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Fitness manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fitness manager. Fitness managers usually study kinesiology, business, or psychology. 68% of fitness managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,790 real fitness manager resumes to see exactly what fitness manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for fitness managers are the California University of Pennsylvania and the California University of Pennsylvania.
There are also many online fitness manager courses to help get the education required to be a fitness manager.
There are certain fitness manager certifications that you should consider. These fitness manager certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).
What education do you need to become a fitness manager?
What degree do you need to be a fitness manager?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 9%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a fitness manager?
- Kinesiology, 38%
- Business, 15%
- Psychology, 7%
- Health Education, 6%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for fitness managers
| Fitness manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| California University of Pennsylvania | 12.56% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.73% |
| San Jose State University | 5.80% |
| University of Akron | 5.80% |
| Texas State University | 5.31% |
Best majors for fitness managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 38.2% |
| 2 | Business | 14.7% |
| 3 | Psychology | 6.7% |
| 4 | Health Education | 5.6% |
| 5 | Exercise Physiology | 4.0% |
Best colleges for fitness managers
The best colleges for fitness managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A fitness 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 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 managers.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
20 best online courses for fitness managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fitness managers
The most affordable schools for fitness managers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for fitness 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 managers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fitness managers
The hardest universities for fitness managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for fitness 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 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fitness managers
The easiest schools for fitness managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fitness 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 managers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
8. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average fitness manager salary by education level
| Fitness manager education level | Fitness manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,379 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $38,527 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,640 |
| Doctorate Degree | $57,388 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $40,444 |
Fitness manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025