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Athletic coach education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an athletic coach. Athletic coaches usually study kinesiology, business, or health education. 70% of athletic coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,316 real athletic coach resumes to see exactly what athletic coach education sections show.
The most common colleges for athletic coaches are the Texas A&M; University San Antonio and the Texas A&M; University San Antonio.
There are also many online athletic coach courses to help get the education required to be an athletic coach.
What education do you need to become an athletic coach?
What degree do you need to be an athletic coach?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an athletic coach?
- Kinesiology, 15%
- Business, 12%
- Health Education, 10%
- Psychology, 9%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for athletic coaches
| Athletic coach common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University San Antonio | 8.33% |
| Liberty University | 7.41% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 6.48% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.48% |
| Texas State University | 5.56% |
Best majors for athletic coaches
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 15.5% |
| 2 | Business | 12.2% |
| 3 | Health Education | 10.4% |
| 4 | Psychology | 9.1% |
| 5 | Education | 7.2% |
Best colleges for athletic coaches
The best colleges for athletic coaches are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
An athletic coach with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for athletic coaches. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become athletic coaches.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
10. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for athletic coaches
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Top 10 most affordable universities for athletic coaches
The most affordable schools for athletic coaches are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for athletic coaches are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for athletic coaches.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for athletic coaches
The hardest universities for athletic coaches to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for athletic coaches are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for athletic coaches based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for athletic coaches
The easiest schools for athletic coaches to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an athletic coach without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for athletic coaches.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average athletic coach salary by education level
| Athletic coach education level | Athletic coach salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,178 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,067 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,445 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,039 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025