentile for selectivity. In-state tuition of $6,186 undercuts 86% of comparable programs, though that discount does not move the score itself, and the university carries an IPEDS-flagged online delivery option. It suits a cost-conscious applicant who wants a larger cohort and does not need a highly selective admissions filter.

    • Power racks and free weights for resistance training practice
    • Portable blood pressure cuffs for stress testing
    • InBody and BIA body composition units
    • 16 degrees conferred per year
    • 61% graduation rate
    Graduation rate
    61%
    Admit rate
    82%
    In-state tuition
    $6,186
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,416
    Cost of attendance
    $20,898
    Undergrad enrollment
    13,126
    Degrees conferred
    16

    View Southern Utah University's Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.suu.edu

  5. Rank 5: East Carolina University

    Kinesiology, M.S.

    Greenville, NC · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 58 of 177

    East Carolina's six-concentration MS in Kinesiology outscores University of North Carolina at Greensboro's 77.3 but trails Wake Forest University's 89.5 among North Carolina's master's programs.

    East Carolina's MS in Kinesiology offers six concentrations: adapted physical education, biomechanics and motor control, exercise physiology, physical education, sport and exercise psychology, and sport management. Students choose a thesis, nonthesis, or licensure option, the last reserved for physical education pedagogy candidates seeking teaching licensure, and the degree requires a minimum of 36 semester hours. The program is delivered on campus and online, and graduate assistantships fund a mix of teaching and research work alongside faculty on projects tied to disease prevention and physical activity across the lifespan.

    The program's biggest drag is admissions: an 89% acceptance rate lands in just the 28th percentile of the 177 master's exercise science and kinesiology programs scored at this level, well below the 81% median for the level. It claws back ground on completion, with a 63% graduation rate in the 60th percentile against a 58% median for the level, and on volume, awarding 31 degrees a year against a median of 9, the 89th percentile. In-state tuition of $4,452 undercuts 98.9% of the 177 peers, though out-of-state students pay $20,729. Candidates who can clear ECU's open admissions bar and want a choice among six concentration areas should shortlist it.

    • Concentrations from biomechanics to sport management
    • Thesis, nonthesis or licensure completion paths
    • Graduate teaching and research assistantships
    • 36 semester-hour minimum requirement
    • On-campus or online delivery
    Graduation rate
    63%
    Admit rate
    89%
    In-state tuition
    $4,452
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,729
    Cost of attendance
    $25,013
    Undergrad enrollment
    21,445
    Degrees conferred
    31

    View East Carolina University's Kinesiology, M.S. www.ecu.edu

  7. Rank 6: University of North Carolina at Greensboro

    Online Master’s in Kinesiology

    Greensboro, NC · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 64 of 177

    UNC Greensboro trades a wide-open 89% admit rate, in just the 28th percentile for selectivity, for in-state tuition of $4,422, cheaper than 99% of peer master's programs.

    UNC Greensboro's kinesiology master's program scores 77.3, above the 73.8 median across the 177 programs at this level. The score trades one weak input for two strong ones: an 89% admit rate holds selectivity to the 28th percentile, the single biggest drag, while degrees conferred in the field rank at the 84th percentile and total enrollment of 18,012 sits at the 65th percentile, both pulling the score up. The program awards about 22 of these degrees a year at this public college on a city campus in Greensboro, where IPEDS flags an online option. In-state tuition of $4,422 undercuts 99% of comparable programs, but non-residents pay $20,773, a gap of roughly $32,700 across a two-year degree. It suits a North Carolina resident, or a remote-capable student weighing the online route, who values cost and program scale over selective admission.

    • 56% graduation rate
    • $20,773 out-of-state tuition
    • Online option flagged in IPEDS
    Graduation rate
    56%
    Admit rate
    89%
    In-state tuition
    $4,422
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,773
    Cost of attendance
    $22,585
    Undergrad enrollment
    14,416
    Degrees conferred
    22

    View University of North Carolina at Greensboro's Online Master’s in Kinesiology www.uncg.edu

  8. Rank 7: Canisius University

    M.S. in Exercise Science

    Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 75 of 177

    Canisius' 66% graduation rate, eight points above the 58% median across its 177 comparable programs, does more to explain the score than any other single figure.

    Canisius' MS in Exercise Science, formerly called Health and Human Performance, runs fully online across 33 credits, completed full time or part time in 1 to 2 years at $945 per credit hour. Coursework prepares students for the National Academy of Sports Medicine's Performance Enhancement Specialization, Corrective Exercise Specialization, and Behavior Change Specialist certification exams, plus the Certified Sports Nutrition Coach credential, and builds toward the NSCA's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam. Extended learning runs through an internship or a thesis project, with past placements at sites including the Buffalo Bills and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

    Canisius' 66% graduation rate, against a 58% median across the 177 peer master's programs in this field, is the strongest lift on our score, landing at the 66th percentile. A 72% admit rate, tighter than the 81% median for the level, pushes selectivity to the same 66th percentile. Working the other way, total institutional enrollment of 2,451 sits at just the 12th percentile among peers, and the program confers 6 degrees a year against a median of 9, the 26th percentile. Tuition runs $32,200 whether a student lives in New York or not, cheaper than only 14% of peers, though that cost does not move the score. Our score of 75.8 lands in the 58th percentile among the 177 master's programs scored in this field. Working adults who want an online, certification-aligned path to strength and conditioning or clinical roles fit best here.

    • Fully online, 33-credit format finished in 1 to 2 years
    • Curriculum aligned to NASM's PES, CES, and BCS certification exams
    • Coursework preparing for the NSCA CSCS exam
    • Internship placements with the Buffalo Bills and Roswell Park
    Graduation rate
    66%
    Admit rate
    72%
    In-state tuition
    $32,200
    Out-of-state tuition
    $32,200
    Cost of attendance
    $50,830
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,724
    Degrees conferred
    6

    View Canisius University's M.S. in Exercise Science www.canisius.edu

  9. Rank 8: University of Louisiana at Monroe

    M.S. in Exercise Science

    Monroe, LA · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 77 of 177

    Sport Performance, Applied Exercise Science, and a fully online Sport Management concentration give Louisiana-Monroe's kinesiology master's three distinct doors in, producing 14 degrees a year against a median for the level of 9.

    The Kinesiology Department's MS in Exercise Science at Louisiana-Monroe splits into three concentrations. Sport Performance runs 36 hours combining face-to-face and online coursework, with a non-thesis option built around an internship or a thesis option for students who want to conduct original research, aimed at coaching and strength-and-conditioning careers. Applied Exercise Science leans into anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and biomechanics for students headed toward rehabilitative therapy or performance research. Sport Management runs fully online and targets the business side of the sport industry, from facility direction to marketing and sales. A thesis option is available across the program for students who want it.

    Degrees conferred is the standout figure here: 14 a year, well above the 9-degree median for the level across the 177 exercise science and kinesiology master's programs scored, the 69th percentile among them and the strongest lift on our score. Graduation rate pulls the other way. At 54%, against a 58% median for the level, it lands at just the 37th percentile, the program's biggest drag, and an 85% admit rate against an 81% median puts selectivity at the 42nd percentile. Tuition runs a flat $5,788 whether a student lives in Louisiana or not, cheaper than 88% of peers, though that price does not move the score. Our score of 75.4 sits a few points under Louisiana Tech's 76.7. Students drawn to concentration variety, especially the fully online Sport Management path, and to Louisiana in-state pricing, fit well here.

