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2025 Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Southeast Region

44 Colleges in the Southeast Region
2,855 Physical Education Degrees Awarded
If you pursue a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #54 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 44 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,855 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 the Southeast Region 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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
Doctor'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 the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General in the Southeast Region

The schools below may not offer all types of physical education degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Physical Education

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In GA
59.1% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general has to check out University of Georgia. Located in the midsize city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were about 22 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from University of Georgia

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NC
346 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general needs to take a look at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were approximately 346 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In VA
116 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat James Madison University if you wish to pursue a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general. JMU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Harrisonburg. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 116 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from James Madison University

4
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In GA
84 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Emory University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #31 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were approximately 84 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available.

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

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In KY
119 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Louisville, UofL is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #421 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UofL is a great university overall.

There were about 119 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at UofL in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from University of Louisville

6
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In AR
87 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Fayetteville, UARK is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #239 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UARK is a great university overall.

There were about 87 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at UARK in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from University of Arkansas

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In WV
117 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #234 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means American Military University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 117 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at American Military University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from American Public University System

8
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In VA
18.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #265 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were about 11 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent year we have data available.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In WV
200 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Morgantown, WVU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #492 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means WVU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 200 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at WVU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from West Virginia University

10
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In VA
112 Physical Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were about 112 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general from William & Mary

Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Colleges by State

Explore the best sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 715 175
North Carolina 710 751
Georgia 690 141
Virginia 630 348
Tennessee 624 648
South Carolina 530 19
Kentucky 518 187
Mississippi 501 59
Alabama 500 27
Louisiana 489 126
Arkansas 466 262
West Virginia 410 375

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 8,265
Sports Management 6,078
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 434
Physical Fitness Technician 171
Sports Studies 171

View All Physical Education Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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