2 Best Master's in Kinesiology Programs in Wisconsin

Programs ranked: 2
In-state tuition: $7,119 to $50,070
Avg graduation rate: 71%
Median wage (BLS): $59,460

What Master's in Kinesiology Programs in Wisconsin 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 2 highest scoring in Wisconsin. Marquette University leads the state with a score of 81.7, which is national rank 35 out of 177. None of the 2 crack the national top 25, so read the scores below rather than assuming a national reputation.

In-state tuition runs from $7,119 to $50,070 across the 2 programs with a published rate. The 2 schools with a published graduation rate average 71%. Average admit rate across the 2 schools publishing one is 84%. Together they conferred 12 master's degrees in the field in the latest IPEDS completions year.

1 of the 2 is a public institution and 1 is private. One is flagged as offering an online option.

All 2 Master's in Kinesiology Programs in Wisconsin, 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: Marquette University

Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit · city campus

Our score

1st of 2 in Wisconsin

National rank 35 of 177

Guaranteed clinical placements in settings from professional sports teams to research labs anchor Marquette's exercise physiology pipeline into the College of Health Sciences.

Marquette University leads Wisconsin at 81.7, ahead of the one other program ranked here. In-state tuition of $50,070 is the highest in the state, where the published range runs $7,119 to $50,070. Its 83% graduation rate sits against a 59% to 83% spread across the 2 Wisconsin 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 81% of applicants, against 81% to 86% across Wisconsin. It confers 6 master's degrees a year, 50% of the 12 awarded across Wisconsin at this level. Nationally it is 35th of the 177 master's programs scored at this level.
- Semester-long gross anatomy lab open to undergraduates
- E-Lead leadership concentration starting sophomore year
- Study abroad through faculty-led programs
- 98% employed or in grad school
- $50,070 flat tuition
Graduation rate

83%

Admit rate

81%

In-state tuition

$50,070

Out-of-state tuition

$50,070

Cost of attendance

$71,819

Undergrad enrollment

8,045

Degrees conferred

6

View Marquette University's Master's in Exercise Science and Kinesiology www.marquette.edu
Rank 2: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Master of Science in Applied Kinesiology

Whitewater, WI · Public · town campus · online option

Our score

2nd of 2 in Wisconsin

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.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater places 2nd of 2 in Wisconsin at 72.9, with 1 program scoring above it. In-state tuition of $7,119 is the lowest in the state, where the published range runs $7,119 to $50,070. Its 59% graduation rate sits against a 59% to 83% spread across the 2 Wisconsin schools that report one. It is the only public option among them, which is where the in-state rate above comes from.
It is also the only one here flagged in IPEDS as offering an online option. It admits 86% of applicants, against 81% to 86% across Wisconsin. It confers 6 master's degrees a year, 50% of the 12 awarded across Wisconsin at this level. Residency is worth $10,100 a year here, the gap between the in-state rate and the $17,219 out-of-state rate.
- 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

Every Master's in Kinesiology Program in Wisconsin 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	Marquette University	Milwaukee	83%	81%	$50,070
02	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	Whitewater	59%	86%	$7,119

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

What Kinesiology Careers Pay in Wisconsin

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

Exercise Physiologists in Wisconsin

Wisconsin median: $63,210
vs national: +$3,750
Employed in WI: 340
10th to 90th: $55,100 – $77,320

Exercise Physiologists in Wisconsin earn a median of $63,210, $3,750 above the national median of $59,460, across 340 jobs in the state. The bottom tenth earn under $55,100 and the top tenth clear $77,320, so the median is a midpoint rather than an offer.

Every Wisconsin Occupation This Field Feeds, by Median Wage

Occupation	WI median	vs national	Jobs in WI
Physical Therapists	$101,840	−$920	5,580
Occupational Therapists	$92,390	−$7,940	3,710
Physical Therapist Assistants	$64,080	−$4,300	1,650
Exercise Physiologists	$63,210	+$3,750	340
Athletic Trainers	$61,820	−$700	620
Recreational Therapists	$59,350	−$2,610	350
Coaches and Scouts	$44,800	−$2,520	5,480
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors	$44,200	−$2,960	6,330

Of the 8 occupations in this field that BLS prices for Wisconsin, Physical Therapists pays the most at $101,840 ($920 below its national median). The largest employer of the 8 is Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, at 6,330 jobs in the state paying a median of $44,200. 1 of the 8 with a national comparison pays above its national median here.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Other Kinesiology Degree Levels in Wisconsin

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

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 Wisconsin