    • Thesis or non-thesis-plus-internship options in Sport Performance
    • Rehabilitation-focused Applied Exercise Science coursework
    • Housed in the College of Health Sciences
    • $5,788 tuition, in-state and out
    Graduation rate
    54%
    Admit rate
    85%
    In-state tuition
    $5,788
    Out-of-state tuition
    $5,788
    Cost of attendance
    $27,316
    Undergrad enrollment
    6,761
    Degrees conferred
    14

    View University of Louisiana at Monroe's M.S. in Exercise Science www.ulm.edu

  10. Rank 9: United States Sports University

    M.S.S. in Exercise Science

    Daphne, AL · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 79 of 177

    A 61% admit rate, the single biggest lever behind United States Sports University's score, outweighs a total enrollment of just 367 students sitting in the bottom of its group of comparable programs among comparable institutions.

    The M.S.S. in Exercise Science is delivered entirely online at a school that describes itself as the nation's only freestanding sports university, with coursework in exercise physiology, strength and conditioning, nutrition and sports medicine. The curriculum is built around national standards and ethics training alongside internships, research and applied projects, and is designed to prepare graduates to sit for certifications through the American College of Sports Medicine, including Personal Trainer, Exercise Physiologist and Clinical Exercise Physiologist, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association, including the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist credential. Tuition is charged per credit hour with no out-of-state surcharge, and the school markets a completion window of as little as 15 months.

    A 61% admit rate is the standout figure here, landing in the 78th percentile of the 177 master's programs scored in this field against an 81% median for the level. That's weighed down by scale: total enrollment of 367 sits in just the bottom of its group of comparable programs, and 7 degrees conferred a year lands in the 35th percentile against a 9-degree median. The school reports little else to IPEDS, leaving out a graduation rate and an incoming SAT profile, which holds the score near the 73.8 group of comparable programs median even where selectivity is genuinely strong. Flat tuition of $20,700 for every student undercuts only 25% of the 177 peers. It fits career-changers who want a fast, fully online, certification-focused credential at a small, sport-specific school.

    • Certification prep for ACSM and NSCA credentials
    • Fully online M.S.S. delivery
    • No out-of-state tuition surcharge
    • Completable in as little as 15 months
    Admit rate
    61%
    In-state tuition
    $20,700
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,700
    Undergrad enrollment
    234
    Degrees conferred
    7

    View United States Sports University's M.S.S. in Exercise Science www.ussa.edu

  11. Rank 10: Georgia Southern University

    Master of Science in Athletic Training

    Statesboro, GA · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 88 of 177

    Georgia Southern trades a selective admissions process for accessibility, admitting 88% of applicants at $4,488 in-state, but its 55% graduation rate lags the 58% median for the level.

    Georgia Southern's 60-credit-hour Master of Science in Athletic Training runs in person at the Armstrong Campus, pairing coursework with clinical rotations every semester and a full-time clinical placement in the final term. Admission requires a 3.0 minimum GPA, GRE scores of at least 280 with a 3.5 writing score, 100 documented observation hours under a certified athletic trainer, and prerequisite coursework spanning biology, chemistry, two semesters of anatomy and physiology, physics, biomechanics, psychology, medical terminology, research methods, nutrition, structural kinesiology, and exercise physiology. Assistantship positions are available to help fund the degree, and graduates are prepared to sit for the Board of Certification exam toward athletic trainer certification and state licensure.

    Field output is what lifts Georgia Southern most: it confers 73 exercise science and kinesiology master's degrees a year, the 98th percentile against a 9-degree median for the level, and total enrollment of 27,423 sits at the 77th percentile. That gets pulled back by an 88% admit rate at just the 32nd percentile against an 81% median, and a 55% graduation rate at the 43rd percentile against 58%. The net is a score of 73.8, exactly the median for the level across 177 programs. In-state tuition of $4,488 undercuts 97.7% of peers, though non-residents pay $16,200. This suits an in-state Georgia candidate who wants Board of Certification eligibility and paid assistantship funding without chasing a highly selective program.

    • Full-time clinical placement in final semester
    • 100 observation hours with a certified athletic trainer
    • GRE required, minimum 280 with 3.5 writing
    • Assistantship positions available for funding
    Graduation rate
    55%
    Admit rate
    88%
    In-state tuition
    $4,488
    Out-of-state tuition
    $16,200
    Cost of attendance
    $26,906
    Undergrad enrollment
    23,541
    Degrees conferred
    73

    View Georgia Southern University's Master of Science in Athletic Training www.georgiasouthern.edu

  12. Rank 11: Northern Kentucky University

    Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Highland Heights, KY · Public · suburban campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 91 of 177

    Northern Kentucky's Human Performance Laboratory runs physiological and biomechanical testing, research, and consultation for outside clients, not just an in-house teaching space.

    Northern Kentucky's kinesiology work runs through its Human Performance Laboratory, which offers physiological and biomechanical testing, research support and consultation aimed at improving health, fitness and athletic performance, with assessments scheduled directly through the lab. The university carries an IPEDS flag for an online delivery option in this field, and the program sits on a suburban campus in the Greater Cincinnati region with just over 15,000 students enrolled across all levels.

    On our score, Northern Kentucky sits at 73.7, essentially matching the 73.8 median across the 177 programs scored in this field at the master's level nationally. The school is more selective than most peers, admitting 68% of applicants against an 81% median for the level, at the 72nd percentile for selectivity, the second-heaviest weighted input in the model. That's offset by a 52% graduation rate, below the 58% median for the level, at just the 32nd percentile, the largest drag on the score. The school confers 13 degrees a year in this field, at the 66th percentile against a median for the level of 9, and in-state tuition of $10,704 sits close to the $10,020 median for the level. This fits a student who values admissions rigor and lab access over a strong completion track record, with an overall score at roughly the 49th percentile among the 177 master's programs scored in this field nationally.

    • Suburban Cincinnati-region campus
    • Online option flagged in IPEDS
    • 68% admit rate
    • 13 kinesiology degrees conferred a year
    Graduation rate
    52%
    Admit rate
    68%
    In-state tuition
    $10,704
    Out-of-state tuition
    $21,528
    Cost of attendance
    $27,100
    Undergrad enrollment
    10,163
    Degrees conferred
    13

    View Northern Kentucky University's Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.nku.edu

  13. Rank 12: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

    Master of Science in Applied Kinesiology

    Whitewater, WI · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 98 of 177

    UW-Whitewater's applied kinesiology master's is delivered entirely asynchronous online, requiring no campus visits, letting students start in three different terms across the year.

    UW-Whitewater's Master of Science in Applied Kinesiology is delivered fully online and asynchronously, with no campus visits required, and students can start in spring, summer or fall and finish in as few as three semesters full-time. The 30-credit curriculum draws on exercise physiology, exercise psychology, and athletic coaching alongside research methodology, with a practicum option that adds supervised professional experience, and graduates are positioned to sit for the American College of Sports Medicine's Exercise Physiologist Certification exam. The department describes it as the only fully online M.S. in Kinesiology within the Universities of Wisconsin, with 2026-27 online tuition set at $666.32 per credit hour for Wisconsin residents and $1,280.77 for non-residents.

    No single input moves Whitewater's score much: admissions selectivity is the largest drag, an 86% admit rate at the 38th percentile against an 81% median for the level, and field degree output trails too, 6 a year against a 9-degree median, at the 25th percentile. A 59% graduation rate keeps pace with the 58% median for the level, holding the score to 72.9, just under the 73.8 median across 177 programs. In-state tuition of $7,119 undercuts 76.7% of peers. This suits a Wisconsin resident who wants asynchronous, fully online coursework and a path to the ACSM-EP credential without paying for an on-campus program.

