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Fitness and wellness manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fitness and wellness manager. Fitness and wellness managers usually study kinesiology, business, or education. 76% of fitness and wellness managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 110 real fitness and wellness manager resumes to see exactly what fitness and wellness manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for fitness and wellness managers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online fitness and wellness manager courses to help get the education required to be a fitness and wellness manager.
There are certain fitness and wellness manager certifications that you should consider. These fitness and wellness manager certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor.
What education do you need to become a fitness and wellness manager?
What degree do you need to be a fitness and wellness manager?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Associate, 8%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a fitness and wellness manager?
- Kinesiology, 34%
- Business, 8%
- Education, 7%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for fitness and wellness managers
| Fitness and wellness manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 6.67% |
| University of Northern Colorado | 6.67% |
| Towson University | 6.67% |
| SUNY Buffalo State | 6.67% |
| Colorado State University | 6.67% |
Best majors for fitness and wellness managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 34.4% |
| 2 | Business | 8.2% |
| 3 | Education | 6.6% |
| 4 | Exercise Physiology | 6.6% |
| 5 | Psychology | 4.9% |
Best colleges for fitness and wellness managers
The best colleges for fitness and wellness managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A fitness and wellness manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for fitness and wellness managers. 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 fitness and wellness managers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for fitness and wellness managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fitness and wellness managers
The most affordable schools for fitness and wellness managers are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for fitness and wellness managers 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 fitness and wellness managers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
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 fitness and wellness managers
The hardest universities for fitness and wellness managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for fitness and wellness managers 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 fitness and wellness managers 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fitness and wellness managers
The easiest schools for fitness and wellness managers to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fitness and wellness manager 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 fitness and wellness managers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average fitness and wellness manager salary by education level
| Fitness and wellness manager education level | Fitness and wellness manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $72,826 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,972 |
| Doctorate Degree | $85,542 |
Fitness and wellness manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025