# Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

> A general program that focuses on activities and principles that promote physical fitness, achieve and maintain athletic prowess, and accomplish related research and service goals. Includes instruction in human movement studies, motivation studies, rules and practice of specific sports, exercise and fitness principles and techniques, basic athletic injury prevention and treatment, and organizing and leading fitness and sports programs.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/sports-kinesiology-and-physical-education-fitness
- CIP code: 31.05 (Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology)
- Colleges offering it: 943 at its most common degree level
- Value ranking: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/kinesiology

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 266 | $44,391 | $39,693 | $20,500 |
| Associate's | 403 | $33,255 | $41,543 | $11,708 |
| Bachelor's | 943 | $37,232 | $53,024 | $22,019 |
| Master's | 416 | $50,702 | $60,553 | $29,500 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 14 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 61 | $83,542 | $82,260 | $70,287 |
| First professional | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 87 | $46,295 | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Rice University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rice-university-2227) | Houston, TX | $87,404 | not reported |
| [Emory University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/emory-university-main-campus-916) | Atlanta, GA | $87,254 | $12,250 |
| [University of Virginia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-virginia-main-campus-uva-3072) | Charlottesville, VA | $81,110 | $15,250 |
| [University of Scranton](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-scranton-3036) | Scranton, PA | $79,700 | $27,000 |
| [Wake Forest University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/wake-forest-university-3149) | Winston-Salem, NC | $79,599 | $19,500 |
| [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-main-campus-2956) | Ann Arbor, MI | $79,411 | $20,234 |
| [Manhattan College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/manhattan-college-1583) | Riverdale, NY | $78,264 | $26,000 |
| [Seton Hall University-New Jersey](https://www.collegesref.com/college/seton-hall-university-new-jersey-2399) | South Orange, NJ | $77,835 | $26,618 |
| [Carroll University-Wisconsin](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carroll-university-wisconsin-428) | Waukesha, WI | $77,095 | $27,000 |
| [Saint Louis University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-louis-university-2312) | Saint Louis, MO | $77,066 | $24,473 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/entertainment-and-recreation-managers-except-gambling): $79,520 median pay
- [Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/recreation-and-fitness-studies-teachers-postsecondary): $77,270 median pay
- [Athletes and Sports Competitors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/athletes-and-sports-competitors): $66,710 median pay
- [Athletic Trainers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/athletic-trainers): $62,520 median pay
- [Exercise Physiologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/exercise-physiologists): $59,460 median pay
- [Coaches and Scouts](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/coaches-and-scouts): $47,320 median pay
- [Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/exercise-trainers-and-group-fitness-instructors): $47,160 median pay

## More in Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology

- [Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/parks-recreation-and-leisure-studies): 120 colleges
- [Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/parks-recreation-and-leisure-facilities-management): 110 colleges
- [Outdoor Education](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/outdoor-education): 30 colleges
- Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other: 18 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/