    • Practicum option for supervised professional experience
    • Prepares for ACSM Exercise Physiologist Certification exam
    • Only fully online M.S. in UW System
    • 30-credit curriculum across four subdisciplines
    Graduation rate
    59%
    Admit rate
    86%
    In-state tuition
    $7,119
    Out-of-state tuition
    $17,219
    Cost of attendance
    $20,216
    Undergrad enrollment
    10,084
    Degrees conferred
    6

    View University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Master of Science in Applied Kinesiology www.uww.edu

  14. Rank 13: University of Memphis

    M.S. in Exercise, Sport & Movement Sciences

    Memphis, TN · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 99 of 177

    Memphis lets students pick a coursework track for clinical and coaching careers or a research track built toward a PhD, though its 51% graduation rate trails the 58% median for the level.

    Memphis's 36-hour Exercise, Sport & Movement Sciences master's, housed under the Health Studies major, splits into a coursework track and a research track. The coursework track puts 12 of its 36 hours into research methods and statistics while preparing students for clinical, sport science, or coaching roles without requiring further PhD study. The research track sets aside 6 credit hours for capstone work in the final two semesters, completed as an applied project, a thesis, or residence in a research lab under a faculty mentor, with hands-on experience that can include subject recruitment and screening, phlebotomy and blood processing, animal handling, and biomechanical or biochemical analysis. Graduates describe working in labs such as the Cardiorespiratory/Metabolic and Neuromechanics laboratories inside the College of Health and Human Sciences.

    Graduation rate holds Memphis back most, 51% against a 58% median for the level, at just the 27th percentile among 177 programs. Admissions selectivity pulls the other way: a 72% admit rate against an 81% median lands at the 66th percentile, and total enrollment of 20,276 sits at the 67th percentile. In-state tuition of $8,856 undercuts 59.1% of peers, with non-residents paying $13,512. The result is a 72.4 score, just under the 73.8 median for the level, a fit for a candidate weighing the coursework track for immediate practice roles against the research track as a bridge into a health-sciences doctorate.

    • 12 of 36 hours are research methods
    • Capstone research: applied project, thesis, or lab residence
    • Named labs include Cardiorespiratory/Metabolic and Neuromechanics
    • Faculty mentor guides all capstone research
    Graduation rate
    51%
    Admit rate
    72%
    In-state tuition
    $8,856
    Out-of-state tuition
    $13,512
    Cost of attendance
    $29,644
    Undergrad enrollment
    15,770
    Degrees conferred
    10

    View University of Memphis' M.S. in Exercise, Sport & Movement Sciences www.memphis.edu

  15. Rank 14: Aurora University

    Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Aurora, IL · Private nonprofit · suburban campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 105 of 177

    Aurora suits a student prioritizing program scale, with 20 kinesiology master's degrees conferred a year landing at the 82nd percentile among peers, over campus size or admissions rarity.

    Aurora's kinesiology master's program scores 71.2, close to the 73.8 median across the 177 programs at this level, since no single input pulls hard in either direction. Degrees conferred in the field stand out at the 82nd percentile, 20 a year against a group median of 9, while total institutional enrollment of 5,923 sits at just the 27th percentile; graduation rate at 60% and an 81% admit rate both land near the median for the level. The program runs at this private nonprofit college on a suburban campus in Aurora, where IPEDS flags an online option. Tuition of $28,800 a year undercuts only 18% of comparable programs, so two years near the reported $47,460 annual cost of attendance totals roughly $95,000. It suits a student who wants a program with real scale in the field and values remote flexibility, more than one hunting the lowest sticker price.

    • 81% admission rate
    • $28,800 annual tuition
    • Online option flagged in IPEDS
    Graduation rate
    60%
    Admit rate
    81%
    In-state tuition
    $28,800
    Out-of-state tuition
    $28,800
    Cost of attendance
    $47,460
    Undergrad enrollment
    4,106
    Degrees conferred
    20

    aurora.edu

  16. Rank 15: East Texas Baptist University

    Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Marshall, TX · Private nonprofit · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 111 of 177

    The Kinesiology department at East Texas Baptist doubles as home to a separate Athletic Training Program, preparing candidates for clinical or sports-team paths alongside its wellness management coursework.

    East Texas Baptist's Department of Kinesiology sits inside the Frank S. Groner School of Professional Studies and runs a stand-alone Athletic Training Program alongside its wellness management coursework. The department states an aim of preparing students bound for graduate study, professionals headed into health, fitness and wellness careers, and athletic trainers bound for clinical practice or amateur and professional sports settings.

    Our score of 70 sits below the 73.8 median across the 177 master's programs at this level. Admissions selectivity supplies the lift: an admit rate of 58% puts ETBU in the 81st percentile for selectivity among peers. Graduation rate pulls the other way, 47% against a 58% median for the level, landing in the 17th percentile. Annual tuition of $29,250 undercuts just 17.6% of comparable programs, so this fits a candidate who wants a small, selective private setting with an in-house athletic training program and can absorb a premium price tag.

    • Frank S. Groner School of Professional Studies
    • Aims to ready majors for graduate school
    • 8 degrees conferred in the field a year
    • Total enrollment of 1,813, among the smallest peers
    Graduation rate
    47%
    Admit rate
    58%
    In-state tuition
    $29,250
    Out-of-state tuition
    $29,250
    Cost of attendance
    $45,330
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,634
    Degrees conferred
    8

    View East Texas Baptist University's Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.etbu.edu

  17. Rank 16: Sam Houston State University

    Master of Science in Kinesiology (Sport and Human Performance)

    Huntsville, TX · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 112 of 177

    Sam Houston State's online Master of Science in Kinesiology offers a choice between a thesis and a final-exam track, trading a 90% admit rate for tuition beating 87.5% of its group of comparable programs.

    Sam Houston State's Master of Science in Kinesiology, concentrated in Sport and Human Performance, runs 30 to 36 credit hours and is delivered 100% online, with optional on-campus lab days and some hybrid or face-to-face sessions built in for synchronous work. Students choose between a thesis path, developing original research with a faculty advisor, and a non-thesis path that ends in a final exam covering the curriculum; the university opens applications for fall, spring and summer terms with deadlines of August 1, December 15 and May 15.

    Our score of 70 sits below the 73.8 median across the 177 programs at this level. Admissions openness holds it down most: a 90% admit rate lands in just the 26th percentile for selectivity, with a 55% graduation rate close behind in the 43rd percentile. Set against a total enrollment of 21,039, in-state tuition of $5,856 a year undercuts 87.5% of comparable programs and runs $9,840 below the out-of-state rate of $15,696 for students who have not established Texas residency. That combination fits a candidate who wants low cost and open admission over selectivity, and is comfortable completing the degree online with only occasional on-campus lab time.

    • Online with optional on-campus lab days
    • 30 to 36 credit hours required
    • Fall, spring and summer application deadlines
    • In-state tuition of $5,856 a year
    Graduation rate
    55%
    Admit rate
    90%
    In-state tuition
    $5,856
    Out-of-state tuition
    $15,696
    Cost of attendance
    $26,194
    Undergrad enrollment
    17,787
    Degrees conferred
    13

    View SHSU's Master of Science in Kinesiology (Sport and Human Performance) www.shsu.edu

  18. Rank 17: Tarleton State University

    Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Stephenville, TX · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 121 of 177

    Candidates drawn to breadth, six tracks across two departments, fit Tarleton best, where a 19th-percentile graduation rate holds our score at 68.8 against a 73.8 median.

