Kinesiology Degree Programs

North Carolina · Master's ranking

Best Kinesiology Master's Programs in North Carolina

4 master's programs in exercise science and kinesiology, ranked on graduation rate, admissions selectivity, in-state cost, and field outcomes.

Last updated

Programs ranked
4
In-state tuition
$4,422 to $37,000
Avg graduation rate
53%
Median wage (BLS)
$59,460

What Master's in Kinesiology Programs in North Carolina Cost and Who Gets In

We scored all 177 master's programs in exercise science and kinesiology (CIP 31.0505) on the same weighted model, then pulled the 4 highest scoring in North Carolina. East Carolina University leads the state with a score of 77.8, which is national rank 58 out of 177. None of the 4 crack the national top 25, so read the scores below rather than assuming a national reputation.

In-state tuition runs from $4,422 to $37,000 across the 4 programs with a published rate. The 4 schools with a published graduation rate average 53%. Average admit rate across the 4 schools publishing one is 89%. Together they conferred 73 master's degrees in the field in the latest IPEDS completions year.

2 of the 4 are public institutions and 2 are private. 3 are flagged as offering an online option.

All 4 Master's in Kinesiology Programs in North Carolina, 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: East Carolina University

    Kinesiology, M.S.

    Greenville, NC · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    1st of 4 in North Carolina

    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 University leads North Carolina at 77.8, ahead of the other 3 programs ranked here. In-state tuition of $4,452 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $4,422 to $37,000. Its 63% graduation rate sits against a 46% to 63% spread across the 4 North Carolina schools that report one. It admits 89% of applicants, against 85% to 94% across North Carolina.

    It confers 31 master's degrees a year, 42% of the 73 awarded across North Carolina at this level. Residency is worth $16,277 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $20,729 out-of-state rate. Nationally it is 58th of the 177 master's programs scored at this level.

    • 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

  2. Rank 2: University of North Carolina at Greensboro

    Online Master’s in Kinesiology

    Greensboro, NC · Public · city campus · online option

    Our score

    2nd of 4 in North Carolina

    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.

    University of North Carolina at Greensboro places 2nd of 4 in North Carolina at 77.3, with 1 program scoring above it. In-state tuition of $4,422 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $4,422 to $37,000. Its 56% graduation rate sits against a 46% to 63% spread across the 4 North Carolina schools that report one.

    It admits 89% of applicants, against 85% to 94% across North Carolina. It confers 22 master's degrees a year, 30% of the 73 awarded across North Carolina at this level. Residency is worth $16,351 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $20,773 out-of-state rate.

    • 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

  3. Rank 3: Lenoir-Rhyne University

    M.S. in Exercise Science

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

    Our score

    3rd of 4 in North Carolina

    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 University places 3rd of 4 in North Carolina at 63, with 2 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $31,000 is in the dearer quarter of the state, where the published range runs $4,422 to $37,000. Its 48% graduation rate sits against a 46% to 63% spread across the 4 North Carolina schools that report one.

    It admits 85% of applicants, against 85% to 94% across North Carolina. It confers 6 master's degrees a year, 8% of the 73 awarded across North Carolina at this level.

    • 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

  4. Rank 4: Barton College

    Master of Science in Exercise Physiology

    Wilson, NC · Private nonprofit · town campus

    Our score

    4th of 4 in North Carolina

    National rank 168 of 177

    Only 46% of Barton's exercise science and kinesiology students complete their program, a mark in the 14th percentile of the 177-strong master's group of comparable programs and well under the 58% median.

    Barton College places 4th of 4 in North Carolina at 58.9, with 3 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $37,000 is the highest in the state, where the published range runs $4,422 to $37,000. Its 46% graduation rate sits against a 46% to 63% spread across the 4 North Carolina schools that report one.

    It admits 94% of applicants, against 85% to 94% across North Carolina. It confers 14 master's degrees a year, 19% of the 73 awarded across North Carolina at this level.

    • 4+1 accelerated bachelor's-to-master's pathway
    • NASM CPT and CES certifications built in
    • NSCA Education Recognition Program status
    • ACSM Exercise is Medicine Bronze Status
    • $37,000 tuition, same in and out of state
    Graduation rate
    46%
    Admit rate
    94%
    In-state tuition
    $37,000
    Out-of-state tuition
    $37,000
    Cost of attendance
    $55,008
    Undergrad enrollment
    1,149
    Degrees conferred
    14

    View Barton College's Master of Science in Exercise Physiology www.barton.edu

Every Master's in Kinesiology Program in North Carolina 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 East Carolina University Greenville 63% 89% $4,452
02 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro 56% 89% $4,422
03 Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory 48% 85% $31,000
04 Barton College Wilson 46% 94% $37,000

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

What Kinesiology Careers Pay in North Carolina

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

Exercise Physiologists in North Carolina

North Carolina median
$52,450
vs national
−$7,010
Employed in NC
370
10th to 90th
$43,900 – $71,270

Exercise Physiologists in North Carolina earn a median of $52,450, $7,010 below the national median of $59,460, across 370 jobs in the state. The bottom tenth earn under $43,900 and the top tenth clear $71,270, so the median is a midpoint rather than an offer.

Every North Carolina Occupation This Field Feeds, by Median Wage

Occupation NC median vs national Jobs in NC
Physical Therapists $99,910 −$2,850 7,350
Occupational Therapists $92,940 −$7,390 4,490
Physical Therapist Assistants $67,540 −$840 3,280
Athletic Trainers $56,540 −$5,980 990
Exercise Physiologists $52,450 −$7,010 370
Recreational Therapists $51,030 −$10,930 440
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $46,450 −$710 10,670
Coaches and Scouts $43,840 −$3,480 8,530

Of the 8 occupations in this field that BLS prices for North Carolina, Physical Therapists pays the most at $99,910 ($2,850 below its national median). The largest employer of the 8 is Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, at 10,670 jobs in the state paying a median of $46,450. None of the 8 with a national comparison pays above its national median here, which is the single most useful thing to know before committing to staying in North Carolina.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Other Kinesiology Degree Levels in North Carolina

This page ranks master's programs only. North Carolina 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 Master's in Kinesiology?

These 7 occupations list this credential, or less, as their typical entry requirement. The other 1 need further study, and each page says what. Figures are North Carolina’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 North Carolina, 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

Master's in Kinesiology Programs Near North Carolina

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