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Exercise physiologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an exercise physiologist. Exercise physiologists usually study kinesiology, exercise physiology, or health education. 74% of exercise physiologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,908 real exercise physiologist resumes to see exactly what exercise physiologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for exercise physiologists are the Central Michigan University and the Central Michigan University.
There are also many online exercise physiologist courses to help get the education required to be an exercise physiologist.
There are certain exercise physiologist certifications that you should consider. These exercise physiologist certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Exercise Physiologists (EP-C).
What education do you need to become an exercise physiologist?
What degree do you need to be an exercise physiologist?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 3%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an exercise physiologist?
- Kinesiology, 54%
- Exercise Physiology, 20%
- Health Education, 6%
- Other Majors, 18%
Most common colleges for exercise physiologists
| Exercise physiologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Central Michigan University | 9.28% |
| West Virginia University | 7.01% |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 7.01% |
| Central State University | 6.83% |
| Georgia State University | 5.60% |
Best majors for exercise physiologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 53.5% |
| 2 | Exercise Physiology | 19.6% |
| 3 | Health Education | 6.5% |
| 4 | Health And Wellness | 2.3% |
| 5 | Biology | 1.7% |
Best colleges for exercise physiologists
The best colleges for exercise physiologists are Columbia University in the City of New York, University of Southern California, and Duke University.
An exercise physiologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for exercise physiologists. 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 exercise physiologists.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
7. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
8. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for exercise physiologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for exercise physiologists
The most affordable schools for exercise physiologists are University of Florida, florida state university, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for exercise physiologists 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 exercise physiologists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
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 exercise physiologists
The hardest universities for exercise physiologists to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, University of Southern California, and Duke University.
Some great schools for exercise physiologists 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 exercise physiologists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for exercise physiologists
The easiest schools for exercise physiologists to get into are Barry University, adventhealth university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an exercise physiologist 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 exercise physiologists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average exercise physiologist salary by education level
| Exercise physiologist education level | Exercise physiologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,797 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,005 |
| Doctorate Degree | $56,527 |
Exercise physiologist 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