# Best colleges for kinesiology and exercise science

> Kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs ranked by value: graduate earnings against debt, net price and completion. U.S. College Scorecard field-of-study data, data year 2025.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/kinesiology
- Data (CSV, every ranked college): https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/kinesiology.csv
- Snapshot updated: November 4, 2026
- Colleges ranked: 459 of 936 with a qualifying program

## Key findings

1. 459 colleges qualify. At the median one, kinesiology and exercise science graduates earn $53,707 4 years after graduating, and the average net price is $18,314 a year.
2. Rice University ranks first with a value score of 96: graduates earn $87,404 and the average net price is $11,164.
3. Public colleges hold 22 of the top 25 places.

## Top 50

Earnings are median annual earnings 4 years after the bachelor's degree; debt is median federal loan debt; net price and graduation rate are college-wide.

| Rank | College | State | Control | Earnings | Debt | Net price | Grad rate | Graduates | Value score |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | Rice University | TX | Private nonprofit | $87,404 | — | $11,164 | 95% | 32 | 96.0 |
| 2 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | IL | Public | $67,782 | $15,000 | $13,042 | 86% | 188 | 91.6 |
| 3 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | Public | $79,411 | $20,234 | $14,362 | 93% | 318 | 91.1 |
| 4 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | Public | $63,286 | $13,000 | $11,305 | 91% | 382 | 91.0 |
| 5 | University of Georgia | GA | Public | $67,275 | $14,750 | $13,636 | 89% | 281 | 90.6 |
| 6 | University of Florida | FL | Public | $60,497 | $15,000 | $5,969 | 92% | 143 | 90.6 |
| 7 | Florida State University | FL | Public | $60,909 | $14,410 | $8,605 | 86% | 160 | 90.1 |
| 8 | University of Mississippi Ole Miss | MS | Public | $73,870 | $15,000 | $13,752 | 70% | 101 | 89.9 |
| 9 | Emory University | GA | Private nonprofit | $87,254 | $12,250 | $16,754 | 91% | 77 | 89.7 |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | Public | $74,963 | $17,800 | $16,600 | 90% | 217 | 88.0 |
| 11 | University of Virginia | VA | Public | $81,110 | $15,250 | $18,056 | 94% | 86 | 87.5 |
| 12 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | Public | $71,589 | $19,000 | $15,531 | 75% | 175 | 86.8 |
| 13 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | Public | $68,675 | $17,250 | $16,003 | 80% | 410 | 86.8 |
| 14 | Sonoma State University | CA | Public | $67,351 | $15,000 | $10,759 | 55% | 97 | 86.3 |
| 15 | University of Delaware | DE | Public | $76,478 | $23,250 | $16,337 | 78% | 179 | 85.0 |
| 16 | University of Maryland-College Park | MD | Public | $62,362 | $17,500 | $14,296 | 88% | 180 | 85.0 |
| 17 | San Diego State University | CA | Public | $59,914 | $13,781 | $13,243 | 78% | 406 | 84.4 |
| 18 | William & Mary | VA | Public | $68,992 | $13,875 | $18,880 | 88% | 122 | 84.3 |
| 19 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | Public | $57,643 | $12,058 | $9,426 | 70% | 250 | 83.9 |
| 20 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | Public | $64,579 | $12,749 | $18,832 | 87% | 76 | 82.1 |
| 21 | CUNY Queens College | NY | Public | $62,602 | — | $1,272 | 53% | 22 | 82.1 |
| 22 | California State University-San Marcos | CA | Public | $61,252 | $15,000 | $10,939 | 55% | 164 | 81.6 |
| 23 | George Mason University | VA | Public | $63,672 | $18,875 | $14,697 | 66% | 88 | 81.5 |
| 24 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | Public | $66,580 | $19,194 | $18,554 | 89% | 319 | 81.3 |
| 25 | University of Tulsa | OK | Private nonprofit | $63,485 | $22,021 | $13,511 | 69% | 39 | 80.2 |
| 26 | Southern Utah University | UT | Public | $57,058 | $9,700 | $10,887 | 62% | 76 | 79.5 |
| 27 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | Public | $59,142 | $14,625 | $11,186 | 54% | 296 | 78.5 |
| 28 | San Francisco State University | CA | Public | $59,056 | $13,500 | $9,803 | 50% | 144 | 78.1 |
| 29 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | Public | $60,488 | $19,250 | $16,486 | 85% | 115 | 77.9 |
| 30 | California State University-Stanislaus | CA | Public | $57,060 | $11,250 | $3,565 | 52% | 75 | 77.9 |
| 31 | CUNY Lehman College | NY | Public | $57,091 | $13,500 | $3,220 | 53% | 44 | 77.7 |
| 32 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | Public | $60,931 | $19,500 | $17,330 | 85% | 82 | 77.1 |
| 33 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | Public | $73,238 | $21,146 | $22,857 | 81% | 140 | 76.9 |
| 34 | Michigan State University | MI | Public | $67,290 | $19,500 | $21,322 | 80% | 298 | 76.9 |
| 35 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | SC | Public | $66,934 | $18,200 | $22,019 | 79% | 30 | 76.4 |
| 36 | Washington State University | WA | Public | $60,950 | $21,500 | $13,462 | 63% | 56 | 76.2 |
| 37 | Illinois State University | IL | Public | $62,112 | $18,200 | $17,829 | 67% | 94 | 76.1 |
| 38 | Central Connecticut State University | CT | Public | $67,562 | $19,750 | $15,537 | 50% | 41 | 76.0 |
| 39 | Florida Gulf Coast University | FL | Public | $58,179 | $17,250 | $11,555 | 57% | 55 | 75.9 |
| 40 | University of Connecticut | CT | Public | $73,289 | $21,000 | $24,342 | 84% | 56 | 75.7 |
| 41 | Wake Forest University | NC | Private nonprofit | $79,599 | $19,500 | $28,165 | 90% | 101 | 75.6 |
| 42 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | Public | $71,844 | $19,500 | $24,897 | 84% | 301 | 75.6 |
| 43 | Texas A & M University-College Station | TX | Public | $62,888 | $16,250 | $21,527 | 85% | 549 | 75.5 |
| 44 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | SC | Public | $67,705 | $20,500 | $22,197 | 79% | 248 | 75.2 |
| 45 | University of Illinois at Chicago | IL | Public | $55,247 | $14,000 | $9,540 | 61% | 134 | 75.0 |
| 46 | California State University-East Bay | CA | Public | $56,938 | $13,000 | $6,858 | 49% | 133 | 74.7 |
| 47 | University of Vermont | VT | Public | $59,127 | $12,000 | $20,277 | 81% | 41 | 74.6 |
| 48 | University of Wyoming | WY | Public | $57,949 | $17,638 | $13,647 | 61% | 67 | 74.6 |
| 49 | Northern Arizona University | AZ | Public | $61,250 | $16,500 | $17,265 | 59% | 183 | 74.5 |
| 50 | University of Minnesota-Duluth | MN | Public | $63,269 | $20,500 | $17,395 | 64% | 64 | 74.3 |

