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2025 Best Health & Physical Education Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

72 Colleges in the Southeast Region
3,036 Master's Degrees
$43,386 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #23 in popularity, health & physical education is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 72 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Health & Physical Education Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,036 master's degrees in health & physical education during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

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

Best Health & Physical Education Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region The phys ed master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality phys ed program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

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

More Ways to Rank Health & Physical Education Schools

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 the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Health & Physical Education in the Southeast Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in health & physical education. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

14 Top Southeast Region Schools for a Master's in Phys Ed

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in health & physical education needs to look into University of Florida. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population.

Those health & physical education students who get their master's degree from University of Florida receive $6,989 more than the standard phys ed grad.

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

2

It is hard to beat University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill if you want to pursue a master's degree in health & physical education. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill.

Health & Physical Education master's degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill receive an earnings boost of about $4,251 over the average income of health & physical education graduates.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL

It is difficult to beat Florida State University if you want to pursue a master's degree in health & physical education. Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

After graduating, phys ed master's recipients generally make an average of $39,740 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from Florida State University

4

University of Georgia is a wonderful option for students pursuing a master's degree in health & physical education. Located in the city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a very large student population.

After graduating, phys ed master's recipients generally make around $39,610 in the first five years of their career.

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

5
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA

Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the phys ed program state that they receive average early career income of $44,437.

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

6

Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the phys ed program report average early career earnings of $42,975.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

7
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL

U Miami is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Coral Gables.

Those health & physical education students who get their master's degree from University of Miami make $3,131 more than the typical phys ed grad.

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

8
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA

JMU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg.

Students who graduate with their master's from the phys ed program report average early career earnings of $45,101.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from James Madison University

9

Located in the town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the health & physical education degree program at American Public University System make $16,215 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from American Public University System

10

Located in the distant town of Statesboro, GaSou is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Health & Physical Education master's degree recipients from Georgia Southern University receive an earnings boost of approximately $3,961 above the average earnings of health & physical education majors.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from Georgia Southern University

11

A-State is a large public university located in the city of Jonesboro.

Those health & physical education students who get their master's degree from Arkansas State University - Main Campus make $10,566 more than the standard phys ed student.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from Arkansas State University - Main Campus

12
13 Annual Graduates

Ole Miss is a fairly large public university located in the town of University.More information about a master’s in health & physical education from University of Mississippi

13

UofSC is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Columbia.

Soon after graduating, phys ed master's recipients usually earn about $35,103 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from University of South Carolina - Columbia

14

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.

Master's recipients from the health & physical education program at University of Virginia - Main Campus get $10,799 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from University of Virginia - Main Campus

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Health & Physical Education Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
15 University of North Alabama Florence, AL
16 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
17 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
18 Clemson University Clemson, SC
19 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
20 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
21 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
22 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
23 Cumberland University Lebanon, TN
24 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA

Best Health & Physical Education Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 208 409
Georgia 190 293
Virginia 182 417
North Carolina 178 194
Tennessee 166 269
Alabama 151 160
Kentucky 147 151
Louisiana 147 152
South Carolina 146 171
Mississippi 145 147
Arkansas 121 270
West Virginia 112 216

View All Rankings >

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

Phys Ed Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Sports Management 1,782
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 881
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 302
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 37
Sports Studies 34

Related Major Annual Graduates
Recreation Administration 201
Outdoor Education 17
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 10
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 8

Notes and References

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