    Tarleton State's College of Kinesiology and Sport Science runs two departments, Health and Human Physiology and Sport Professions, organized around six named tracks: Athletic Training, Exercise and Sport Studies, Exercise and Allied Health Profession, Physical Education Teacher Education, Fitness Athletic Strength Training, and Coaching, Athletic Administration and Recreation. The college runs separate undergraduate and graduate application portals out of its main Stephenville office.

    Graduation rate is the sharpest drag on our score, at the 19th percentile among the 177 programs in this master's level group of comparable programs, 48% against a 58% median, with admissions selectivity close behind at the 26th percentile on a 90% admit rate. The program offsets some of that by conferring 48 degrees a year, the 95th percentile and more than five times the 9-degree median for the level. In-state tuition of $4,798 is cheaper than 94% of comparable programs. It fits an applicant weighing program breadth and affordability against a completion rate that trails the field.

    • Exercise and Sport Studies (EXSS) track
    • Coaching, Athletic Administration & Recreation (CAAR) track
    • $4,798 in-state tuition
    • 48 degrees conferred a year
    Graduation rate
    48%
    Admit rate
    90%
    In-state tuition
    $4,798
    Out-of-state tuition
    $14,638
    Cost of attendance
    $24,352
    Undergrad enrollment
    15,254
    Degrees conferred
    48

    View TSU's Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.tarleton.edu

  19. Rank 18: Concordia University-Saint Paul

    Master of Science in Exercise Science

    Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 122 of 177

    Concordia's Master of Science in Exercise Science runs almost entirely on one pipeline, Northwestern Health Sciences University's Doctor of Chiropractic students, and still earns our score of 68.1.

    Concordia's Master of Science in Exercise Science runs through an articulation agreement with Northwestern Health Sciences University's Doctor of Chiropractic program: DC students and alumni transfer five courses worth 15 credits, then complete six remaining courses, 18 credits, to finish the degree, including Scientific Principles of Strength and Conditioning, Clinical Exercise Assessment, Exercise Prescription, Exercise Physiology, Research Methods and a Master's Capstone. Admission requires a bachelor's-level transcript with a 3.0 GPA and a signed NWHSU acknowledgement form, and transfer credit is accepted only if the DC coursework was completed within the past seven years.

    Graduation rate is the biggest drag on our score, at the 14th percentile among the 177 programs in this master's level group of comparable programs, 46% against a 58% median, while institutional enrollment sits at the 28th percentile on a 6,003-student campus. Degrees conferred a year run ahead of the field at 18 against a 9-degree median, the 79th percentile. Tuition is flat at $25,600 whether a student is a Minnesota resident or not, cheaper than only 22% of comparable programs, and cost of attendance runs to $45,532. It suits an NWHSU chiropractic student or alumnus adding a credential toward the Certified Chiropractic Sports Provider designation, more than someone entering exercise science as a first graduate degree.

    • DC-to-exercise-science credit transfer route
    • Six courses required to complete the degree
    • Master's Capstone course requirement
    • CCSP certification pathway
    • $25,600 flat tuition rate
    Graduation rate
    46%
    Admit rate
    79%
    In-state tuition
    $25,600
    Out-of-state tuition
    $25,600
    Cost of attendance
    $45,532
    Undergrad enrollment
    3,424
    Degrees conferred
    18

    View Concordia University-Saint Paul's Master of Science in Exercise Science www.csp.edu

  20. Rank 19: Pennsylvania Western University

    M.S. in Exercise Science and Health Promotion

    California, PA · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 134 of 177

    PennWest's online master's finishes in as little as 11 months and admits 94% of applicants, exchanging competitive selectivity for speed and open access.

    PennWest's online Master of Science in Exercise Science and Health Promotion is built for working professionals, with advanced coursework in exercise science, health promotion, wellness, assessment and program design. Certifications and prior professional experience can convert into course credit, and the degree can be finished fully online in as little as 11 months.

    An admit rate of 94% places selectivity at the 13th percentile of the 177 programs scored at the master's level, and a 52% graduation rate sits at the 32nd percentile, below the group's 58% median; together they pull the score to 66.6 against a 73.8 median for the level. The 151 kinesiology degrees PennWest confers each year rank at the 99th percentile of that same group, the one clear lift in an otherwise thin admissions profile. In-state tuition of $7,716 undercuts 71.6% of peers, making this a fit for a candidate who wants speed and cost control more than a selective admissions gate.

    • professional certifications convert into credit
    • coursework in wellness assessment and program design
    • fully online delivery format
    • $7,716 in-state tuition
    • 151 kinesiology degrees conferred yearly
    Graduation rate
    52%
    Admit rate
    94%
    In-state tuition
    $7,716
    Out-of-state tuition
    $11,574
    Cost of attendance
    $28,956
    Undergrad enrollment
    7,586
    Degrees conferred
    151

    View Pennsylvania Western University's M.S. in Exercise Science and Health Promotion www.pennwest.edu

  21. Rank 20: The University of Texas at Tyler

    M.S. in Kinesiology

    Tyler, TX · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 139 of 177

    Ninety-four percent of applicants get into UT Tyler's M.S. in Kinesiology, a selectivity percentile of 13 among 177 peer master's programs.

    UT Tyler's Department of Health and Kinesiology runs the M.S. in Kinesiology alongside a separate Master of Occupational Therapy, with the kinesiology track offered with a full online option alongside on-campus study. Faculty position the degree for two audiences: professionals looking to advance in health and kinesiology careers, and students aiming at doctoral study afterward. Students who choose the thesis route work through the department's thesis proposal and outcome forms as part of a formal research track.

    UT Tyler admits 94% of applicants against an 81% median for the level, and confers 4 kinesiology master's degrees a year against a 9-degree median across the 177 programs scored at this level, the combination that holds our score to 65.7 against a 73.8 median for the level. Its 54% graduation rate sits closer to the 58% median. Out-of-state tuition of $22,020 outpaces the $7,020 in-state rate by nearly $15,000 a year, and the online option removes the need to relocate for either group, though tuition does not move the score. Our score of 65.7 lands at the 21st percentile among the 177 comparable programs at this level. It fits a working Texas professional who wants a low-cost, low-barrier route into a kinesiology master's rather than a selective cohort.

    • Full online delivery option
    • Paired with a Master of Occupational Therapy in the same department
    • Formal thesis proposal and outcome forms track
    • $7,020 in-state annual tuition
    Graduation rate
    54%
    Admit rate
    94%
    In-state tuition
    $7,020
    Out-of-state tuition
    $22,020
    Cost of attendance
    $29,550
    Undergrad enrollment
    7,683
    Degrees conferred
    4

    View University of Texas at Tyler's M.S. in Kinesiology www.uttyler.edu

  22. Rank 21: Lander University

    M.S. in Exercise Science

    Greenwood, SC · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 143 of 177

    Lander's M.S. in Exercise Science suits a fitness or rehab professional who already has two semesters of anatomy and physiology and wants NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist prep built into the curriculum.

    Lander's M.S. in Exercise Science offers two concentrations: Sport Performance and Rehabilitation, aimed at strength and conditioning coaches, rehab specialists and personal trainers and aligned with the NSCA's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam, and Clinical Exercise Physiology, aimed at cardiac rehab and physiotherapy settings. Admission requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution plus two anatomy and physiology courses, or one of each with labs, totaling eight credit hours. The program starts new cohorts each fall, with spring admission considered case by case, and coursework runs through research design, data analysis, and hands-on fitness and health assessment.