## Methodology

- **Programs counted.** Bachelor's degrees reported under CIP 31.05 at public and private nonprofit colleges published on CollegesRef. When a college reports more than one qualifying program, its largest one is used.
- **Eligibility.** A college needs at least 20 graduates in the latest award year, reported median earnings 4 years after graduation, and a published average net price and graduation rate. A field is published only when at least 50 colleges qualify.
- **Value score.** Each figure is turned into a 0–100 percentile among ranked colleges (100 is best: highest earnings or graduation rate, lowest net price or debt-to-earnings). The value score is the weighted average: graduate earnings 40%, average net price 25%, debt-to-earnings 20%, graduation rate 15%. If a college reports no debt figure, that weight is shared among the other three.
- **Earnings and debt.** Median annual earnings 4 years after completing the bachelor's degree, for graduates who received federal aid and were working. Debt is the median federal loan amount borrowed at the college by those graduates (College Scorecard field of study).
- **Cost and completion.** Average net price is what aided first-year students pay after grants, for the whole college rather than the major. Graduation rate is the college-wide share finishing within six years (150% of normal time).

## Limits

- **Value, not prestige.** The score rewards high earnings at a low cost. It does not measure research strength, faculty, selectivity or reputation, so famous programs can rank below less-known ones.
- **Earnings lag.** Earnings describe students who graduated several years ago and were measured years later. Today's job market and starting salaries can differ.
- **Suppressed small programs.** The Department of Education withholds figures for small groups of graduates to protect privacy, so many small programs cannot be ranked at all.
- **Federal aid recipients only.** Earnings and debt cover graduates who received federal grants or loans; students who paid without federal aid are not included.

## FAQ

### What is the best college for kinesiology and exercise science?

On value, Rice University ranks first in this ranking: kinesiology and exercise science graduates earn a median of $87,404 4 years after graduating, and the average net price is $11,164 a year. "Best" depends on what you need; this ranking weighs earnings against cost, debt and graduation rate.

### What do kinesiology and exercise science graduates go on to do?

Many graduates continue to physical therapy, occupational therapy or athletic training programs; others work in fitness, coaching and health promotion. The earnings here are medians for graduates who received federal aid, 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

### Why are some well-known kinesiology and exercise science programs ranked low or missing?

The ranking measures value, not prestige. A college with high earnings but a high net price can rank below a cheaper college with slightly lower earnings. Programs are missing when federal data suppresses their earnings, when they have fewer graduates than the threshold, or when they are reported under a CIP code this ranking does not count.

### Can I see colleges in my state only?

Yes. Use the state filter above the list; ranks stay national so you can see where each college stands overall. You can also filter by public or private and by a maximum net price, or download the full CSV.

### Does the net price shown apply to kinesiology and exercise science students?

No. Average net price is reported for the whole college, not by major. Your own price depends on your family's finances; each college's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (field of study, cost and completion): https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- CollegesRef methodology: https://www.collegesref.com/methodology

## How to cite

CollegesRef, "Best colleges for kinesiology and exercise science," value ranking from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data (data year 2025), updated November 4, 2026. https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/kinesiology

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Source: CollegesRef, https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/kinesiology.