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High school physical education teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a high school physical education teacher. High school physical education teachers usually study health education, education, or kinesiology. 69% of high school physical education teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 58 real high school physical education teacher resumes to see exactly what high school physical education teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for high school physical education teachers are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online high school physical education teacher courses to help get the education required to be a high school physical education teacher.
What education do you need to become a high school physical education teacher?
What degree do you need to be a high school physical education teacher?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 22%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a high school physical education teacher?
- Health Education, 18%
- Education, 15%
- Kinesiology, 10%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for high school physical education teachers
| High school physical education teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 8.70% |
| Central Michigan University | 8.70% |
| University of Miami | 8.70% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 4.35% |
| Purdue University | 4.35% |
Best majors for high school physical education teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Education | 17.5% |
| 2 | Education | 15.0% |
| 3 | Kinesiology | 10.0% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 7.5% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 5.0% |
Best colleges for high school physical education teachers
The best colleges for high school physical education teachers are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A high school physical education 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 high school physical education 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 high school physical education teachers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for high school physical education teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for high school physical education teachers
The most affordable schools for high school physical education teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for high school physical education 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 high school physical education teachers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for high school physical education teachers
The hardest universities for high school physical education teachers to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for high school physical education 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 high school physical education 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for high school physical education teachers
The easiest schools for high school physical education teachers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, mount saint mary's university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a high school physical education 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 high school physical education teachers.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
6. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average high school physical education teacher salary by education level
| High school physical education teacher education level | High school physical education teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,912 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $42,938 |
| Doctorate Degree | $50,386 |
High school physical education teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025