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Health and wellness instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a health and wellness instructor. Health and wellness instructors usually study kinesiology, health education, or nursing. 67% of health and wellness instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 565 real health and wellness instructor resumes to see exactly what health and wellness instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for health and wellness instructors are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online health and wellness instructor courses to help get the education required to be a health and wellness instructor.
There are certain health and wellness instructor certifications that you should consider. These health and wellness instructor certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and Instructor.
What education do you need to become a health and wellness instructor?
What degree do you need to be a health and wellness instructor?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a health and wellness instructor?
- Kinesiology, 25%
- Health Education, 9%
- Nursing, 8%
- Business, 8%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for health and wellness instructors
| Health and wellness instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.96% |
| Appalachian State University | 5.97% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.97% |
| James Madison University | 5.97% |
| University of Iowa | 5.97% |
Best majors for health and wellness instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 25.3% |
| 2 | Health Education | 8.9% |
| 3 | Nursing | 7.9% |
| 4 | Business | 7.9% |
| 5 | Psychology | 7.5% |
Best colleges for health and wellness instructors
The best colleges for health and wellness instructors are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Tulsa, and University of Virginia.
A health and wellness 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 health and wellness 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 health and wellness instructors.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$46,950
Enrollment
9,407
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for health and wellness instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for health and wellness instructors
The most affordable schools for health and wellness instructors are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for health and wellness 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 health and wellness instructors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for health and wellness instructors
The hardest universities for health and wellness instructors to get into are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Tulsa, and University of Virginia.
Some great schools for health and wellness 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 health and wellness 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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
2. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
3. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,287
6. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for health and wellness instructors
The easiest schools for health and wellness instructors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, felician university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a health and wellness 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 health and wellness instructors.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average health and wellness instructor salary by education level
| Health and wellness instructor education level | Health and wellness instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $42,428 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $38,097 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,468 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,058 |
Health and wellness 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