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2025 Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in California

23 Colleges in California
6,199 Physical Education Degrees Awarded
Ranked #54 in popularity, sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 23 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 6,199 degrees in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General School

Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in California Your choice of sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Physical Education
Bachelor's Degrees in Physical Education
Master's Degrees in Physical Education

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General in California

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

10 Top California Schools in Physical Education

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CA
406 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

It's hard to beat San Diego State University if you want to pursue a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general. SDSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.

There were about 406 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from San Diego State University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In CA
199 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

San Francisco State University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general. SFSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Francisco. A Best Colleges rank of #225 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SFSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 199 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from San Francisco State University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
69th Most Popular In CA
87.5% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Saint Mary's College of California if you want to pursue a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general. SMC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Moraga. A Best Colleges rank of #148 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SMC is a great college overall.

There were about 8 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at SMC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from Saint Mary’s College of California

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In CA
301 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general has to take a look at California State University - Long Beach. CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the city of Long Beach. A Best Colleges rank of #246 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means CSULB is a great university overall.

There were approximately 301 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from California State University - Long Beach

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In CA
309 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #267 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Sac State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 309 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at Sac State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from California State University - Sacramento

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In CA
159 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Cal Poly Pomona is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Pomona. A Best Colleges rank of #436 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cal Poly Pomona is a great university overall.

There were roughly 159 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly Pomona in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CA
558 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #271 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cal State Fullerton is a great university overall.

There were roughly 558 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from California State University - Fullerton

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
18th Most Popular In CA
156 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 71st out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 156 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at Riverside City College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from Riverside City College

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In CA
397 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Walnut, Mt. SAC is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 97th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 397 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at Mt. SAC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from Mt. San Antonio College

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CA
467 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Northridge, CSUN is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #350 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means CSUN is a great university overall.

There were about 467 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at CSUN in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from California State University - Northridge

Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 831 43
Oregon 587 131
Hawaii 267 7

View All Rankings >

One of 5 majors within the Health & Physical Education area of study, Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 3,277
Sports Management 654
Physical Fitness Technician 374
Sports Studies 69
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 3

View All Physical Education Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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