    Lander's 50% graduation rate sits well under the 58% median across its 177 programs at this level, and the department confers one exercise science master's degree a year against a 9-degree median, the two drivers that hold our score to 65.1 against a 73.8 median. Its 81% admit rate matches the median for the level exactly, so selectivity neither helps nor hurts here. Out-of-state tuition of $20,300 nearly doubles the $10,700 in-state rate. Our score of 65.1 sits at the 19th percentile among the 177 comparable programs at this level. It fits a South Carolina resident who already holds the anatomy and physiology prerequisites and wants a small program over a large one.

    • Clinical Exercise Physiology concentration for cardiac rehab and physiotherapy
    • Fall-start cohort, spring admission case by case
    • Bachelor's degree required from an accredited institution
    • Sport Performance and Rehabilitation concentration for coaches and personal trainers
    Graduation rate
    50%
    Admit rate
    81%
    In-state tuition
    $10,700
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,300
    Cost of attendance
    $29,555
    Undergrad enrollment
    3,776
    Degrees conferred
    1

    View Lander University's M.S. in Exercise Science www.lander.edu

  23. Rank 22: William Jessup University

    Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Rocklin, CA · Private nonprofit · suburban campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 144 of 177

    William Jessup's total cost of attendance runs $56,264 a year, yet only 12.5% of its peer master's programs charge more.

    William Jessup is a small private nonprofit university in Rocklin, California, enrolling 1,317 undergraduates and conferring about 6 exercise science and kinesiology degrees at the master's level each year. Admissions run wide open, a 93% admit rate placing selectivity at the 16th percentile of the 177 peer master's programs scored nationally, and the university's overall enrollment sits at the 7th percentile of that group, the two biggest drags on its score of 65 against a 73.8 median for the level. Tuition of $36,000 a year, with a full cost of attendance of $56,264, is cheaper than just 12.5% of peers. The program suits a candidate who values a small, faith-based campus over selectivity or scale, and who has budgeted for one of the pricier options in the field.

    • Private nonprofit university in Rocklin, California
    • 1,317 undergraduate enrollment
    • online option flagged in IPEDS
    Graduation rate
    56%
    Admit rate
    93%
    In-state tuition
    $36,000
    Out-of-state tuition
    $36,000
    Cost of attendance
    $56,264
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,317
    Degrees conferred
    6

    View William Jessup University's Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.jessup.edu

  24. Rank 23: Corban University

    Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Salem, OR · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 150 of 177

    Corban's selectivity is the single largest force behind its 63.6 score, a 94% admit rate that ranks at the bottom of the 177-program field.

    Corban's kinesiology department pairs its Sport and Recreation Management track with business coursework: financial management, coaching theory and practice, and administration in sport and recreation organizations. The track carries a 100-hour internship requirement and points graduates toward roles such as recreation center director, gym owner, and wellness director. Faculty in the department bring backgrounds coaching college teams and running community recreation centers into the classroom.

    Corban's 94% admit rate against an 81% median is the single largest force behind our score, compounded by total institutional enrollment of 1,029, which sits at the third percentile for institutional scale among the 177 programs scored at this level. Its 61% graduation rate clears the 58% median, the one input working in its favor. Annual tuition of $37,172 is cheaper than just 11% of this group of programs, though that price does not move the score. Our score of 63.6 sits at the 15th percentile among the 177 comparable programs at this level. It suits a candidate drawn to a small, faith-based campus who is not shopping primarily on sticker price.

    • 100-hour internship requirement
    • Coursework in financial management and coaching theory
    • Faculty with college coaching and community recreation backgrounds
    • 1,029 total institutional enrollment
    Graduation rate
    61%
    Admit rate
    94%
    In-state tuition
    $37,172
    Out-of-state tuition
    $37,172
    Cost of attendance
    $58,189
    Undergrad enrollment
    886
    Degrees conferred
    4

    View Corban University's Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.corban.edu

  25. Rank 24: Lenoir-Rhyne University

    M.S. in Exercise Science

    Hickory, NC · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 152 of 177

    Lenoir-Rhyne's non-cohort Master of Science in Exercise Science lets a working adult set their own pace, start any semester, and choose a practicum or thesis track at the end.

    Lenoir-Rhyne's Master of Science in Exercise Science runs fully online as a non-cohort program, so students can begin in the summer, fall or spring term and move through the 33 credit hours, 27 core and 6 elective, at their own full-time or part-time pace. Prerequisites are Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs, and the core covers sports nutrition, sport and exercise psychology, human movement and biomechanics, exercise physiology, and exercise testing and prescription. Students finish with either a practicum-based Integrated Experience sequence or a three-course Thesis sequence.

    A 48% graduation rate at the 19th percentile of the 177 peer master's programs is the largest single pull on the score, with the university's small overall enrollment adding a further drag at the 9th percentile; together they hold the program at 63 against a 73.8 median for the level. Tuition of $31,000 a year is cheaper than just 15.9% of peers. The self-paced, fully online format suits a working adult who wants to move through an exercise science master's without relocating or committing to a fixed cohort schedule, provided the sticker price is not the deciding factor.

    • prerequisite anatomy and physiology courses
    • 27 core credit hours plus electives
    • private nonprofit campus in Hickory, North Carolina
    • $31,000 annual tuition
    • 48% graduation rate
    Graduation rate
    48%
    Admit rate
    85%
    In-state tuition
    $31,000
    Out-of-state tuition
    $31,000
    Cost of attendance
    $49,910
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,472
    Degrees conferred
    6

    View Lenoir-Rhyne University's M.S. in Exercise Science www.lr.edu

  26. Rank 25: University of Southern Mississippi

    M.S. in Kinesiology (Exercise Science Emphasis)

    Hattiesburg, MS · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 157 of 177

    USM delivers its Kinesiology exercise science track 100% online and admits 99% of applicants, but only 49% of the cohort finishes, the tradeoff a distance student accepts for that access.

    USM's Kinesiology M.S. carries an Exercise Science emphasis, delivered 100% online, and prepares graduates for cardiac rehabilitation and clinical health settings; the school's separate Coaching and Sport Performance M.S. targets team leadership roles instead. Graduate assistantships waive tuition and non-resident fees in exchange for up to 20 hours a week of teaching or research, contingent on full-time status and a B average each semester. Career paths the department names include clinical exercise specialist, exercise physiologist, physical education teacher, and biomechanist.

    USM admits 99% of applicants against an 81% median, the single largest drag on our score of 62.2 against a 73.8 median across the 177 programs at this level, compounded by a 49% graduation rate versus a 58% median. The department confers 12 exercise science and kinesiology master's degrees a year, above the 9-degree median, one of the few inputs working in its favor. In-state tuition of $9,888 lands near the $10,020 median. Our score of 62.2 sits at the 11th percentile among the 177 comparable programs at this level. It suits a distance student prioritizing access and assistantship funding over completion odds.

    • Paired Coaching and Sport Performance M.S. for team leadership careers
    • Graduate assistantships waive tuition and non-resident fees
    • Up to 20 hours a week of assistantship teaching or research
    • 12 kinesiology and exercise science degrees conferred a year
    Graduation rate
    49%
    Admit rate
    99%
    In-state tuition
    $9,888
    Out-of-state tuition
    $11,888
    Cost of attendance
    $27,860
    Undergrad enrollment
    10,193
    Degrees conferred
    12

    View University of Southern Mississippi's M.S. in Kinesiology (Exercise Science Emphasis) www.usm.edu

  27. Rank 26: Concordia University-Chicago

    Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    River Forest, IL · Private nonprofit · suburban campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 165 of 177

    Concordia Chicago confers 202 exercise-science-related degrees a year, more than any of its 177 peer master's programs, while its 36% graduation rate sits at the 5th percentile of that same group.

