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Physical education instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a physical education instructor. Physical education instructors usually study health education, kinesiology, or education. 72% of physical education instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,870 real physical education instructor resumes to see exactly what physical education instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for physical education instructors are the California State University - San Bernardino and the California State University - San Bernardino.
There are also many online physical education instructor courses to help get the education required to be a physical education instructor.
There are certain physical education instructor certifications that you should consider. These physical education instructor certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).
What education do you need to become a physical education instructor?
What degree do you need to be a physical education instructor?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a physical education instructor?
- Health Education, 38%
- Kinesiology, 16%
- Education, 11%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 29%
Most common colleges for physical education instructors
| Physical education instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| California State University - San Bernardino | 7.60% |
| Florida State University | 7.60% |
| Eastern Illinois University | 6.43% |
| Grambling State University | 6.43% |
| Illinois State University | 5.85% |
Best majors for physical education instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Education | 37.5% |
| 2 | Kinesiology | 16.0% |
| 3 | Education | 10.5% |
| 4 | Business | 5.8% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 3.4% |
Best colleges for physical education instructors
The best colleges for physical education instructors are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
A physical education 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 physical education 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 physical education 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for physical education instructors
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9. Physics 102 - AC Circuits and Maxwell's Equations
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Top 10 most affordable universities for physical education instructors
The most affordable schools for physical education instructors are California State University - Long Beach, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for physical education 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 physical education instructors.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. 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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for physical education instructors
The hardest universities for physical education instructors to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for physical education 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 physical education 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physical education instructors
The easiest schools for physical education instructors to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a physical education 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 physical education instructors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
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. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
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. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average physical education instructor salary by education level
| Physical education instructor education level | Physical education instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $43,816 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,064 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $42,990 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $40,902 |
Physical education instructor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025