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Athletic trainer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an athletic trainer. Athletic trainers usually study athletic training, kinesiology, or health education. 73% of athletic trainers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,165 real athletic trainer resumes to see exactly what athletic trainer education sections show.
The most common colleges for athletic trainers are the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.
There are also many online athletic trainer courses to help get the education required to be an athletic trainer.
There are certain athletic trainer certifications that you should consider. These athletic trainer certifications include Athletic Trainer Certification (ATC) and Certified Athletic Trainer (CAT).
What education do you need to become an athletic trainer?
What degree do you need to be an athletic trainer?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an athletic trainer?
- Athletic Training, 49%
- Kinesiology, 20%
- Health Education, 7%
- Medicine, 3%
- Other Majors, 21%
Most common colleges for athletic trainers
| Athletic trainer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 7.94% |
| California University of Pennsylvania | 7.71% |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | 6.31% |
| San Diego State University | 5.84% |
| West Virginia University | 5.61% |
Best majors for athletic trainers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Athletic Training | 49.1% |
| 2 | Kinesiology | 20.0% |
| 3 | Health Education | 6.7% |
| 4 | Medicine | 3.0% |
| 5 | Education | 2.7% |
Best colleges for athletic trainers
The best colleges for athletic trainers are Northwestern University, University of Tulsa, and Northeastern University.
An athletic trainer 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 trainers. 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 trainers.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for athletic trainers
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1. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
2. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
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3. Sports Nutrition for Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
Learn all about sports nutrition with 7 hours of online video content and start training SMARTER instead of HARDER...
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5. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
6. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
7. Crisis Intervention Seminar
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8. Deep Tissue Massage: Neuromuscular Therapy Certificate
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9. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
10. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...
11. Cupping Massage Mastery
Master Silicone Cupping in 2023 and Become the Go-To Therapist for Chronic Pain and Athletic Recovery...
12. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Sports Nutrition
Learn About The Fundamentals Of Sport Nutrition Science And How To Fuel Your Athlete Client...
13. Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation
Kidney transplantation is a major advance of modern medicine which provides high-quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. What used to be an experimental, risky, and very limited treatment option more than 50 years ago is now routinely performed in many countries worldwide. The number of renal transplants is expected to rise sharply in the next decade since the proportion of patients with end stage renal disease is increasing. Are you interested in clinical kidney, pancreas...
14. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
15. Applied Sport Psychology and Leadership in Sport Certificate
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16. Ashiatsu or Shiatsu Barefoot Sports Massage Therapy
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17. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation
In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a...
18. Wilderness First Aid - Introduction
In this course, students will learn the basics of wilderness medicine, including how it is a unique clinical environment, and concepts of scene safety. They will learn how to perform a basic assessment of a patient, including a physical exam, gather history data using the SAMPLE approach, and how to evaluate a patient for a potential spinal cord injury...
19. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness
In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...
20. Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions
This course focuses on data, evaluation methods and the economic evaluation of digital health interventions. This module focuses on key data considerations for digital health including data management, data visualisation and methods for evaluating digital health interventions. The key focus is on experimental and quasi-experimental design approaches that can be applied to evaluating digital health interventions and key considerations for the economic evaluation of digital health interventions...
Top 10 most affordable universities for athletic trainers
The most affordable schools for athletic trainers are Brigham Young University, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for athletic trainers 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 trainers.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for athletic trainers
The hardest universities for athletic trainers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Tulsa, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for athletic trainers 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 trainers 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 Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
5. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
7. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
8. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,307
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for athletic trainers
The easiest schools for athletic trainers to get into are Barry University, life university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an athletic trainer 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 trainers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
7. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
10. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
Average athletic trainer salary by education level
| Athletic trainer education level | Athletic trainer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $51,718 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,538 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $45,913 |
Athletic trainer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025