    Concordia University Chicago is a private nonprofit university in suburban River Forest, Illinois, with 1,368 undergraduates and an online option flagged in IPEDS. It confers about 202 exercise-science-related degrees a year, the highest volume among the 177 peer master's programs scored nationally, yet a 36% graduation rate at the 5th percentile and a 93% admit rate at the 16th percentile are the two steepest drags on the score, holding it at 60.3 against a 73.8 median for the level. Tuition of $36,430 a year undercuts just 11.9% of peers. The tradeoff here is between an unusually high-volume, output-heavy program and comparatively weak completion and selectivity figures, a fit mainly for a candidate unconcerned with either.

    • Private nonprofit in River Forest, Illinois
    • 1,368 undergraduate enrollment
    • online option flagged in IPEDS
    Graduation rate
    36%
    Admit rate
    93%
    In-state tuition
    $36,430
    Out-of-state tuition
    $36,430
    Cost of attendance
    $51,598
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,368
    Degrees conferred
    202

    View Concordia University-Chicago's Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.cuchicago.edu

  28. Rank 27: University of the Southwest

    Kinesiology

    Hobbs, NM · Private nonprofit · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 175 of 177

    University of the Southwest offers an online-flagged master's for a tuition bill above most peers in the field, paired with a graduation rate at the bottom of that same group.

    University of the Southwest is a private nonprofit institution in the town of Hobbs, New Mexico, with 1,130 students enrolled across all levels, a total that lands in just the 4th percentile among the 177 programs scored at the master's level in exercise science and kinesiology, and IPEDS flags an online option there. The program confers 11 degrees a year, above the median for the level of 9. Completion is the harder number: 17% of students finish, the bottom percentile of the group against a median for the level of 58%, and that gap pulls the overall score to 56.3 against the group's median of 73.8. Tuition runs $16,470 a year, cheaper than only 30% of the field at this level, whose median in-state charge is $10,020, with total cost of attendance reaching $28,870. Only three of five scoring inputs are on file here, so the model holds the score near the middle of the table rather than moving it further, a fit mainly for a candidate already anchored to Hobbs, not one comparing programs on completion odds or price.

    • 17% graduation rate
    • 11 degrees conferred yearly
    • Private nonprofit, town campus setting
    Graduation rate
    17%
    In-state tuition
    $16,470
    Out-of-state tuition
    $16,470
    Cost of attendance
    $28,870
    Undergrad enrollment
    346
    Degrees conferred
    11

    View University of the Southwest's Kinesiology www.usw.edu

  29. Rank 28: Salem University

    Master of Science in Health and Human Performance (MSHHP)

    Salem, WV · Private for-profit · rural campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 176 of 177

    Just one in five Salem University students completes a degree, a completion mark that anchors its MSHHP score at 54.7 among the 177 programs scored at this level.

    Salem's Master of Science in Health and Human Performance is a 36-credit online degree that can be finished in as little as 12 months by taking one course a month. Students choose between a Strength and Conditioning specialization built around NSCA CSCS standards, with certification tested and administered separately by the NSCA, or a Sports Coaching Education specialization covering coaching psychology, performance analysis and ethics in sport. The 21-credit core includes Human Movement Science and Biomechanics, Advanced Exercise Physiology and a capstone in research methods, and the Strength and Conditioning track adds a practical internship course.

    Salem's graduation rate of 20% sits far below the 58% median across the 177 programs scored at this level, and the school's total enrollment of 1,083 lands in just the third percentile for institutional scale, together explaining most of our score of 54.7 against a 73.8 median for the level. Because Salem reports only three of the five model inputs to IPEDS, the score is held closer to the field at this level's middle rather than falling further. In-state tuition of $11,520 is cheaper than 42% of these comparable programs. Our score of 54.7 lands at roughly the 1st percentile among the 177 programs scored at this level, and the one-course-a-month format suits a coach or trainer chasing NSCA CSCS-aligned training more than one weighing federal outcome data closely.

    • 36-credit MSHHP curriculum
    • NSCA CSCS-aligned Strength and Conditioning track
    • Sports Coaching Education specialization
    • $11,520 annual tuition
    Graduation rate
    20%
    In-state tuition
    $11,520
    Out-of-state tuition
    $11,520
    Cost of attendance
    $23,260
    Undergrad enrollment
    892
    Degrees conferred
    6

    View Salem University's Master of Science in Health and Human Performance (MSHHP) www.salemu.edu

how these compare with the on-campus master’s programs

5 online doctoral programs

Best Online Doctoral Programs in Kinesiology

5 of the 25 doctoral programs ranked here are flagged as fully online, 20%, in 5 states, one to a state. No state on this list has a second, so if the program nearest you does not fit, the alternative is another state or another level.

A doctorate is a supervised research relationship before it is a set of courses. Ask who would supervise you, how often the cohort is expected on campus, and what the dissertation stage assumes about where you live. Those three answers decide whether an online doctorate is workable from your city, and none of them is on the program page.

Ranked among the online doctoral programs only, so the top of this list is the strongest online option at the level rather than the strongest program at it. Each card also gives its place among all 39 doctoral programs the model scored, a wider field than the 25 with a page here.

  1. Rank 1: University of Connecticut

    Exercise Science (M.S., Ph.D.)

    Storrs, CT · Public · town campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 12 of 39

    UConn trades a smaller total enrollment, in the 42nd percentile of the field at this level, for one of the field's higher doctoral output rates and an IPEDS-flagged online option.

    Our score for this program is 82.1, against a median for the level of 74.9 across the 39 doctoral-level exercise science and kinesiology programs assessed. Graduation rate and admissions selectivity are tied as the leading inputs, an 83% completion rate and a 52% admit rate both in the 68th percentile of the field at this level against medians of 75% and 77%. Degrees conferred in the field sit in the 87th percentile, since Storrs awards about 9 of these doctorates a year against a median for the level of 5, while total institutional enrollment of 28,306 sits in the 42nd percentile, the smallest scale factor here. This public university enrolls 20,056 undergraduates, charges $17,010 in-state tuition and $39,678 for nonresidents, against a $40,744 cost of attendance. It suits a candidate who values a program that produces a steady annual cohort of doctorates and the flexibility of an online option that IPEDS flags for this campus, over the scale of a much larger institution.

    • Public four-year university
    • Town campus setting
    • 52% admit rate
    Graduation rate
    83%
    Admit rate
    52%
    In-state tuition
    $17,010
    Out-of-state tuition
    $39,678
    Cost of attendance
    $40,744
    Undergrad enrollment
    20,056
    Degrees conferred
    9

    View University of Connecticut's Exercise Science (M.S., Ph.D.) uconn.edu

  2. Rank 2: University of North Carolina at Greensboro

    Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Greensboro, NC · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 26 of 39

    UNC Greensboro confers 23 kinesiology doctorates a year, the top percentile for degree output among the 39 comparable programs scored, offsetting an 89% admit rate that sits at just the 16th percentile for selectivity.

    The Department of Kinesiology at UNC Greensboro sits within the School of Health and Human Sciences and runs three separate sport psychology tracks under one roof: an applied, non-thesis program built around coursework and field hours for Certified Mental Performance Consultant certification, a thesis-based track built to feed research-focused doctoral study, and a fully online applied-theory track that ends in a written exam instead of a thesis. Faculty pull in collaborators from Counseling, Psychology and Social Work, and researchers in the department work alongside colleagues in Exercise Physiology, Applied Research and Neuromechanics, with joint projects running through the university's Center for Athlete Well-Being and Center for Women's Health and Wellness.

