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2025 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Southwest Region

68 Colleges in the Southwest Region
9,549 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$34,558 Avg Early-Career Salary
Health & Physical Education is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #11 most popular major in the country. 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 68 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 9,549 degrees in health & physical education annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Health & Physical Education School

Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Southwest Region The phys ed program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Health & Physical Education rankings. For our Best Overall Health & Physical Education School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Health & Physical Education Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Phys Ed
Bachelor's Degrees in Phys Ed
Master's Degrees in Phys Ed
Doctor's Degrees in Phys Ed

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Southwest Region list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Health & Physical Education in the Southwest Region

The schools below may not offer all types of phys ed degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

13 Top Southwest Region Schools in Phys Ed

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
538 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$39,147 Median Starting Salary

Texas A&M University - College Station is a good option for students pursuing a degree in health & physical education. Texas A&M College Station is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of College Station. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.

There were about 538 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from Texas A&M University - College Station earn $4,588 more than the typical phys ed grad.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Texas A&M University - College Station

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
307 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$35,583 Median Starting Salary

The University of Texas at Austin is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in health & physical education. UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of #46 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were roughly 307 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program state that they receive average early career wages of $35,583.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from The University of Texas at Austin

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Business Administration - Sport Management Program Name

Turn your passion for sports into a career with a wide range of employment options with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Business Administration - Sport Management from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
364 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$32,696 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in health & physical education has to look into Arizona State University - Tempe. Located in the medium-sized city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #108 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were about 364 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the phys ed program make around $32,696 for their early career.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Arizona State University - Tempe

4
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$51,110 Median Starting Salary

Rice University is a great option for students interested in a degree in health & physical education. Located in the large city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #48 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were approximately 104 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent year we have data available. Health & Physical Education degree recipients from Rice University get an earnings boost of approximately $16,552 over the typical income of health & physical education graduates.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Rice University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
417 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$30,759 Median Starting Salary

UH is a fairly large public university located in the city of Houston. This university ranks 14th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 417 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UH in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program make an average of $30,759 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of Houston

6
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
456 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$33,487 Median Starting Salary

Texas State is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Marcos. This university ranks 16th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 456 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Texas State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, phys ed degree recipients usually make about $33,487 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Texas State University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
21.1% Growth in Graduates

SMU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Dallas. A Best Colleges rank of #142 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 133 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year. Health & Physical Education degree recipients from Southern Methodist University receive an earnings boost of about $8,387 over the typical income of health & physical education majors.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Southern Methodist University

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Sport Management Program Name

Turn your passion for sports into a career and a path to high-level roles in the industry with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Sport Management from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
353 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
16.7% Growth in Graduates

UNT is a very large public university located in the city of Denton. A Best Colleges rank of #310 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNT is a great university overall.

There were approximately 353 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UNT in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program report average early career earnings of $35,039.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of North Texas

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$36,675 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Waco, Baylor is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #150 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Baylor is a great university overall.

There were about 124 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Baylor in the most recent year we have data available. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from Baylor University receive $2,116 more than the standard phys ed student.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Baylor University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$37,005 Median Starting Salary

SHSU is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Huntsville. This university ranks 18th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 151 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at SHSU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the health & physical education program at Sam Houston State University earn $2,447 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Sam Houston State University

11
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
50 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
18.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of McAllen, South Texas College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 19th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 50 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at South Texas College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, phys ed degree recipients generally earn around $22,699 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from South Texas College

Sponsored
Masters Degree Type
MBA in Sport Management Program Name

Fit 2 of your passions – business and sports – into 1 degree when you earn your sport management MBA at Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in MBA in Sport Management from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

12
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
205 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
37.1% Growth in Graduates

NAU is a very large public university located in the small city of Flagstaff. A Best Colleges rank of #221 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NAU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 205 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at NAU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, phys ed degree recipients typically earn an average of $28,769 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Northern Arizona University

13
Tarleton crest
Tarleton State University
Stephenville, TX
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
283 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$36,117 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Stephenville, Tarleton is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 48th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 283 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Tarleton in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program make an average of $36,117 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Tarleton State University

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Health & Physical Education students in the Southwest Region that almost earned our Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Southwest Region award.

Rank College Location
14 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
15 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
16 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
17 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
18 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
19 Southern Nazarene University Bethany, OK
20 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
21 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
22 Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX

Best Health & Physical Education Colleges by State

Explore the best health & physical education colleges for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 317 7,194
Arizona 287 929
Oklahoma 257 1,053
New Mexico 219 141

View All Rankings >

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

Phys Ed Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 6,174
Sports Management 1,690
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 1,163
Physical Fitness Technician 335
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 155
Sports Studies 32

View All Phys Ed Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 259
Recreation Administration 179
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 43
Outdoor Education 34

View All Phys Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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