College Rankings

Best Kinesiology & Exercise Science Schools

The top 25 of 531 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Kinesiology & Exercise Science degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Kinesiology & Exercise Science worth it?

The financial math on an exercise science degree demands a strategic approach. Because entry-level salaries in fitness management, strength coaching, and corporate wellness are solid but rarely sky-high, graduating with minimal debt is the primary driver of a good return on investment. The payoff is absolutely there for students who leverage massive Division I athletic networks to land prime coaching gigs, or those who attend highly subsidized public university branch campuses. If you pay a premium private-school sticker price without a direct pipeline into a high-end clinical or professional sports role, the math gets significantly harder to justify.

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#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	Rice University	TX	65	$51,110	$13,370	+$458K
2	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	MI	62	$43,506	$13,138†	+$383K
3	Simmons University	MA	59	$48,876	$25,265	+$388K
4	Northern Kentucky University	KY	59	$42,725	$8,191†	+$394K
5	University of Florida-Online	FL	59	$39,717	$4,815†	+$378K
6	University of Florida	FL	58	$39,717	$6,541†	+$371K
7	Citadel Military College of South Carolina	SC	56	$43,727	$20,723†	+$354K
8	Ohio University-Eastern Campus	OH	56	$35,165	$3,925†	+$336K
9	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	OH	56	$35,165	$5,755†	+$329K
10	Ohio University-Southern Campus	OH	56	$35,165	$5,993†	+$328K
11	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	OH	56	$35,165	$5,650†	+$329K
12	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	OH	56	$35,165	$5,746†	+$329K
13	Emory University	GA	55	$37,974	$22,585	+$289K
14	University of Utah	UT	55	$37,920	$16,200†	+$314K
15	Fitchburg State University	MA	55	$37,218	$14,262†	+$315K
16	Utah Valley University	UT	55	$31,905	$6,376†	+$294K
17	University of Massachusetts-Boston	MA	54	$37,703	$17,707†	+$306K
18	Carroll University	WI	53	$33,333	$15,193	+$273K
19	Valparaiso University	IN	52	$44,937	$18,578	+$375K
20	University of Kansas	KS	52	$33,891	$18,059†	+$267K
21	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	NC	52	$33,717	$17,303†	+$268K
22	California State University-East Bay	CA	52	$33,189	$9,320†	+$295K
23	University of Georgia	GA	52	$33,108	$13,936†	+$275K
24	California State University-Sacramento	CA	52	$31,901	$9,338†	+$282K
25	Linfield University	OR	52	$31,285	$26,536	+$207K
26	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	IL	52	$31,187	$14,355†	+$254K
27	University of Wisconsin-Parkside	WI	52	$30,655	$11,772†	+$259K
28	Southern Methodist University	TX	51	$45,519	$40,892	+$292K
29	Winona State University	MN	51	$41,742	$17,503†	+$347K
30	University of Maryland-College Park	MD	51	$31,403	$15,678†	+$251K
31	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	MA	50	$36,419	$22,383†	+$275K
32	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	50	$36,050	$16,778†	+$293K
33	Indiana University-Bloomington	IN	50	$35,873	$16,264†	+$294K
34	Sonoma State University	CA	50	$33,022	$12,885†	+$279K
35	California State University-San Bernardino	CA	50	$29,143	$4,564†	+$273K
36	California State University-Los Angeles	CA	50	$28,687	$3,967†	+$271K
37	CUNY Brooklyn College	NY	50	$25,101	$3,103†	+$239K
38	Metropolitan State University of Denver	CO	49	$41,161	$15,327†	+$350K
39	University of South Carolina-Columbia	SC	49	$40,702	$22,811†	+$316K
40	Northern State University	SD	49	$40,123	$15,812†	+$338K
41	Texas A&M University-College Station	TX	49	$37,044	$21,315†	+$285K
42	North Dakota State University-Main Campus	ND	49	$36,646	$15,543†	+$304K
43	Auburn University at Montgomery	AL	49	$36,579	$13,224†	+$313K
44	East Texas A&M University	TX	49	$36,305	$11,841†	+$316K
45	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	49	$35,583	$19,857†	+$276K
