Fitness teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a fitness teacher. Fitness teachers usually study health education, kinesiology, or education. 64% of fitness teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 159 real fitness teacher resumes to see exactly what fitness teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for fitness teachers are the Eastern Washington University and the Eastern Washington University.

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

What education do you need to become a fitness teacher?

What degree do you need to be a fitness teacher?

The most common degree for fitness teachers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of fitness teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 9%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a fitness teacher?

You should major in health education to become a fitness teacher. 20% of fitness teachers major in health education. Other common majors for a fitness teacher include kinesiology and education.

Health Education, 20%

Kinesiology, 18%

Education, 11%

Business, 5%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for fitness teachers

Fitness teachers often get their degrees at Eastern Washington University, New York University, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for fitness teachers in the US based on their resumes.

Fitness teacher common college	Percentages
Eastern Washington University	13.79%
New York University	6.90%
Florida State University	6.90%
Lindenwood University	6.90%
Western Connecticut State University	6.90%

Show more common fitness teacher colleges

Best majors for fitness teachers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Health Education	19.6%
2	Kinesiology	17.5%
3	Education	11.3%
4	Business	5.2%
5	English	5.2%

Show more common fitness teacher majors

Best colleges for fitness teachers

The best colleges for fitness teachers are Northwestern University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of Tulsa.

A fitness teacher 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 teachers. 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 teachers.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$46,950

Enrollment

9,407

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Rice University

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$47,350

Enrollment

3,962

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

8. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for fitness teachers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for fitness teachers

The most affordable schools for fitness teachers are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and university of north carolina at chapel hill.

If the best universities for fitness teachers 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 teachers.

1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

4. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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 teachers

The hardest universities for fitness teachers to get into are Northwestern University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of Tulsa.

Some great schools for fitness teachers 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 teachers 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

3. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,321

6. Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,287

7. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

8. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

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

The easiest schools for fitness teachers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and felician university.

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

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average fitness teacher salary by education level

Fitness teachers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $50,150 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, fitness teachers earn a median annual income of $48,831 compared to $45,540 for fitness teachers with an Associate degree.

Fitness teacher education level	Fitness teacher salary
Master's Degree	$50,150
High School Diploma or Less	$44,238
Bachelor's Degree	$48,831
Some College/ Associate Degree	$45,540

Fitness teacher education FAQs

What is the best college for Fitness Teachers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

Search for fitness teacher jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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