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Fitness coordinator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a fitness coordinator. Fitness coordinators usually study kinesiology, health education, or business. 72% of fitness coordinators hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,680 real fitness coordinator resumes to see exactly what fitness coordinator education sections show.

The most common colleges for fitness coordinators are the University of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati.

There are also many online fitness coordinator courses to help get the education required to be a fitness coordinator.

There are certain fitness coordinator certifications that you should consider. These fitness coordinator certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).

What education do you need to become a fitness coordinator?

What degree do you need to be a fitness coordinator?

The most common degree for fitness coordinators is bachelor's degree, with 72% of fitness coordinators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a fitness coordinator?

You should major in kinesiology to become a fitness coordinator. 42% of fitness coordinators major in kinesiology. Other common majors for a fitness coordinator include health education and business.

Most common colleges for fitness coordinators

Fitness coordinators often get their degrees at University of Cincinnati, University of Wisconsin Colleges, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Here are the most common colleges for fitness coordinators in the US based on their resumes.
Fitness coordinator common collegePercentages
University of Cincinnati9.30%
University of Wisconsin Colleges7.56%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro6.40%
University of Phoenix6.40%
California University of Pennsylvania5.81%

Best majors for fitness coordinators

RankMajorPercentages
1Kinesiology42.0%
2Health Education9.2%
3Business8.8%
4Psychology6.2%
5Liberal Arts3.8%

Best colleges for fitness coordinators

The best colleges for fitness coordinators are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

A fitness coordinator 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 coordinators. 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 coordinators.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

10. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

20 best online courses for fitness coordinators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for fitness coordinators

The most affordable schools for fitness coordinators are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for fitness coordinators 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 coordinators.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fitness coordinators

The hardest universities for fitness coordinators to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for fitness coordinators 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 coordinators 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

8. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fitness coordinators

The easiest schools for fitness coordinators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fitness coordinator 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 coordinators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average fitness coordinator salary by education level

According to our data, fitness coordinators with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $48,789 annually. Fitness coordinators with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $44,688.
Fitness coordinator education levelFitness coordinator salary
Master's Degree$44,688
Bachelor's Degree$39,458
Doctorate Degree$48,789

Fitness coordinator 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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