Kinesiology Degree Programs

Texas · Doctoral ranking

Best Kinesiology Doctoral Programs in Texas

6 doctoral programs in exercise science and kinesiology, ranked on graduation rate, admissions selectivity, in-state cost, and field outcomes.

Last updated

Programs ranked
6
In-state tuition
$5,712 to $61,650
Avg graduation rate
70%
Median wage (BLS)
$59,460

What PhD in Kinesiology Programs in Texas 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 6 highest scoring in Texas. Texas A&M University-College Station leads the state with a score of 84.6, which is national rank 8 out of 39. 4 of the 6 also land in the national top 25.

In-state tuition runs from $5,712 to $61,650 across the 6 programs with a published rate. The 6 schools with a published graduation rate average 70%. Average admit rate across the 6 schools publishing one is 67%. Together they conferred 25 research doctorates in the field in the latest IPEDS completions year.

4 of the 6 are public institutions and 2 are private. One is flagged as offering an online option.

All 6 PhD in Kinesiology Programs in Texas, Ranked (2026)

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

  1. Rank 1: Texas A&M University-College Station

    Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    College Station, TX · Public · city campus

    Our score

    1st of 6 in Texas

    National rank 8 of 39

    An 84% graduation rate, nine points above the median for the level of 75, drives Texas A&M's 84.6 score, ahead of Texas Christian University's 77.9 and behind The University of Texas at Austin's 91.2.

    Texas A&M University-College Station leads Texas at 84.6, ahead of the other 5 programs ranked here. In-state tuition of $9,092 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $5,712 to $61,650. Its 84% graduation rate sits against a 49% to 86% spread across the 6 Texas schools that report one. It admits 57% of applicants, against 44% to 96% across Texas.

    It confers 10 research doctorates a year, 40% of the 25 awarded across Texas at this level. Residency is worth $27,077 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $36,169 out-of-state rate. Nationally it is 8th of the 39 doctoral programs scored at this level.

    • Dual MS in Nutrition and Kinesiology available
    • PhD students get TA priority in the department
    • Housed in Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management
    • $9,092 in-state tuition
    Graduation rate
    84%
    Admit rate
    57%
    In-state tuition
    $9,092
    Out-of-state tuition
    $36,169
    Cost of attendance
    $33,876
    Undergrad enrollment
    60,710
    Degrees conferred
    10

    View Texas A&M University-College Station's Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.tamu.edu

  2. Rank 2: Texas Christian University

    Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofit · city campus

    Our score

    2nd of 6 in Texas

    National rank 16 of 39

    TCU builds its Kinesiology graduate program around a teacher-scholar model, pairing seven emphasis areas, from motor control to sport psychology, with faculty-mentored research priced at $61,650 a year regardless of residency.

    Texas Christian University places 2nd of 6 in Texas at 77.9, with 1 program scoring above it. In-state tuition of $61,650 is the highest in the state, where the published range runs $5,712 to $61,650. Its 86% graduation rate sits against a 49% to 86% spread across the 6 Texas schools that report one.

    It admits 44% of applicants, against 44% to 96% across Texas. It confers 2 research doctorates a year, 8% of the 25 awarded across Texas at this level.

    • Emphasis areas include motor control and nutrition
    • Related programs include Athletic Training and Movement Science
    • Careers include cardiac rehab specialist, mental performance consultant
    • $83,662 total cost of attendance
    Graduation rate
    86%
    Admit rate
    44%
    In-state tuition
    $61,650
    Out-of-state tuition
    $61,650
    Cost of attendance
    $83,662
    Undergrad enrollment
    11,049
    Degrees conferred
    2

    View Texas Christian University's Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.tcu.edu

  3. Rank 3: Baylor University

    Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

    Waco, TX · Private nonprofit · city campus

    Our score

    3rd of 6 in Texas

    National rank 18 of 39

    A 51% admit rate, tighter than 71% of peer doctoral kinesiology programs, does more to lift Baylor's score than any other input.

    Baylor University places 3rd of 6 in Texas at 76.3, with 2 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $58,100 is in the dearer quarter of the state, where the published range runs $5,712 to $61,650. Its 80% graduation rate sits against a 49% to 86% spread across the 6 Texas schools that report one.

    It admits 51% of applicants, against 44% to 96% across Texas. It confers 2 research doctorates a year, 8% of the 25 awarded across Texas at this level.

    • Carnegie-classified as a STEM program
    • Prerequisites in anatomy and chemistry for non-majors
    • Faith-integrated research mission
    • 80% graduation rate
    • Only 2 exercise-science doctorates conferred a year
    Graduation rate
    80%
    Admit rate
    51%
    In-state tuition
    $58,100
    Out-of-state tuition
    $58,100
    Cost of attendance
    $78,816
    Undergrad enrollment
    14,915
    Degrees conferred
    2

    View Baylor University's Doctorate (research) in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.baylor.edu

  4. Rank 4: University of Houston

    Ph.D. in Kinesiology with an Emphasis in Exercise Physiology

    Houston, TX · Public · city campus

    Our score

    4th of 6 in Texas

    National rank 21 of 39

    The Laboratory of Integrative Physiology anchors Houston's Ph.D. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology, where faculty study immunology, vascular function and disease tied to aging.

