Physical fitness trainer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a physical fitness trainer. Physical fitness trainers usually study health education, physical therapy, or business. 52% of physical fitness trainers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 121 real physical fitness trainer resumes to see exactly what physical fitness trainer education sections show.

The most common colleges for physical fitness trainers are the Becker College and the Becker College.

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

What education do you need to become a physical fitness trainer?

What degree do you need to be a physical fitness trainer?

The most common degree for physical fitness trainers is bachelor's degree, with 52% of physical fitness trainers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 52%

Associate, 19%

High School Diploma, 10%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 12%

What should I major in to become a physical fitness trainer?

You should major in health education to become a physical fitness trainer. 16% of physical fitness trainers major in health education. Other common majors for a physical fitness trainer include physical therapy and business.

Health Education, 16%

Physical Therapy, 14%

Business, 13%

Liberal Arts, 9%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for physical fitness trainers

Physical fitness trainers often get their degrees at Becker College, University of California, Berkeley, and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Here are the most common colleges for physical fitness trainers in the US based on their resumes.

Physical fitness trainer common college	Percentages
Becker College	11.54%
University of California, Berkeley	7.69%
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania	7.69%
Washington College	7.69%
Utah State University	7.69%

Show more common physical fitness trainer colleges

Best majors for physical fitness trainers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Health Education	16.1%
2	Physical Therapy	14.3%
3	Business	12.5%
4	Liberal Arts	8.9%
5	Biology	5.4%

Show more common physical fitness trainer majors

Best colleges for physical fitness trainers

The best colleges for physical fitness trainers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.

A physical fitness trainer 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 fitness trainers. 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 fitness trainers.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

7. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

20 best online courses for physical fitness trainers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for physical fitness trainers

The most affordable schools for physical fitness trainers are California State University - Long Beach, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for physical fitness trainers 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 fitness trainers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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 fitness trainers

The hardest universities for physical fitness trainers to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.

Some great schools for physical fitness trainers 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 fitness trainers 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

7. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

8. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

10. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physical fitness trainers

The easiest schools for physical fitness trainers to get into are Bluefield College, wayland baptist university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a physical fitness trainer 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 fitness trainers.

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average physical fitness trainer salary by education level

Physical fitness trainers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $31,031 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, physical fitness trainers earn a median annual income of $30,376 compared to $28,728 for physical fitness trainers with an Associate degree.

Physical fitness trainer education level	Physical fitness trainer salary
Master's Degree	$31,031
High School Diploma or Less	$28,069
Bachelor's Degree	$30,376
Some College/ Associate Degree	$28,728

Physical fitness trainer education FAQs

What is the best college for Physical Fitness Trainers?

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

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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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