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2025 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in Virginia

16 Colleges in Virginia
1,593 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$34,558 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in health & physical education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #11 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 16 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in Virginia ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,593 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 Virginia 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. We derive our Best Overall Health & Physical Education School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

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

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 Schools in Virginia. 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 Health & Physical Education in Virginia

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

10 Top Virginia Schools in Phys Ed

1
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
268 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$38,119 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat James Madison University if you wish to pursue a degree in health & physical education. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were about 268 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the health & physical education degree program at James Madison University get $3,561 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

2
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
381 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$36,666 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in health & physical education needs to look into Liberty University. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Lynchburg. A Best Colleges rank of #265 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 381 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. Health & Physical Education degree recipients from Liberty University get an earnings boost of approximately $2,107 over the average income of health & physical education graduates.

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

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
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
112 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$27,114 Median Starting Salary

William & Mary is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in health & physical education. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were about 112 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, phys ed degree recipients typically make about $27,114 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from William & Mary

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
11.0% Growth in Graduates

George Mason University is a good option for students interested in a degree in health & physical education. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 127 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program make an average of $35,118 in their early career salary.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
3.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 121 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from University of Virginia - Main Campus earn $18,454 more than the typical phys ed student.

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

6
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, VA

Located in the city of Winchester, Shenandoah is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #337 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Shenandoah is a great university overall.

There were about 30 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Shenandoah in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the health & physical education program at Shenandoah University get $3,118 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
90 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$29,989 Median Starting Salary

Old Dominion is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk. A Best Colleges rank of #495 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Old Dominion is a great university overall.

There were about 90 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the phys ed program make an average of $29,989 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Old Dominion 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
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
10.9% Growth in Graduates

Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Salem. This college ranks 25th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 46 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Roanoke in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program report average early career income of $27,304.

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

9
AU crest
Averett University
Danville, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
3.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Danville, AU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 35th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 33 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at AU in the most recent data year. Health & Physical Education degree recipients from Averett University receive an earnings boost of approximately $2,350 over the average earnings of health & physical education graduates.

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

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
10.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the rural area of Emory, Emory & Henry College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 42nd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 38 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Emory & Henry College in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, phys ed degree recipients usually earn around $28,146 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Emory and Henry College

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
Georgia 287 1,801
Florida 282 1,944
North Carolina 279 2,932
Tennessee 269 2,402
South Carolina 248 1,140
Kentucky 244 952
Louisiana 242 678
Mississippi 234 1,043
Arkansas 234 854
Alabama 233 858
West Virginia 207 1,158

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
Sports Management 660
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 561
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 333
Sports Studies 23
Physical Fitness Technician 11
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 5

View All Phys Ed Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Phys Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Recreation Administration 78
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 47
Outdoor Education 6

View All Phys Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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