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Sports physician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sports physician. Sports physicians usually study nursing, chiropractic, or health education. 55% of sports physicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 24 real sports physician resumes to see exactly what sports physician education sections show.
The most common colleges for sports physicians are the Pacific Lutheran University and the Pacific Lutheran University.
There are also many online sports physician courses to help get the education required to be a sports physician.
What education do you need to become a sports physician?
What degree do you need to be a sports physician?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Doctorate, 27%
- Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a sports physician?
- Nursing, 13%
- Chiropractic, 13%
- Health Education, 13%
- Medicine, 13%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for sports physicians
| Sports physician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pacific Lutheran University | 15.38% |
| Clarkson University | 7.69% |
| New York Chiropractic College | 7.69% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.69% |
| Life Chiropractic College-West | 7.69% |
Best majors for sports physicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 13.0% |
| 2 | Chiropractic | 13.0% |
| 3 | Health Education | 13.0% |
| 4 | Medicine | 13.0% |
| 5 | Biology | 4.3% |
Best colleges for sports physicians
The best colleges for sports physicians are Northwestern University, Georgetown University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A sports physician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sports physicians. 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 sports physicians.
1. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
6. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
7. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for sports physicians
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3. Sport Psychology for Athletes
Master the fundamentals of sport psychology to improve performance and gain a mental edge...
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Learn About The Fundamentals Of Sport Nutrition Science And How To Fuel Your Athlete Client...
5. Case Studies in Personalized Medicine
Learn how advances in biomedicine hold the potential to revolutionize drug development, drug treatments, and disease prevention: where are we now, and what does the future hold? This course will present short primers in genetics and mechanisms underlying variability in drug responses. A series of case studies will be used to illustrate principles of how genetics are being brought to bear on refining diagnoses and on personalizing treatment in rare and common diseases. The ethical and...
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Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...
7. Applied Sport Psychology and Leadership in Sport Certificate
Enhance your knowledge of sport psychology from an athlete or coach perspective with this comprehensive applied course...
8. Introductory Sport Psychology
Developing sport psychology skills that you can use when you train, compete or coach...
9. Sports Nutrition for Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
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10. Sports Massage: The Technique Masterclass
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11. Sports Management: The Essentials Course
A Comprehensive Overview at How the Sports Industry Operates and the Challenges Facing the Modern Sports Industry Today...
12. Introduction to Longevity Medicine
A Medical Guide to Longevity Medicine for Physicians...
13. Sports Massage: Muscle Energy Technique Certificate Course
Grow your practice by learning sports massage the power of muscle energy techniques (2 CEUs)...
14. Ashiatsu or Shiatsu Barefoot Sports Massage Therapy
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15. Sports Massage: Positional Release Certificate Course
Learn Sports Massage Positional Release Techniques to produce profound pain relief and improve bodily function (2 CEUs)...
16. Medical Coding: ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Training
Learn medical coding and prepare yourself for today's healthcare workplace...
17. Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Advanced Diploma
A complete program in one course, This Diploma is an Encyclopedia in The Natural Medicine field...
18. Medical Terminology
Introduction to the meaning of various roots, terms and combining forms that are components of medical words...
19. ICD 10 & 11 Medical Coding and Billing
Preparation for Medical Coding Certification Exam...
20. Medical Terminology 101
For those in healthcare, billing, and more. Boost earning ability and marketable skills by learning to speak medicine...
Top 10 most affordable universities for sports physicians
The most affordable schools for sports physicians are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for sports physicians 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 sports physicians.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 sports physicians
The hardest universities for sports physicians to get into are Northwestern University, Georgetown University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for sports physicians 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 sports physicians 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. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sports physicians
The easiest schools for sports physicians to get into are D'Youville College, adventhealth university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sports physician 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 sports physicians.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
Average sports physician salary by education level
| Sports physician education level | Sports physician salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $228,842 |
Sports physician education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025