Best PhD in Kinesiology in Illinois (2026)

Programs ranked: 1
In-state tuition: $14,975
Avg graduation rate: 85%
Median wage (BLS): $59,460

What PhD in Kinesiology Programs in Illinois Cost and Who Gets In

We scored all 39 doctoral programs in exercise science and kinesiology (CIP 31.0505) on the same weighted model, then pulled the single highest scoring in Illinois. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads the state with a score of 90, which is national rank 6 out of 39. One of the 1 also lands in the national top 25.

In-state tuition is $14,975 at the one program here. The one school with a published graduation rate reports 85%. The one school publishing an admit rate reports 42%. Together they conferred 7 research doctorates in the field in the latest IPEDS completions year.

The one program here is at a public institution. None carry an online flag in IPEDS, so plan on attending in person.

The PhD in Kinesiology Program in Illinois, Ranked (2026)

Each bar shows where the program’s national score falls between 50 and 100, ticked at 75 for the middle of the range.

Rank 1: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Champaign, IL · Public · city campus

Our score

1st of 1 in Illinois

National rank 6 of 39

Illinois channels undergraduates into K-12 teacher certification by sophomore year, inside the same college that confers this research doctorate at $14,975 in-state, above the $10,052 median for the level.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the only doctoral program in Illinois in this ranking, scoring 90. In-state tuition is $14,975, the only rate published in Illinois at this level. It admits 42% of applicants.
It confers 7 research doctorates a year. Residency is worth $21,829 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $36,804 out-of-state rate. Nationally it is 6th of the 39 doctoral programs scored at this level.
- Applies into Teacher Ed by sophomore year
- Requires student teaching for K-12 certification
- Housed in College of Applied Health Sciences
- 42% admit rate
Graduation rate

85%

Admit rate

42%

In-state tuition

$14,975

Out-of-state tuition

$36,804

Cost of attendance

$34,226

Undergrad enrollment

37,140

Degrees conferred

7

View University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.illinois.edu

What Kinesiology Careers Pay in Illinois

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

Exercise Physiologists in Illinois

Illinois median: $60,130
vs national: +$670
Employed in IL: 300
10th to 90th: $50,220 – $84,020

Exercise Physiologists in Illinois earn a median of $60,130, $670 above the national median of $59,460, across 300 jobs in the state. The bottom tenth earn under $50,220 and the top tenth clear $84,020, so the median is a midpoint rather than an offer.

Every Illinois Occupation This Field Feeds, by Median Wage

Occupation	IL median	vs national	Jobs in IL
Physical Therapists	$105,250	+$2,490	9,800
Occupational Therapists	$99,700	−$630	7,710
Physical Therapist Assistants	$65,240	−$3,140	4,890
Athletic Trainers	$64,750	+$2,230	850
Exercise Physiologists	$60,130	+$670	300
Recreational Therapists	$54,910	−$7,050	440
Coaches and Scouts	$49,120	+$1,800	8,840
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors	$46,800	−$360	19,830

Of the 8 occupations in this field that BLS prices for Illinois, Physical Therapists pays the most at $105,250 ($2,490 above its national median). The largest employer of the 8 is Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, at 19,830 jobs in the state paying a median of $46,800. 4 of the 8 with a national comparison pay above their national medians here.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Other Kinesiology Degree Levels in Illinois

This page ranks doctoral programs only. Illinois reports programs at other levels too, and each level is compared only with programs at that same level.

What Careers Can You Get With a PhD in Kinesiology?

These 8 occupations list this credential, or less, as their typical entry requirement. Figures are Illinois’s own BLS medians where published.

Entry requirements are O*NET’s typical-entry field; wages are BLS OEWS. Neither is a guarantee about any individual program’s graduates.

Rank 1 here is highest scoring in Illinois, not nationally; each card carries its national rank as well. Every program on this site is ranked the same way — see how we compare them.

Sources for this page

PhD in Kinesiology Programs Near Illinois

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

Best Kinesiology Doctoral Programs in Illinois