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Physical trainer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a physical trainer. Physical trainers usually study kinesiology, health education, or psychology. 61% of physical trainers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 389 real physical trainer resumes to see exactly what physical trainer education sections show.
The most common colleges for physical trainers are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.
There are also many online physical trainer courses to help get the education required to be a physical trainer.
What education do you need to become a physical trainer?
What degree do you need to be a physical trainer?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 14%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a physical trainer?
- Kinesiology, 19%
- Health Education, 13%
- Psychology, 10%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for physical trainers
| Physical trainer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| San Jose State University | 8.82% |
| Sacred Heart University | 8.82% |
| University of Florida | 5.88% |
| North Carolina Central University | 5.88% |
| San Diego State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for physical trainers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 19.1% |
| 2 | Health Education | 13.2% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.9% |
| 4 | Business | 7.2% |
| 5 | Liberal Arts | 7.2% |
Best colleges for physical trainers
The best colleges for physical trainers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
A physical 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 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 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. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
20 best online courses for physical trainers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for physical trainers
The most affordable schools for physical trainers are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for physical 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 trainers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for physical trainers
The hardest universities for physical 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 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 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
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. 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. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physical trainers
The easiest schools for physical 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 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 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 trainer salary by education level
| Physical trainer education level | Physical trainer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $26,631 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $24,216 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $26,098 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $24,754 |
Physical trainer 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