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Wellness coach education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a wellness coach. Wellness coaches usually study kinesiology, business, or psychology. 67% of wellness coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,821 real wellness coach resumes to see exactly what wellness coach education sections show.
The most common colleges for wellness coaches are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online wellness coach courses to help get the education required to be a wellness coach.
There are certain wellness coach certifications that you should consider. These wellness coach certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and Health & Wellness Coach Certification.
What education do you need to become a wellness coach?
What degree do you need to be a wellness coach?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 12%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a wellness coach?
- Kinesiology, 29%
- Business, 10%
- Psychology, 8%
- Health Education, 6%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for wellness coaches
| Wellness coach common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.18% |
| Ohio State University | 6.53% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 6.01% |
| Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis | 5.48% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 4.96% |
Best majors for wellness coaches
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 29.0% |
| 2 | Business | 10.0% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.5% |
| 4 | Health Education | 6.3% |
| 5 | Nursing | 4.8% |
Best colleges for wellness coaches
The best colleges for wellness coaches are University of Tulsa, Northeastern University, and University of Virginia.
A wellness coach with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for wellness coaches. 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 wellness coaches.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
3. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
20 best online courses for wellness coaches
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Top 10 most affordable universities for wellness coaches
The most affordable schools for wellness coaches are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and university of florida.
If the best universities for wellness coaches 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 wellness coaches.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for wellness coaches
The hardest universities for wellness coaches to get into are University of Tulsa, Northeastern University, and University of Virginia.
Some great schools for wellness coaches 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 wellness coaches 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. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
2. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
4. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
8. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for wellness coaches
The easiest schools for wellness coaches to get into are Wayland Baptist University, felician university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a wellness coach 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 wellness coaches.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average wellness coach salary by education level
| Wellness coach education level | Wellness coach salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,267 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,518 |
| Doctorate Degree | $53,632 |
Wellness coach education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025