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Cross country and track and field coach education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a cross country and track and field coach. Cross country and track and field coaches usually study kinesiology, health education, or education. 72% of cross country and track and field coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 497 real cross country and track and field coach resumes to see exactly what cross country and track and field coach education sections show.

The most common colleges for cross country and track and field coaches are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

There are also many online cross country and track and field coach courses to help get the education required to be a cross country and track and field coach.

What education do you need to become a cross country and track and field coach?

What degree do you need to be a cross country and track and field coach?

The most common degree for cross country and track and field coaches is bachelor's degree, with 72% of cross country and track and field coaches earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 4%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a cross country and track and field coach?

You should major in kinesiology to become a cross country and track and field coach. 15% of cross country and track and field coaches major in kinesiology. Other common majors for a cross country and track and field coach include health education and education.

Most common colleges for cross country and track and field coaches

Cross country and track and field coaches often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, Hardin-Simmons University, and Northern Arizona University. Here are the most common colleges for cross country and track and field coaches in the US based on their resumes.
Cross country and track and field coach common collegePercentages
Pennsylvania State University8.57%
Hardin-Simmons University7.14%
Northern Arizona University7.14%
University of South Florida5.71%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill5.71%

Best majors for cross country and track and field coaches

RankMajorPercentages
1Kinesiology15.2%
2Health Education10.1%
3Education9.8%
4Elementary Education8.1%
5Psychology7.1%

Best colleges for cross country and track and field coaches

The best colleges for cross country and track and field coaches are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A cross country and track and field 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 cross country and track and field 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 cross country and track and field coaches.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

9. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for cross country and track and field coaches

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Top 10 most affordable universities for cross country and track and field coaches

The most affordable schools for cross country and track and field coaches are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for cross country and track and field 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 cross country and track and field coaches.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cross country and track and field coaches

The hardest universities for cross country and track and field coaches to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for cross country and track and field 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 cross country and track and field 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cross country and track and field coaches

The easiest schools for cross country and track and field coaches to get into are Barry University, felician university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cross country and track and field 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 cross country and track and field coaches.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average cross country and track and field coach salary by education level

According to our data, cross country and track and field coaches with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $50,534 annually. Cross country and track and field coaches with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $50,233.
Cross country and track and field coach education levelCross country and track and field coach salary
Master's Degree$50,233
High School Diploma or Less$42,271
Bachelor's Degree$50,534
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,466

Cross country and track and field coach education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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