46	Indiana University-Indianapolis	IN	49	$34,575	$11,668†	+$299K
47	Westfield State University	MA	49	$32,456	$16,721†	+$258K
48	Texas Woman's University	TX	49	$32,429	$11,963†	+$276K
49	University of Wyoming	WY	49	$31,326	$13,599†	+$259K
50	University of Wisconsin-Platteville	WI	48	$46,027	$16,032†	+$396K
51	Seton Hall University	NJ	48	$39,333	$31,446	+$268K
52	Weber State University	UT	48	$39,059	$10,258†	+$350K
53	Stephen F Austin State University	TX	48	$38,249	$14,260†	+$325K
54	Iowa State University	IA	48	$36,492	$18,589†	+$291K
55	University of Evansville	IN	48	$34,809	$18,499	+$274K
56	Lamar University	TX	48	$31,935	$9,366†	+$282K
57	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	48	$31,165	$11,655†	+$265K
58	Washington State University	WA	48	$30,815	$14,971†	+$248K
59	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	48	$29,866	$17,354†	+$229K
60	University of Illinois Chicago	IL	48	$28,874	$10,974†	+$245K
61	California State University-Northridge	CA	48	$27,952	$7,021†	+$251K
62	University of Delaware	DE	48	$26,555	$17,799†	+$194K
63	University of Nebraska at Omaha	NE	47	$40,683	$13,441†	+$353K
64	Sam Houston State University	TX	47	$37,005	$16,404†	+$304K
65	University of Southern Indiana	IN	47	$35,587	$12,923†	+$304K
66	University of North Texas	TX	47	$35,039	$15,649†	+$288K
67	George Mason University	VA	47	$34,890	$17,915†	+$277K
68	Colorado State University Pueblo	CO	47	$34,865	$10,051†	+$308K
69	University of North Florida	FL	47	$33,364	$10,154†	+$293K
70	University of Minnesota-Duluth	MN	47	$33,055	$18,743†	+$256K
71	Florida Atlantic University	FL	47	$30,412	$8,752†	+$269K
72	The University of Texas at San Antonio	TX	47	$30,160	$10,836†	+$258K
73	Farmingdale State College	NY	47	$29,717	$10,867†	+$254K
74	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	47	$29,123	$10,359†	+$250K
75	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	TX	47	$27,731	$4,831†	+$258K
76	California State University-Fresno	CA	47	$26,931	$7,000†	+$241K
77	California State University-San Marcos	CA	47	$26,203	$10,229†	+$221K
78	California State University-Stanislaus	CA	47	$25,414	$6,067†	+$230K
79	West Texas A & M University	TX	46	$40,313	$19,487†	+$325K
80	University of Indianapolis	IN	46	$38,364	$21,602	+$297K
81	University of Dayton	OH	46	$38,011	$29,533	+$262K
82	University of North Georgia	GA	46	$36,740	$9,823†	+$328K
83	James Madison University	VA	46	$35,955	$23,322†	+$266K
84	Ball State University	IN	46	$35,500	$14,940†	+$295K
85	Arkansas State University	AR	46	$32,685	$12,366†	+$277K
86	California State University-Monterey Bay	CA	46	$29,929	$13,663†	+$245K
87	Northern Arizona University	AZ	46	$28,769	$14,158†	+$231K
88	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	CA	46	$28,364	$11,531†	+$238K
89	University of Virginia-Main Campus	VA	46	$27,810	$21,565†	+$192K
90	South Dakota State University	SD	45	$41,019	$19,841†	+$331K
91	Sul Ross State University	TX	45	$39,723	$13,286†	+$344K
92	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	45	$36,592	$17,339†	+$297K
93	York College of Pennsylvania	PA	45	$35,739	$18,556	+$283K
94	University of Houston-Clear Lake	TX	45	$35,107	$15,563†	+$289K
95	Eastern Illinois University	IL	45	$34,511	$12,786†	+$294K
96	The University of Texas at Tyler	TX	45	$33,957	$13,323†	+$286K
97	Texas State University	TX	45	$33,033	$16,805†	+$263K
98	Texas A&M University-Kingsville	TX	45	$32,302	$12,090†	+$275K
99	Morehead State University	KY	45	$30,696	$9,793†	+$268K
100	CUNY Lehman College	NY	45	$29,538	$3,148†	+$283K
101	Western Illinois University	IL	45	$28,315	$12,937†	+$231K
102	Purdue University-Main Campus	IN	45	$26,687	$14,600†	+$208K
103	San Francisco State University	CA	45	$26,176	$12,278†	+$213K
104	Marshall University	WV	45	$20,682	$7,502†	+$177K
105	Ohio Dominican University	OH	44	$40,467	$20,079	+$324K
106	Gustavus Adolphus College	MN	44	$38,796	$22,900	+$296K
107	Florida Gulf Coast University	FL	44	$36,002	$12,568†	+$310K
108	Ohio University-Main Campus	OH	44	$35,165	$21,637†	+$265K
