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Physical education teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a physical education teacher. Physical education teachers usually study health education, kinesiology, or education. 77% of physical education teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 10,746 real physical education teacher resumes to see exactly what physical education teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for physical education teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online physical education teacher courses to help get the education required to be a physical education teacher.
There are certain physical education teacher certifications that you should consider. These physical education teacher certifications include Certified Adapted Physical Educator (CAPE) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).
What education do you need to become a physical education teacher?
What degree do you need to be a physical education teacher?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a physical education teacher?
- Health Education, 45%
- Kinesiology, 15%
- Education, 11%
- Other Majors, 24%
Most common colleges for physical education teachers
| Physical education teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 6.19% |
| Illinois State University | 5.94% |
| University of Central Florida | 5.94% |
| Hofstra University | 5.94% |
| Montclair State University | 5.82% |
Best majors for physical education teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Education | 44.8% |
| 2 | Kinesiology | 14.8% |
| 3 | Education | 11.4% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 5.3% |
| 5 | Business | 3.4% |
Best colleges for physical education teachers
The best colleges for physical education teachers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
A 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 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 physical education teachers.
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for physical education teachers
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3. Physics - Kinematics for High School and AP Physics 1
This is a comprehensive Algebra based Mechanics course in physics specifically covering topics of Kinematics...
4. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)
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6. Educating Deaf Children: Becoming an Empowered Teacher
Many Deaf children around the world still leave school functionally illiterate. In some cases, there is no allowance made for the education of Deaf children at all. This 4-week course provides you with invaluable knowledge and skills about teaching Deaf children. You will learn about the importance of Deaf culture and community, the need for a language-rich environment for the Deaf child from as young as possible, and that having access to sign language can help Deaf children academically,...
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14. Google Certified Educator Level 1 Technical Training
Google Apps for Education...
15. Classical Physics: Journey Through the Laws of the Universe
Peer beneath the surface of reality, understand how the universe works, and develop physics apps that make a difference!...
16. Intro to Unity 3D Physics: Helicopters
Learn how to create Helicopter physics for Games with Unity 3D and C#!...
17. Complete Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2 Masterclass
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18. QC151 Quantum Physics for QC - Content moved to QC101
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19. Intro to Airplane Physics in Unity 3D - 2017 & 2018
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20. Introduction to Early Childhood Montessori Education
Learning Montessori Philosophy and Materials by visiting classrooms across the U.S...
Top 10 most affordable universities for physical education teachers
The most affordable schools for physical education teachers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for 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 physical education teachers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for physical education teachers
The hardest universities for physical education teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for 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 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. 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physical education teachers
The easiest schools for physical education teachers to get into are Barry University, felician university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 physical education teachers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
9. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
10. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
Average physical education teacher salary by education level
| Physical education teacher education level | Physical education teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,767 |
| Doctorate Degree | $55,199 |
Physical education teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025