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2025 Best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Schools

353 Colleges in the United States
32,435 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded
Ranked #22 in popularity, exercise science and kinesiology is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual looked at 353 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 32,435 degrees in exercise science and kinesiology annually.

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

Choosing a Great Exercise Science and Kinesiology School

Best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Schools Your choice of exercise science and kinesiology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for exercise science and kinesiology schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

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.

Exercise Science and Kinesiology Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Exercise Science
Bachelor's Degrees in Exercise Science
Master's Degrees in Exercise Science
Doctor's Degrees in Exercise Science

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Exercise Science and Kinesiology in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the exercise science degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Exercise Science

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MI
149 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a great choice for students interested in a degree in exercise science and kinesiology. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 149 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In TX
279 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Texas A&M University - College Station is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in exercise science and kinesiology. Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of College Station. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.

There were about 279 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Texas A&M University - College Station

3
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IA
381 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in exercise science and kinesiology has to take a look at University of Iowa. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 37 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 381 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from University of Iowa

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In TX
193 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in exercise science and kinesiology needs to check out The University of Texas at Austin. UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of #46 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were approximately 193 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from The University of Texas at Austin

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IN
407 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were approximately 407 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Indiana University - Bloomington

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In WI
115 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 115 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from University of Wisconsin - Madison

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In AZ
184 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 26 schools for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were approximately 184 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Arizona State University - Tempe

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NJ
297 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of New Brunswick, Rutgers New Brunswick is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Rutgers New Brunswick is a great university overall.

There were about 297 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

9
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In PA
100 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Temple is a very large public university located in the city of Philadelphia. This university ranks 8th out of 103 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 100 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Temple University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OH
166 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the fringe town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 166 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Miami University - Oxford

11
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In NY
42 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.

There were about 42 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Syracuse University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MD
208 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were roughly 208 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from University of Maryland - College Park

13
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MI
333 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were about 333 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Michigan State University

14
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NY
123 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the distant town of Cortland, SUNY Cortland is a public school with a medium-sized student population. This school ranks 25th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 123 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Cortland in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from SUNY Cortland

15
Carroll U crest
Carroll University
Waukesha, WI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In WI
114 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Waukesha, Carroll U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 15th out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 114 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Carroll U in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Carroll University

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IL
184 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 184 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In GA
198 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

UGA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were about 198 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from University of Georgia

18
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In OH

Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were about 28 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Ohio State University - Main Campus

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In DE
142 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Newark, UD is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 3 colleges for overall quality in the state of Delaware.

There were about 142 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at UD in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from University of Delaware

20
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MO
89 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Saint Louis, SLU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were about 89 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at SLU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Saint Louis University

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IA
222 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Iowa State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ames. This university ranks 2nd out of 37 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 222 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Iowa State University

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CO
216 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 31 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were about 216 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Colorado State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Colorado State University - Fort Collins

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In TN
261 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

UT Knoxville is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Knoxville. This university ranks 2nd out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 261 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

24
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MI
136 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 136 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Central Michigan University

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IN
71 Exercise Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 71 exercise science and kinesiology students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in exercise science and kinesiology from Ball State University

Rest of the Top Best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Schools

26
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
27
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
28
29
30
31
32
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, MD

33

34
Endicott crest
Endicott College
Beverly, MA
35
36
37
38
39
40
41

42

43
44
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS
45
Canisius crest
Canisius College
Buffalo, NY
46
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO
47
48
49
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
50
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR

Additional Award Winners

This list represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 353 different United States exercise science and kinesiology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
52 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
53 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
54 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
55 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
56 Grand View University Des Moines, IA
57 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
58 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
59 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
60 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA
61 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
62 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
63 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
64 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
65 University of North Texas Denton, TX
66 Winona State University Winona, MN
67 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
68 Baylor University Waco, TX
69 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
70 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Schools award.

Rank College Location
71 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
72 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
73 Riverside City College Riverside, CA
74 California State University - Chico Chico, CA
75 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
76 North Central College Naperville, IL
77 Mt. San Antonio College Walnut, CA
78 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
79 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
80 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
81 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
82 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
83 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
84 Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC
85 Illinois State University Normal, IL
86 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
87 Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA
88 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
89 Cumberland University Lebanon, TN
90 University of Mount Union Alliance, OH
91 Aurora University Aurora, IL
92 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
93 Linfield University - McMinnville Campus McMinnville, OR
94 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
95 Dean College Franklin, MA
96 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
97 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
98 University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
99 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
100 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
101 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
102 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
103 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
104 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
105 Lasell University Newton, MA
106 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
107 University of North Alabama Florence, AL
108 Concordia University, Irvine Irvine, CA
109 Adrian College Adrian, MI
110 Roanoke College Salem, VA
111 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
112 Adelphi University Garden City, NY
113 California Baptist University Riverside, CA
114 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
115 Mississippi College Clinton, MS
116 Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD
117 Loras College Dubuque, IA

Exercise Science and Kinesiology by Region

View the Best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 5 majors within the Health & Physical Education area of study, Exercise Science and Kinesiology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Sports Management 17,486
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 13,335
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 1,377
Physical Fitness Technician 1,336
Sports Studies 583

View All Exercise Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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