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

10 Colleges in North Carolina
250 Master's Degrees
$44,134 Avg Early-Career Salary
Health & Physical Education is of the hottest master's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #23 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Health & Physical Education Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 250 master's degrees in health & physical education to qualified students.

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 North Carolina 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. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

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 school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

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 schools 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

The phys ed school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Health & Physical Education Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina.

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

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for health & physical education students seeking a a master's degree.

10 Top North Carolina Schools for a Master's in Phys Ed

1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in health & physical education. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population.

Master's recipients from the health & physical education major at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill make $3,503 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

2

East Carolina University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in health & physical education. Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a very large student population.

Those health & physical education students who get their master's degree from East Carolina University earn $3,044 more than the typical phys ed grad.

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

3

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in health & physical education needs to look into Appalachian State University. Appalachian State is a very large public university located in the town of Boone.

After graduation, phys ed master's recipients usually make an average of $38,305 in the first five years of their career.

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

4
Gardner - Webb crest
Gardner - Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC
18 Annual Graduates

Gardner - Webb University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in health & physical education. Located in the rural area of Boiling Springs, Gardner - Webb is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in health & physical education from Gardner - Webb University

5

Located in the large city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public university with a large student population.

After graduating, phys ed master's recipients usually earn around $42,884 in the first five years of their career.

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

6

Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Health & Physical Education master's degree recipients from Western Carolina University get an earnings boost of about $5,789 over the typical income of health & physical education graduates.

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

7
Wingate crest
Wingate University
Wingate, NC

Located in the suburb of Wingate, Wingate is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the phys ed program state that they receive average early career wages of $41,320.

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

8
Catawba crest
Catawba College
Salisbury, NC
15 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Salisbury, Catawba is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a master’s in health & physical education from Catawba College

9
11 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Hickory, Lenoir - Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in health & physical education from Lenoir - Rhyne University

10

North Carolina Central University is a moderately-sized public university located in the large city of Durham.

Soon after graduating, phys ed master's recipients usually earn an average of $41,694 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in health & physical education from North Carolina Central University

Best Health & Physical Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 208 409
Georgia 190 293
Virginia 182 417
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 >

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
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 131
Sports Management 93
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 26

Majors Similar to Phys Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Recreation Administration 44
Outdoor Education 17
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 8

Notes and References

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