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Exercise specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an exercise specialist. Exercise specialists usually study kinesiology, exercise physiology, or health education. 79% of exercise specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,441 real exercise specialist resumes to see exactly what exercise specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for exercise specialists are the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Northern Colorado.
There are also many online exercise specialist courses to help get the education required to be an exercise specialist.
There are certain exercise specialist certifications that you should consider. These exercise specialist certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).
What education do you need to become an exercise specialist?
What degree do you need to be an exercise specialist?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an exercise specialist?
- Kinesiology, 57%
- Health Education, 6%
- Other Majors, 24%
Most common colleges for exercise specialists
| Exercise specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Northern Colorado | 10.46% |
| University of Florida | 8.50% |
| University of Utah | 6.54% |
| California University of Pennsylvania | 6.21% |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 5.23% |
Best majors for exercise specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 57.3% |
| 2 | Exercise Physiology | 9.3% |
| 3 | Health Education | 6.0% |
| 4 | Health And Wellness | 3.6% |
| 5 | Physical Therapy | 2.5% |
Best colleges for exercise specialists
The best colleges for exercise specialists are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
An exercise specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
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. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for exercise specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for exercise specialists
The most affordable schools for exercise specialists are University of Florida, florida state university, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for exercise specialists 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 specialists.
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for exercise specialists
The hardest universities for exercise specialists to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for exercise specialists 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 specialists 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
5. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for exercise specialists
The easiest schools for exercise specialists to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an exercise specialist 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 specialists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
5. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
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. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Albertus Magnus College
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
931
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average exercise specialist salary by education level
| Exercise specialist education level | Exercise specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $43,877 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,094 |
| Doctorate Degree | $46,264 |
Exercise specialist 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