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Wellness program manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a wellness program manager. Wellness program managers usually study kinesiology, business, or nursing. 65% of wellness program managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 430 real wellness program manager resumes to see exactly what wellness program manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for wellness program managers are the University of South Carolina - Columbia and the University of South Carolina - Columbia.
There are also many online wellness program manager courses to help get the education required to be a wellness program manager.
There are certain wellness program manager certifications that you should consider. These wellness program manager certifications include Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Certified Personal Trainer.
What education do you need to become a wellness program manager?
What degree do you need to be a wellness program manager?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Master's, 24%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a wellness program manager?
- Kinesiology, 22%
- Business, 9%
- Nursing, 8%
- Health Education, 8%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for wellness program managers
| Wellness program manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | 7.14% |
| Chapman University | 7.14% |
| Northern Illinois University | 7.14% |
| Boston University | 5.71% |
| New York University | 5.71% |
Best majors for wellness program managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinesiology | 21.5% |
| 2 | Business | 8.7% |
| 3 | Nursing | 7.6% |
| 4 | Health Education | 7.6% |
| 5 | Public Health | 7.3% |
Best colleges for wellness program managers
The best colleges for wellness program managers are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A wellness program manager 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 program managers. 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 program managers.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
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 wellness program managers
Advertising disclosure
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8. Program Management Course - Program Manager Essentials
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18. Occupational Health & Safety Training
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19. Health And Wellness Coaching Certification (CPD Accredited)
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Top 10 most affordable universities for wellness program managers
The most affordable schools for wellness program managers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for wellness program managers 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 program managers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for wellness program managers
The hardest universities for wellness program managers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for wellness program managers 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 program managers 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 Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for wellness program managers
The easiest schools for wellness program managers to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a wellness program manager 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 program managers.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average wellness program manager salary by education level
| Wellness program manager education level | Wellness program manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $84,003 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $75,470 |
| Doctorate Degree | $96,464 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $69,238 |
Wellness program manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025