109	Eastern Michigan University	MI	44	$34,499	$15,407†	+$283K
110	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	44	$34,066	$15,014†	+$281K
111	Pacific Lutheran University	WA	44	$33,449	$19,589	+$256K
112	Towson University	MD	44	$32,101	$17,413†	+$251K
113	Louisiana Tech University	LA	44	$31,802	$11,864†	+$271K
114	Saginaw Valley State University	MI	44	$31,021	$10,775†	+$267K
115	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	OK	44	$30,903	$15,300†	+$248K
116	The University of Texas at Arlington	TX	44	$30,499	$13,951†	+$249K
117	Illinois State University	IL	44	$30,051	$19,398†	+$223K
118	University of Houston	TX	44	$30,035	$14,276†	+$243K
119	Florida State University	FL	44	$29,519	$11,297†	+$250K
120	University of Arkansas at Monticello	AR	44	$29,213	$14,287†	+$235K
121	San Diego State University	CA	44	$26,327	$15,364†	+$202K
122	California State University-Dominguez Hills	CA	44	$25,349	$8,615†	+$219K
123	California State University-Fullerton	CA	44	$23,543	$6,555†	+$209K
124	The University of Texas at El Paso	TX	44	$23,010	$9,403†	+$192K
125	Miami University-Oxford	OH	43	$40,486	$28,384†	+$291K
126	Buena Vista University	IA	43	$38,356	$18,846	+$308K
127	Missouri Western State University	MO	43	$36,557	$13,251†	+$313K
128	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania	PA	43	$35,613	$15,699†	+$293K
129	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	NC	43	$34,219	$15,435†	+$280K
130	Texas Tech University	TX	43	$33,705	$19,070†	+$261K
131	Wichita State University	KS	43	$33,449	$13,194†	+$282K
132	Central Michigan University	MI	43	$32,850	$17,597†	+$258K
133	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	43	$32,651	$14,967†	+$267K
134	Texas Southern University	TX	43	$32,409	$16,590†	+$258K
135	University of Memphis	TN	43	$32,305	$12,397†	+$273K
136	Northern Illinois University	IL	43	$32,158	$13,391†	+$268K
137	University of Iowa	IA	43	$31,998	$22,531†	+$230K
138	William Paterson University of New Jersey	NJ	43	$31,382	$18,745†	+$239K
139	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse	WI	43	$30,993	$16,210†	+$245K
140	Fairmont State University	WV	43	$30,833	$9,032†	+$272K
141	Albion College	MI	43	$30,314	$14,301	+$246K
142	Salisbury University	MD	43	$29,344	$17,743†	+$222K
143	Georgia Southern University	GA	43	$29,320	$15,267†	+$232K
144	Lewis University	IL	43	$28,856	$17,028	+$220K
145	Michigan State University	MI	43	$28,045	$19,680†	+$202K
146	Truman State University	MO	43	$26,865	$12,780†	+$218K
147	University of the Incarnate Word	TX	42	$40,453	$22,775	+$313K
148	Simpson College	IA	42	$38,158	$21,936	+$294K
149	Gallaudet University	DC	42	$38,090	$15,845	+$318K
150	Minnesota State University Moorhead	MN	42	$38,088	$17,997†	+$309K
151	Vermont State University	VT	42	$37,493	$18,212†	+$302K
152	Stetson University	FL	42	$36,524	$19,372	+$288K
153	Grand View University	IA	42	$36,495	$21,774	+$278K
154	Missouri Southern State University	MO	42	$34,465	$12,007†	+$297K
155	Middle Tennessee State University	TN	42	$32,966	$13,359†	+$276K
156	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	WI	42	$32,801	$16,550†	+$262K
157	Mount St. Joseph University	OH	42	$31,870	$16,530	+$253K
158	West Virginia University	WV	42	$30,145	$15,634†	+$239K
159	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton	PA	42	$30,133	$17,910†	+$230K
160	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington	PA	42	$30,133	$18,071†	+$229K
161	Montclair State University	NJ	42	$29,907	$15,566†	+$237K
162	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus	OR	42	$29,860	$18,048†	+$226K
163	Missouri State University-Springfield	MO	42	$29,761	$17,613†	+$227K
164	William & Mary	VA	42	$27,114	$19,096†	+$195K
165	California State University-Long Beach	CA	42	$22,148	$10,440†	+$180K
166	Longwood University	VA	41	$39,479	$19,066†	+$319K
167	Tarleton State University	TX	41	$36,117	$20,783†	+$278K
168	Saint Edward's University	TX	41	$36,001	$25,578	+$258K
169	University of Sioux Falls	SD	41	$34,839	$21,383	+$263K