    Our score of 68 sits just under the 74.9 median across the 39 doctoral exercise science and kinesiology programs it is measured against, held down mainly by selectivity and completion. UNC Greensboro admits 89% of applicants, in the 16th percentile among these peers against a 77% median admit rate, and graduates 56% of its doctoral students against a 75% median for the level. It confers 23 kinesiology doctorates a year, the top percentile among these peers and well above the group's 5-degree median. In-state tuition runs $4,422 a year, the least expensive in this peer set, against $20,773 out of state. This program suits a candidate who wants heavy departmental research output and a wide admissions funnel over a highly selective doctoral filter.

    • Research ties to Center for Athlete Well-Being
    • Faculty collaboration across Exercise Physiology and Neuromechanics
    • Coursework shared with Counseling, Psychology and Social Work
    • In-state tuition of $4,422 a year
    • Undergraduate enrollment of 14,416 students
    Graduation rate
    56%
    Admit rate
    89%
    In-state tuition
    $4,422
    Out-of-state tuition
    $20,773
    Cost of attendance
    $22,585
    Undergrad enrollment
    14,416
    Degrees conferred
    23

    View University of North Carolina at Greensboro's Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.uncg.edu

  3. Rank 3: Concordia University-Saint Paul

    Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 32 of 39

    Concordia University-St. Paul charges $25,600 flat tuition per year, more than all but about 11% of these 39 comparable programs, yet still produces 10 exercise science doctorates annually, well above the group's 5-degree median.

    Concordia University-St. Paul builds its exercise science offerings as an online-first stack: a B.A. in Exercise Science, also available as a 90-credit accelerated version, alongside graduate options including an M.S. in Exercise Science, an M.S. in Strength and Conditioning, and an M.S. in Coaching and Athletic Administration, all delivered fully online through the university's Risepoint partnership. The M.S. Exercise Science track runs 33 credit hours over 2 years at $475 per credit, blending psychology, physiology, ethics and exercise coursework and ending in a capstone project, with an optional study-abroad course for students who want an international component.

    Our score of 62.1 sits well under the 74.9 median across the 39 doctoral peers it is measured against, pulled down mainly by completion and scale. Concordia-St. Paul graduates 46% of its doctoral students, in the bottom percentile among these peers against a 75% median, inside a university enrolling 6,003 students overall, also in the bottom percentile for scale. It confers 10 exercise science doctorates a year, the 92nd percentile against the group's median of 5. Admissions selectivity is a smaller drag, a 79% admit rate at the 42nd percentile. Tuition runs $25,600 a year, more expensive than about 89% of the field at this level, with a total cost of attendance of $45,532. This program suits a candidate weighing a small, output-heavy online program against a high sticker price and a lower completion record.

    • Fully online delivery via Risepoint partnership
    • 33-credit M.S. Exercise Science curriculum
    • Capstone project replaces thesis requirement
    • Optional graduate study-abroad course
    • 79% admit rate
    Graduation rate
    46%
    Admit rate
    79%
    In-state tuition
    $25,600
    Out-of-state tuition
    $25,600
    Cost of attendance
    $45,532
    Undergrad enrollment
    3,424
    Degrees conferred
    10

    View Concordia University-Saint Paul's Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.csp.edu

  4. Rank 4: Texas Woman's University

    Ph.D. in Kinesiology with a Concentration in Exercise Physiology

    Denton, TX · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 38 of 39

    Texas Woman's trades a 96% admit rate and tuition cheaper than 95% of peers for a 49% graduation rate, in just the 5th percentile among the 39 doctoral kinesiology programs scored.

    Texas Woman's Ph.D. in Kinesiology, with a concentration in Exercise Physiology, is built as a research-intensive track that requires an original contribution to the field, with doctoral students working toward expertise in physiological responses to exercise, sports performance and disease prevention. Coursework runs on the Denton campus and blends laboratory work, internships and collaborative research projects, with the university's focus on women's health and wellness woven into the curriculum to address health questions specific to female populations. Graduates are pointed toward academic, research-institution and research-industry roles rather than solely clinical practice.

    A 96% admit rate puts selectivity in just the 5th percentile of the group, and a 49% graduation rate sits at that same low percentile, the two biggest reasons Texas Woman's score of 57.4 trails the 74.9 median across the 39 doctoral-level exercise science and kinesiology programs assessed by a wide margin. Total enrollment of 15,361 across all levels lands in the 13th percentile for institutional scale, consistent with a smaller campus. Against that, in-state tuition of $5,712 sits well under the 10,052 dollar median for the level, out-of-state students pay just 15,552, and the program prices out cheaper than 95% of comparable programs; IPEDS also flags an online option here. This fits a candidate who values near-open admission, low cost and a women's health research focus over strong completion odds.

    • Concentration in Exercise Physiology within the Kinesiology Ph.D.
    • Women's health and wellness focus embedded in curriculum
    • Doctoral track requires an original research contribution
    • IPEDS-flagged online program option
    • $5,712 in-state annual tuition
    Graduation rate
    49%
    Admit rate
    96%
    In-state tuition
    $5,712
    Out-of-state tuition
    $15,552
    Cost of attendance
    $25,366
    Undergrad enrollment
    10,039
    Degrees conferred
    3

    View Texas Woman's University's Ph.D. in Kinesiology with a Concentration in Exercise Physiology www.twu.edu

  5. Rank 5: University of Southern Mississippi

    PhD in Kinesiology

    Hattiesburg, MS · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    National rank 39 of 39

    Southern Miss ties its 54-hour PhD in Kinesiology to advisor-driven research hours candidates complete directly in their faculty mentor's lab, alongside a required writing sample for admission.

    The PhD in Kinesiology at Southern Miss trains students as research scientists through a mentor-guided program built around four objectives: expertise in a chosen content area, quantitative and qualitative research training, independent scholarship, and application and dissemination of research. Applicants submit a statement of purpose, a CV, a writing sample such as a published paper or class paper, and three letters of recommendation alongside the university's general graduate admission requirements. The 54 hours to degree include 12 dissertation hours and 15 hours of research tools coursework, plus core courses and seminars that rotate on current trends in doctoral education. Candidates also complete advisor-driven research hours worked directly in their faculty mentor's lab as part of that total.

    Our score of 53.6 sits well under the 74.9 median across the 39 doctoral kinesiology programs it is measured against, pulled down mainly by admissions and completion. The program admits about 99% of applicants, in the bottom percentile among those peers against a 77% median admit rate, and graduates 49% of its doctoral students against a 75% median for the level. It confers roughly one kinesiology PhD a year, a fraction of the median for the level of five, inside a university enrolling 13,170 students overall. In-state tuition runs $9,888 a year against $11,888 out of state, and the $27,860 total cost of attendance undercuts 58% of the field at this level on price. Admissions selectivity and graduation rate both sit at or below the 5th percentile among the 39 doctoral kinesiology programs at this level, the two inputs that hold the score under the median. This program suits an applicant who wants near-certain admission and a lower sticker price more than one chasing a highly selective research doctorate.

