3 Best Master's in Kinesiology Programs in Virginia

Programs ranked: 3
In-state tuition: $7,800 to $19,472
Avg graduation rate: 69%
Median wage (BLS): $59,460

What Master's in Kinesiology Programs in Virginia 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 3 highest scoring in Virginia. University of Virginia-Main Campus leads the state with a score of 95.2, which is national rank 4 out of 177. One of the 3 also lands in the national top 25.

In-state tuition runs from $7,800 to $19,472 across the 3 programs with a published rate. The 3 schools with a published graduation rate average 69%. Average admit rate across the 3 schools publishing one is 69%. Together they conferred 79 master's degrees in the field in the latest IPEDS completions year.

2 of the 3 are public institutions and 1 is private. None carry an online flag in IPEDS, so plan on attending in person.

All 3 Master's in Kinesiology Programs in Virginia, 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 Virginia-Main Campus

Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Charlottesville, VA · Public · suburban campus

Our score

1st of 3 in Virginia

National rank 4 of 177

Research assistantships in sports medicine and athletic training, not a general exercise-science curriculum, are the draw for applicants who can clear a 17% admit rate.

University of Virginia-Main Campus leads Virginia at 95.2, ahead of the other 2 programs ranked here. In-state tuition of $19,472 is the highest in the state, where the published range runs $7,800 to $19,472. Its 96% graduation rate sits against a 46% to 96% spread across the 3 Virginia schools that report one. It admits 17% of applicants, against 17% to 99% across Virginia.
It confers 16 master's degrees a year, 20% of the 79 awarded across Virginia at this level. Residency is worth $37,789 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $57,261 out-of-state rate. Nationally it is 4th of the 177 master's programs scored at this level.
- Exercise and Sport Injury Laboratory
- Exercise Physiology Core Laboratory since 1990
- Applied Physiology of Exercise Lab
- Kinesiology Lifetime Physical Activity Program
Graduation rate

96%

Admit rate

17%

In-state tuition

$19,472

Out-of-state tuition

$57,261

Cost of attendance

$41,803

Undergrad enrollment

17,885

Degrees conferred

16

View University of Virginia's Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.virginia.edu
Rank 2: Liberty University

Master of Science in Exercise Science and Wellness

Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit · city campus

Our score

2nd of 3 in Virginia

National rank 90 of 177

Adult learners balancing work and family are the target for Liberty's fully online Master of Science in Exercise Science and Wellness, which lets students transfer in half the degree.

Liberty University places 2nd of 3 in Virginia at 73.8, with 1 program scoring above it. In-state tuition of $15,297 is above the state midpoint, where the published range runs $7,800 to $19,472. Its 65% graduation rate sits against a 46% to 96% spread across the 3 Virginia schools that report one.
It is the only private institution on this list, so its published rate does not split in-state and out-of-state. It admits 99% of applicants, against 17% to 99% across Virginia. It confers 54 master's degrees a year, 68% of the 79 awarded across Virginia at this level.
- 18-credit specialization block within the degree
- Featured course: Advanced Exercise Physiology (EXSC 510)
- SACSCOC accredited
- 54 exercise science degrees conferred a year
Graduation rate

65%

Admit rate

99%

In-state tuition

$15,297

Out-of-state tuition

$15,297

Cost of attendance

$44,489

Undergrad enrollment

52,961

Degrees conferred

54

View Liberty University's Master of Science in Exercise Science and Wellness www.liberty.edu
Rank 3: Old Dominion University

Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Norfolk, VA · Public · city campus

Our score

3rd of 3 in Virginia

National rank 119 of 177

A 23,700-student Norfolk campus and $7,800 in-state tuition come with a tradeoff: a 90% admit rate and a 46% graduation rate that hold our score at 69.0 against a 73.8 median for the level.

Old Dominion University places 3rd of 3 in Virginia at 69, with 2 programs scoring above it. In-state tuition of $7,800 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $7,800 to $19,472. Its 46% graduation rate sits against a 46% to 96% spread across the 3 Virginia schools that report one.
It admits 90% of applicants, against 17% to 99% across Virginia. It confers 9 master's degrees a year, 11% of the 79 awarded across Virginia at this level. Residency is worth $20,505 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $28,305 out-of-state rate.
- 9 degrees conferred per year, matching the median for the level
- $28,305 out-of-state tuition
- Public four-year university in a city setting
Graduation rate

46%

Admit rate

90%

In-state tuition

$7,800

Out-of-state tuition

$28,305

Cost of attendance

$32,988

Undergrad enrollment

17,746

Degrees conferred

9

View Old Dominion University's Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.odu.edu

Every Master's in Kinesiology Program in Virginia Compared

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

#	School	City	Grad rate	Admit rate	In-state
01	University of Virginia-Main Campus	Charlottesville	96%	17%	$19,472
02	Liberty University	Lynchburg	65%	99%	$15,297
03	Old Dominion University	Norfolk	46%	90%	$7,800

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

What Kinesiology Careers Pay in Virginia

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

Exercise Physiologists in Virginia

Virginia median: $52,400
vs national: −$7,060
Employed in VA: 240
10th to 90th: $43,800 – $90,110

Exercise Physiologists in Virginia earn a median of $52,400, $7,060 below the national median of $59,460, across 240 jobs in the state. The bottom tenth earn under $43,800 and the top tenth clear $90,110, so the median is a midpoint rather than an offer.

Every Virginia Occupation This Field Feeds, by Median Wage

Occupation	VA median	vs national	Jobs in VA
Physical Therapists	$101,450	−$1,310	7,630
Occupational Therapists	$100,710	+$380	4,150
Physical Therapist Assistants	$73,760	+$5,380	3,370
Athletic Trainers	$61,860	−$660	830
Recreational Therapists	$61,270	−$690	570
Exercise Physiologists	$52,400	−$7,060	240
Coaches and Scouts	$46,290	−$1,030	6,810
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors	$40,820	−$6,340	12,100

Of the 8 occupations in this field that BLS prices for Virginia, Physical Therapists pays the most at $101,450 ($1,310 below its national median). The largest employer of the 8 is Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, at 12,100 jobs in the state paying a median of $40,820. 2 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 Virginia

This page ranks master's programs only. Virginia 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 Virginia’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 Virginia, 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 Virginia

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

Best Kinesiology Master's Programs in Virginia