    University of Houston places 4th of 6 in Texas at 73.5, with 3 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $8,685 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $5,712 to $61,650. Its 65% graduation rate sits against a 49% to 86% spread across the 6 Texas schools that report one.

    It admits 74% of applicants, against 44% to 96% across Texas. It confers 5 research doctorates a year, 20% of the 25 awarded across Texas at this level. Residency is worth $12,830 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $21,515 out-of-state rate.

    • Four named faculty studying exercise immunology and metabolism
    • Memberships in the American Physiological Society and ACSM
    • Human and animal model studies of aging-related disease
    • 65% graduation rate
    • $8,685 in-state annual tuition
    Graduation rate
    65%
    Admit rate
    74%
    In-state tuition
    $8,685
    Out-of-state tuition
    $21,515
    Cost of attendance
    $27,761
    Undergrad enrollment
    39,257
    Degrees conferred
    5

    View University of Houston's Ph.D. in Kinesiology with an Emphasis in Exercise Physiology www.uh.edu

  5. Rank 5: The University of Texas at Arlington

    Ph.D. in Kinesiology

    Arlington, TX · Public · city campus

    Our score

    5th of 6 in Texas

    National rank 27 of 39

    UT Arlington lets students enter its Ph.D. in Kinesiology straight from a bachelor's degree, without an intervening master's, through its B.S. to Ph.D. track requiring 69 credit hours.

    The University of Texas at Arlington places 5th of 6 in Texas at 66.5, with 4 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $9,206 is in the cheaper quarter of the state, where the published range runs $5,712 to $61,650. Its 54% graduation rate sits against a 49% to 86% spread across the 6 Texas schools that report one.

    It admits 80% of applicants, against 44% to 96% across Texas. It confers 3 research doctorates a year, 12% of the 25 awarded across Texas at this level. Residency is worth $17,632 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $26,838 out-of-state rate.

    • Four tracks: Movement and Rehab Sciences, Integrative Physiology, PE, Public Health
    • Faculty sponsorship required before admission
    • Electives in cardiocirculatory, pulmonary and neuromuscular exercise physiology
    • 54% graduation rate
    • $9,206 in-state tuition
    Graduation rate
    54%
    Admit rate
    80%
    In-state tuition
    $9,206
    Out-of-state tuition
    $26,838
    Cost of attendance
    $29,562
    Undergrad enrollment
    32,545
    Degrees conferred
    3

    View University of Texas at Arlington's Ph.D. in Kinesiology www.uta.edu

  6. Rank 6: Texas Woman's University

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

    Denton, TX · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    6th of 6 in Texas

    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 University places 6th of 6 in Texas at 57.4, with 5 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $5,712 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $5,712 to $61,650. Its 49% graduation rate sits against a 49% to 86% spread across the 6 Texas schools that report one. It is also the only one here flagged in IPEDS as offering an online option.

    It admits 96% of applicants, against 44% to 96% across Texas. It confers 3 research doctorates a year, 12% of the 25 awarded across Texas at this level. Residency is worth $9,840 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $15,552 out-of-state rate.

    • 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

Every PhD in Kinesiology Program in Texas Compared

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

# School City Grad rate Admit rate In-state Our score
01 Texas A&M University-College Station College Station 84% 57% $9,092
02 Texas Christian University Fort Worth 86% 44% $61,650
03 Baylor University Waco 80% 51% $58,100
04 University of Houston Houston 65% 74% $8,685
05 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington 54% 80% $9,206
06 Texas Woman's University Denton 49% 96% $5,712

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

What Kinesiology Careers Pay in Texas

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

Exercise Physiologists in Texas

Texas median
$56,780
vs national
−$2,680
Employed in TX
520
10th to 90th
$36,890 – $79,150

Exercise Physiologists in Texas earn a median of $56,780, $2,680 below the national median of $59,460, across 520 jobs in the state. The bottom tenth earn under $36,890 and the top tenth clear $79,150, so the median is a midpoint rather than an offer.

Every Texas Occupation This Field Feeds, by Median Wage

Occupation TX median vs national Jobs in TX
Occupational Therapists $106,140 +$5,810 13,400
Physical Therapists $105,810 +$3,050 21,870
Physical Therapist Assistants $78,000 +$9,620 10,510
Athletic Trainers $64,150 +$1,630 3,130
Recreational Therapists $62,490 +$530 800
Exercise Physiologists $56,780 −$2,680 520
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $40,880 −$6,280 19,260
Coaches and Scouts $36,510 −$10,810 15,300

Of the 8 occupations in this field that BLS prices for Texas, Occupational Therapists pays the most at $106,140 ($5,810 above its national median). The largest employer of the 8 is Physical Therapists, at 21,870 jobs in the state paying a median of $105,810. 5 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 Texas

This page ranks doctoral programs only. Texas 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 Texas’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 Texas, 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 Texas

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