Sports trainer education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a sports trainer?

You need a bachelor's degree in athletic training to be a sports trainer. Sports trainers are often referred to as athletic trainers and must have no less than a bachelor's degree in athletic training, kinesiology, or health education. Many sports trainers continue on to obtain a master's degree. It is important to ensure your education program includes the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). It ensures that the standards set by the National Athletic Trainer's Association (NATA) are met. Graduating from a CAATE-certified school correlates to the Board of Certification Exam which is required after graduation. Sports trainers are expected to handle on-the-spot emergent injuries. They are also required to address injury prevention and treatment programs. You must have skilled knowledge of human anatomy and the healing and recovery process. The ability to effectively and safely do this is only obtained through a degree in the appropriate field of expertise.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sports trainer. Sports trainers usually study kinesiology, health education, or business. 72% of sports trainers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 406 real sports trainer resumes to see exactly what sports trainer education sections show.

The most common colleges for sports trainers are the University of Indianapolis and the University of Indianapolis.

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

What education do you need to become a sports trainer?

What degree do you need to be a sports trainer?

The most common degree for sports trainers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of sports trainers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Associate, 11%

Master's, 9%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a sports trainer?

You should major in kinesiology to become a sports trainer. 44% of sports trainers major in kinesiology. Other common majors for a sports trainer include health education and business.

Kinesiology, 44%

Health Education, 9%

Business, 6%

Psychology, 5%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for sports trainers

Sports trainers often get their degrees at University of Indianapolis, Gustavus Adolphus College, and University of Illinois at Chicago. Here are the most common colleges for sports trainers in the US based on their resumes.

Sports trainer common college	Percentages
University of Indianapolis	8.89%
Gustavus Adolphus College	6.67%
University of Illinois at Chicago	6.67%
California University of Pennsylvania	6.67%
Temple University	4.44%

Show more common sports trainer colleges

Best majors for sports trainers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Kinesiology	44.3%
2	Health Education	9.0%
3	Business	6.0%
4	Psychology	5.0%
5	Criminal Justice	4.0%

Show more common sports trainer majors

Best colleges for sports trainers

The best colleges for sports trainers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

A sports 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 sports 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 sports trainers.

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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

20 best online courses for sports trainers

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8. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Sports Nutrition

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20. Sports Management: The Essentials Course

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Top 10 most affordable universities for sports trainers

The most affordable schools for sports trainers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for sports 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 sports trainers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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 - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sports trainers

The hardest universities for sports trainers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for sports 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 sports 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sports trainers

The easiest schools for sports trainers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, wayland baptist university, and holy names university.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average sports trainer salary by education level

Sports trainers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $33,218 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, sports trainers earn a median annual income of $32,523 compared to $30,773 for sports trainers with an Associate degree.

Sports trainer education level	Sports trainer salary
Master's Degree	$33,218
High School Diploma or Less	$30,074
Bachelor's Degree	$32,523
Some College/ Associate Degree	$30,773

Sports trainer education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a sports trainer?

What is the best college for Sports 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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