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2024 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Plains States Region

64 Colleges in the Plains States Region
4,990 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$31,423 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in health & physical education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #11 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 64 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 4,990 degrees in health & physical education to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Health & Physical Education School

Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Plains States Region The phys ed program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Health & Physical Education rankings. We derive our Best Overall Health & Physical Education School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Health & Physical Education Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Phys Ed
Master's Degrees in Phys Ed
Doctor's Degrees in Phys Ed

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Health & Physical Education in the Plains States Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the phys ed degree levels they offer.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Phys Ed

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
569 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$31,109 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Iowa if you wish to pursue a degree in health & physical education. Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were about 569 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program make around $31,109 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of Iowa

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
222 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$32,074 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in health & physical education has to take a look at Iowa State University. Iowa State is a very large public university located in the city of Ames. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were about 222 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program make an average of $32,074 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Iowa State University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
108 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$33,230 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Minnesota - Twin Cities if you wish to pursue a degree in health & physical education. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were approximately 108 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, phys ed degree recipients typically earn around $33,230 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
3.0% Growth in Graduates

Minnesota State University - Mankato is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in health & physical education. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Mankato. A Best Colleges rank of #351 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Minnesota State Mankato is a great university overall.

There were about 133 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State Mankato in the most recent year we have data available. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from Minnesota State University - Mankato earn $6,428 more than the typical phys ed student.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Minnesota State University - Mankato

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
201 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$28,152 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 201 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program state that they receive average early career income of $28,152.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of Kansas

6
Loras crest
Loras College
Dubuque, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
46.7% Growth in Graduates

Loras is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Dubuque. This college ranks 16th out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were roughly 60 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Loras in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program make an average of $33,391 for their early career.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Loras College

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
75 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
8.0% Growth in Graduates

St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Davenport. This university ranks 10th out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 75 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at St. Ambrose University in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program make about $25,757 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Saint Ambrose University

8
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
65 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$37,552 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 17th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 65 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Winona State in the most recent year we have data available. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from Winona State University earn $6,129 more than the typical phys ed student.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Winona State University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$40,580 Median Starting Salary

Maryville U is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #202 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Maryville U is a great university overall.

There were roughly 42 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Maryville U in the most recent data year. Health & Physical Education degree recipients from Maryville University of Saint Louis receive an earnings boost of about $9,157 above the typical income of health & physical education graduates.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Maryville University of Saint Louis

10
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$32,635 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 15th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 104 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Lindenwood University in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, phys ed degree recipients usually make around $32,635 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Lindenwood University

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Health & Physical Education students in the Plains States Region that almost earned our Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Plains States Region award.

RankCollegeLocation
11University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA
12Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, MN
13University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND
14North Dakota State University - Main CampusFargo, ND
15Simpson CollegeIndianola, IA
16Dickinson State UniversityDickinson, ND

Best Health & Physical Education Colleges by State

Explore the best health & physical education schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Minnesota284999
Missouri2831,112
Kansas266663
Iowa2641,351
Nebraska238351
North Dakota210266
South Dakota204311

View All Rankings >

Health & Physical Education is one of 4 different types of Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies programs to choose from.

Phys Ed Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Exercise Science and Kinesiology2,761
Sports Management1,461
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General485
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness149
Sports Studies70
Physical Fitness Technician64

View All Phys Ed Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Phys Ed

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies396
Recreation Administration142
Outdoor Education35
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies19

View All Phys Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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