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2025 Best Health & Physical Education Master's Degree Schools in California

14 Colleges in California
864 Master's Degrees
$49,627 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a master's degree in health & physical education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #23 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual looked at 14 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Health & Physical Education Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 864 master's degrees in health & physical education during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Health & Physical Education School for Your Master's Degree

Best Health & Physical Education Master's Degree Schools in California Your choice of health & physical education for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for health & physical education students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Phys Ed Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Health & Physical Education Master's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Health & Physical Education in California

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in health & physical education.

10 Top California Schools for a Master's in Phys Ed

1

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in health & physical education needs to take a look at Concordia University, Irvine. Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Irvine.

Health & Physical Education master's degree recipients from Concordia University, Irvine receive an earnings boost of about $12,155 above the typical income of health & physical education graduates.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from Concordia University, Irvine

2

It's difficult to beat Saint Mary's College of California if you wish to pursue a master's degree in health & physical education. Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Those health & physical education students who get their master's degree from Saint Mary's College of California make $14,823 more than the standard phys ed student.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from Saint Mary’s College of California

3
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

University of San Francisco is a wonderful option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in health & physical education. Located in the large city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program make around $46,187 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from University of San Francisco

4

California State University - Long Beach is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in health & physical education. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a very large student population.

Soon after graduation, phys ed master's recipients usually earn an average of $49,357 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from California State University - Long Beach

5
16 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in health & physical education from San Francisco State University

6

Cal Baptist is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Riverside.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program make an average of $45,804 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from California Baptist University

7
15 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Stockton, Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in health & physical education from University of the Pacific

8

CSUN is a very large public university located in the city of Northridge.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program make around $44,961 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from California State University - Northridge

9
12 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, Cal State LA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in health & physical education from California State University - Los Angeles

10
14 Annual Graduates

Chico State is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Chico.More information about a master’s in health & physical education from California State University - Chico

Best Health & Physical Education Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Health & Physical Education Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 183 122
Oregon 158 35
Nevada 105 11
Hawaii 85 12

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies area of study, Health & Physical Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Phys Ed Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Sports Management 398
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 243
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 160
Sports Studies 63

Related Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 10

Notes and References

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