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2023 Best Sports Management Master's Degree Schools

140 Colleges in the United States
4,986 Master's Degrees
Sports Management is of the hottest master's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #38 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2023, College Factual analyzed 140 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Sports Management Master's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 4,986 master's degrees in sports management to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Sports Management School for Your Master's Degree

Best Sports Management Master's Degree Schools Your choice of sports management 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. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

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

More Ways to Rank Sports Management Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Sports Management 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 Sports Management Master's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Sports Management in the United States

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in sports management. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

21 Top Schools for a Master's in Sports Management

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in sports management needs to check out Columbia University in the City of New York. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in sports management from Columbia University in the City of New York

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in sports management has to look into University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sports management from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Annual Graduates

Northwestern University is a good option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in sports management. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sports management from Northwestern University

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Florida if you wish to pursue a master's degree in sports management. UF is a very large public university located in the city of Gainesville.More information about a master’s in sports management from University of Florida

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Annual Graduates

American Military University is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the fringe town of Charles Town.More information about a master’s in sports management from American Public University System

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Annual Graduates

Texas A&M College Station is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of College Station.More information about a master’s in sports management from Texas A&M University - College Station

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
27 Annual Graduates

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis.More information about a master’s in sports management from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

8
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
25 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sports management from University of Iowa

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
137 Annual Graduates

Located in the distant town of Athens, OHIO Athens is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sports management from Ohio University - Athens Campus

10
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Annual Graduates

Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington.More information about a master’s in sports management from Georgetown University

11
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Annual Graduates

Temple is a very large public university located in the city of Philadelphia.More information about a master’s in sports management from Temple University

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
405 Annual Graduates

Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Irvine.More information about a master’s in sports management from Concordia University, Irvine

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
24 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of River Forest, Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in sports management from Concordia University, Chicago

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
21 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Waco, Baylor is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sports management from Baylor University

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
275 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of California, Cal U is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in sports management from California University of Pennsylvania

16
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Annual Graduates

U Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Coral Gables.More information about a master’s in sports management from University of Miami

17
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, WA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
15 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Seattle, Seattle U is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in sports management from Seattle University

18
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Annual Graduates

USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Francisco.More information about a master’s in sports management from University of San Francisco

19
Canisius crest
Canisius College
Buffalo, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Annual Graduates

Canisius is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Buffalo.More information about a master’s in sports management from Canisius College

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
21 Annual Graduates

SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Dallas.More information about a master’s in sports management from Southern Methodist University

21
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
16 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in sports management from James Madison University

Rest of the Top Best Sports Management Master's Degree Schools

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Sports Management students that almost earned our Best Sports Management Master's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
25 Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN
26 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
27 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
28 Washington State University Pullman, WA
22 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
23 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
24 Springfield College Springfield, MA
25 Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN

Sports Management by Region

View the Best Sports Management Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

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Sports Management is one of 5 different types of Health & Physical Education programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 2,913
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 1,003
Sports Studies 180
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 158
Physical Fitness Technician 2

Notes and References

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