    • 99% acceptance rate
    • About one kinesiology PhD awarded per year
    • Rotating grant-writing and research-tools seminars
    • Named faculty advisors listed for direct contact
    • Housed in the School of Kinesiology and Nutrition
    Graduation rate
    49%
    Admit rate
    99%
    In-state tuition
    $9,888
    Out-of-state tuition
    $11,888
    Cost of attendance
    $27,860
    Undergrad enrollment
    10,193
    Degrees conferred
    1

    View University of Southern Mississippi's PhD in Kinesiology www.usm.edu

the doctoral rankings

Why the lists look like this

Why Online Kinesiology Programs Keep the Labs in Person

An undergraduate kinesiology degree is a laboratory degree. Anatomy and physiology with a cadaver or model lab, biomechanics with force plates and motion capture, exercise testing with metabolic carts and ECG. These are the courses that make the credential mean something, and they are the courses that resist being delivered at a distance. That is the mechanism behind the shape of the four lists above: 343 bachelor’s programs yield 21 online options, 6%, while 114 master’s programs yield 28, 25%. The larger pool returns the shorter list.

Graduate programs sit differently. A master’s cohort is often working adults who already have the undergraduate laboratory sequence behind them, so the program is not being asked to teach a first dissection at a distance. It is being asked to teach research methods, exercise prescription and applied practice, and it can. The 25% share at the master’s level is that difference, showing up as availability.

Supervised hours are the other half of the constraint, and they do not care about delivery mode at all. The ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist credential asks for 1,200 hours of hands-on clinical experience behind a bachelor’s, or 600 behind a master’s. Those are hours in a room with patients whichever way you took the coursework, which is why programs pointed at the clinical credential tend to keep a placement requirement even when every lecture is online.

For anyone aiming at a licensed clinical role, the gates are harder still. Athletic training runs through a CAATE-accredited program with in-person clinical education, and the undergraduate route closed to new enrollment after the fall 2022 term, so that entry point is now a master’s. Physical therapy and occupational therapy require their own professional degrees with supervised clinical hours. An online kinesiology bachelor’s can still prepare you to apply to any of those. What it can make harder is satisfying the prerequisite laboratory courses in a form the admissions committee accepts.

Accreditation

How to Check for Accredited Online Kinesiology Programs

Searching for accredited online kinesiology programs turns up sites implying there is one badge to look for. There is not. Kinesiology has no single mandatory programmatic accreditor. CAAHEP accredits some exercise science programs on the recommendation of CoAES, and most bachelor’s-level kinesiology programs are institutionally accredited only. A program missing from the CAAHEP directory is not an unaccredited program, and a site that implies otherwise is selling something.

Check in this order. First, institutional accreditation, which governs federal aid and whether your credits transfer. Second, whether the institution can enroll students in your state at all, since online authorization is granted state by state and the admissions office can tell you in one email. Third, programmatic accreditation, but only where a credential you want requires it.

Two credentials on this site make that third check matter, and both have names. Athletic training requires CAATE, verified on CAATE’s own directory rather than a program page. And from 1 January 2030, candidates for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam in the United States must hold a bachelor’s from a CASCE-accredited program, where the rule today accepts a bachelor’s in any field. If strength and conditioning is the goal and you are choosing an online bachelor’s now, that date falls inside the window of your degree.

Before you commit

What to Verify Before You Enroll in an Online Kinesiology Degree Program

Take two or three programs off the lists above and put the same five questions to each department. Every one of them is answerable by an advisor in a single reply, and every one of them is cheaper to ask now than after your first term.

  • Does any course carry an on-campus lab or a residency intensive, how many days does it run, and how many times across the degree would you travel for it? Ask for the number of trips, not whether trips exist.
  • Who arranges the practicum or internship placement, you or the program? A program that expects you to find your own site in a field you do not yet work in is a materially different offer, and the answer is rarely on the program page.
  • Are the laboratory prerequisites for graduate admission in anatomy, physiology and biomechanics satisfied by the online sequence? If a DPT, OT or PA program is the eventual goal, confirm this with a target graduate program, not only with the school enrolling you.
  • Does the tuition rate differ for the online section, and does your residency still apply to it? Ask the registrar rather than the admissions office, because the registrar is the one who bills you.
  • Which accreditor does the institution name, and can it enroll students in your state? Online authorization is granted state by state, and both answers are short.

Work in that order and the shortlist does most of the eliminating for you. Then compare what is left on cost, using the in-state and out-of-state medians in our guide to kinesiology degree cost as the yardstick for whether a published rate is high, and the wage data by state as the yardstick for what the degree earns where you plan to work.

If online delivery is a hard requirement rather than a preference, enter at the level where the options are. That is the master’s level, at 25% of programs against 6% at the bachelor’s. If you need the bachelor’s first, plan on the labs being in person and pick a program near enough that this is a scheduling problem rather than a reason to withdraw.

FAQ

Online Kinesiology Programs, Common Questions

Can you get a kinesiology degree online?
Yes, at every level, but the selection is thin. 58 of the 568 programs ranked on this site are reported to IPEDS as offered fully at a distance, about 10%. The master’s level carries 28 of them and the bachelor’s level 21. Every one of the 58 is ranked on this page, and the master’s rankings are where to start if online delivery is a hard requirement.
How many online kinesiology degree programs are there?
Across the four award levels ranked here, 58: 21 at the bachelor’s level, 28 at the master’s, 5 at the doctoral level and 4 at the associate’s. Those counts come from the federal IPEDS distance-education flag and are recomputed whenever the ranking data is rebuilt, so they move with the source rather than with a publication date.
Are online kinesiology programs accredited?
The institutions are, and that is the accreditation governing financial aid and credit transfer. Programmatic accreditation is a separate and largely optional question in this field, so absence from the CAAHEP directory tells you nothing about whether a program is legitimate. Confirm the institution’s accreditor, confirm it can enroll students in your state, and chase programmatic status only if a credential you want demands it.
Is an online exercise science degree the same as an online kinesiology degree?
Federally, yes: both names report under the same CIP code, 31.0505, so the two searches return overlapping slices of one field rather than two different fields. Schools use 231 different degree titles for that one code, which is why running only one of the two searches hides most of what exists. More in kinesiology vs exercise science.
Are there online kinesiology programs for working adults?
That is what most of the online graduate options are built for. 28 of the 114 master’s programs ranked here are flagged as fully online, and a graduate cohort is usually part-time and asynchronous by design. At the undergraduate level, ask whether the online section is a completion track for people who already hold transferable credit, because those are the ones built around a schedule you cannot change. Then get the practicum terms in writing: who finds the site, how many hours, and whether the program already has an agreement with a facility near you.
Can you become an athletic trainer with an online degree?
No. Entry runs through a CAATE-accredited program, and CAATE requires in-person clinical education that cannot be delivered at a distance. CAATE-accredited bachelor’s programs stopped enrolling students after the fall 2022 term, so the route is an accredited master’s. Our guide to the athletic trainer master’s degree covers what changed.
Do online kinesiology programs cost less than on-campus programs?
Not reliably. Residency pricing is set institution by institution, and an online cohort is sometimes priced as its own rate that ignores residency entirely. Ask the registrar which rate applies to the online section before you compare anything, then read what a kinesiology degree costs in state versus out of state for the medians a published rate sits against.
What can you do with an online kinesiology degree?
The same things an on-campus degree qualifies you for, because the diploma does not record delivery mode and neither do the certification prerequisites built on top of it. What an online degree can complicate is the other side of a clinical route: the supervised hours and the prerequisite laboratory courses, which happen in person however you took the lectures. See the careers a kinesiology degree leads to and the certifications built on top of it.

Related

Where to Go From Here

The same data cut the other ways, plus the questions this page kept running into.

Primary sources

Data Sources

Every count and share on this page is computed from the federal records below at build time. The two rules that come from an issuing body rather than from IPEDS carry the date they were checked.

Program data last refreshed . Every program on the site is ranked the same way, from the same public records, and no school can pay for a better position. Read the site-wide ranking methodology.