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Fitness instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fitness instructor. Fitness instructors usually study kinesiology, business, or psychology. 64% of fitness instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 10,990 real fitness instructor resumes to see exactly what fitness instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for fitness instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online fitness instructor courses to help get the education required to be a fitness instructor.
There are certain fitness instructor certifications that you should consider. These fitness instructor certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and Instructor.
What education do you need to become a fitness instructor?
What degree do you need to be a fitness instructor?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a fitness instructor?
- Kinesiology, 27%
- Business, 13%
- Psychology, 9%
- Health Education, 6%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for fitness instructors
| Fitness instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 9.06% |
| James Madison University | 6.67% |
| Ohio State University | 5.64% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.30% |
| University of Iowa | 5.30% |
Best majors for fitness instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 26.7% |
| 2 | Business | 12.5% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.9% |
| 4 | Health Education | 6.2% |
| 5 | Communication | 5.2% |
Best colleges for fitness instructors
The best colleges for fitness instructors are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
A fitness instructor 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 instructors. 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 instructors.
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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
20 best online courses for fitness instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fitness instructors
The most affordable schools for fitness instructors are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for fitness instructors 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 instructors.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fitness instructors
The hardest universities for fitness instructors to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for fitness instructors 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 instructors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
9. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,307
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fitness instructors
The easiest schools for fitness instructors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, wayland baptist university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fitness instructor 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 instructors.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
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. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average fitness instructor salary by education level
| Fitness instructor education level | Fitness instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $37,765 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,729 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,869 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $34,622 |
Fitness instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025