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2025 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

51 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
7,412 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 51 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 7,412 degrees in health & physical education annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Health & Physical Education School

Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region Your choice of health & physical education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Health & Physical Education Rankings by 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

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 Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 Middle Atlantic 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.

10 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Phys Ed

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
396 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$30,252 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Rutgers University - New Brunswick if you wish to pursue a degree in health & physical education. Rutgers New Brunswick is a fairly large public university located in the small city of New Brunswick. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Rutgers New Brunswick is a great university overall.

There were approximately 396 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the phys ed program earn about $30,252 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

2
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
285 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$31,658 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in health & physical education has to take a look at Temple University. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #97 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Temple is a great university overall.

There were roughly 285 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program state that they receive average early career wages of $31,658.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Temple 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
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
147 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$34,821 Median Starting Salary

Syracuse University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in health & physical education. Syracuse is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Syracuse. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.

There were about 147 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the phys ed program make an average of $34,821 for their early career.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
208 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$31,403 Median Starting Salary

University of Maryland - College Park is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in health & physical education. UMCP is a very large public university located in the suburb of College Park. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were approximately 208 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program report average early career wages of $31,403.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of Maryland - College Park

5
SUNY Cortland crest
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
291 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$32,153 Median Starting Salary

SUNY Cortland is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Cortland. A Best Colleges rank of #218 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SUNY Cortland is a great school overall.

There were roughly 291 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Cortland in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program state that they receive average early career earnings of $32,153.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from SUNY Cortland

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
211 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
10.9% Growth in Graduates

UD is a very large public university located in the suburb of Newark. A Best Colleges rank of #96 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UD is a great university overall.

There were approximately 211 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UD in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, phys ed degree recipients usually make around $26,555 in the first five years of their career.

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

7
Canisius crest
Canisius College
Buffalo, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
139 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
17.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Buffalo, Canisius is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 71st out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 139 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Canisius in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the health & physical education degree program at Canisius College get $5,817 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

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
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, MD
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
294 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
14.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Towson, Towson is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #188 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Towson is a great university overall.

There were about 294 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Towson in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the phys ed program earn about $32,101 for their early career.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$26,253 Median Starting Salary

SUNY Brockport is a moderately-sized public college located in the fringe town of Brockport. This college ranks 64th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 146 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Brockport in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the phys ed program make about $26,253 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from The College at Brockport

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$32,733 Median Starting Salary

East Stroudsburg University is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of East Stroudsburg. This university ranks 58th out of 103 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 115 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at East Stroudsburg University in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, phys ed degree recipients typically make about $32,733 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

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 Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.

Rank College Location
11 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
12 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
13 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA
14 Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA
15 Manhattanville College Purchase, NY
16 Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ
17 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD

Best Health & Physical Education Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 2,430
New York 333 2,260
Maryland 279 787
New Jersey 273 1,029
District of Columbia 188 289
Delaware 175 342

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 Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 3,298
Sports Management 2,781
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 897
Physical Fitness Technician 169
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 155
Sports Studies 112

View All Phys Ed Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Recreation Administration 309
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 241
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 35
Outdoor Education 21

View All Phys Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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