170	University of Nebraska at Kearney	NE	41	$34,385	$16,242†	+$279K
171	Kent State University at Kent	OH	41	$34,147	$20,787†	+$258K
172	University of Northern Iowa	IA	41	$32,709	$15,901†	+$263K
173	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	LA	41	$31,956	$19,151†	+$243K
174	Austin Peay State University	TN	41	$31,846	$9,735†	+$280K
175	Salem State University	MA	41	$31,755	$15,996†	+$254K
176	The University of Tennessee-Martin	TN	41	$30,587	$10,701†	+$263K
177	Oregon State University	OR	41	$29,860	$19,604†	+$220K
178	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	41	$28,820	$24,406†	+$191K
179	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	IL	41	$28,795	$14,889†	+$228K
180	Nebraska Wesleyan University	NE	41	$28,791	$18,327	+$215K
181	Aquinas College	MI	41	$27,301	$16,626	+$207K
182	Cameron University	OK	41	$26,189	$10,912†	+$218K
183	New Mexico State University-Main Campus	NM	41	$23,701	$8,889†	+$201K
184	Valdosta State University	GA	41	$23,364	$10,945†	+$190K
185	CUNY Queens College	NY	41	$16,236	$4,195†	+$146K
186	Lubbock Christian University	TX	40	$46,359	$24,456	+$366K
187	Alvernia University	PA	40	$41,508	$28,138	+$303K
188	Augsburg University	MN	40	$37,473	$23,873	+$279K
189	Saint Leo University	FL	40	$36,962	$21,293	+$284K
190	Pittsburg State University	KS	40	$36,393	$15,784†	+$301K
191	Troy University	AL	40	$36,256	$16,527†	+$296K
192	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	CO	40	$35,326	$21,279†	+$268K
193	Syracuse University	NY	40	$34,821	$38,793	+$193K
194	Southeast Missouri State University	MO	40	$34,638	$15,882†	+$283K
195	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point	WI	40	$34,503	$14,559†	+$287K
196	Davenport University	MI	40	$34,380	$17,707	+$273K
197	Plymouth State University	NH	40	$33,293	$19,216†	+$256K
198	University of Louisville	KY	40	$33,241	$17,988†	+$260K
199	Southwest Minnesota State University	MN	40	$32,802	$15,291†	+$267K
200	Bethel University	MN	40	$31,919	$28,556	+$205K
201	Elmhurst University	IL	40	$31,538	$24,185	+$219K
202	Kennesaw State University	GA	40	$30,469	$15,048†	+$244K
203	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	TN	40	$29,772	$14,265†	+$241K
204	Angelo State University	TX	40	$29,528	$15,091†	+$235K
205	University of North Carolina at Greensboro	NC	40	$29,482	$10,965†	+$251K
206	Northeastern State University	OK	40	$29,464	$12,710†	+$244K
207	Georgia College & State University	GA	40	$29,203	$20,686†	+$209K
208	Harding University	AR	40	$29,178	$22,130	+$203K
209	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	TN	40	$27,374	$18,976†	+$198K
210	Western Michigan University	MI	40	$26,676	$15,273†	+$206K
211	University of South Carolina Aiken	SC	40	$25,467	$11,641†	+$208K
212	Texas A & M International University	TX	40	$24,867	$3,637†	+$234K
213	University of Southern Mississippi	MS	39	$39,049	$21,708†	+$304K
214	Thomas College	ME	39	$38,348	$18,885	+$308K
215	Adrian College	MI	39	$36,808	$25,368	+$267K
216	Carthage College	WI	39	$36,638	$26,565	+$260K
217	Central Connecticut State University	CT	39	$35,701	$16,857†	+$290K
218	Lindenwood University	MO	39	$35,314	$19,638	+$275K
219	University of Central Missouri	MO	39	$34,844	$14,462†	+$291K
220	Saint Mary's College of California	CA	39	$34,444	$30,378	+$223K
221	University of Northern Colorado	CO	39	$33,952	$17,760†	+$268K
222	Minnesota State University-Mankato	MN	39	$32,860	$19,139†	+$252K
223	Texas A&M University-San Antonio	TX	39	$32,708	$11,196†	+$282K
224	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus	CT	39	$32,586	$10,875†	+$282K
225	Eastern Oregon University	OR	39	$32,584	$17,148†	+$257K
226	Western Oregon University	OR	39	$32,249	$17,237†	+$254K
227	Otterbein University	OH	39	$31,851	$19,237	+$242K
228	Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi	TX	39	$29,632	$15,225†	+$235K
229	University of Arkansas	AR	39	$28,934	$18,209†	+$217K
230	University of West Florida	FL	39	$28,643	$9,364†	+$249K
231	University of Vermont	VT	39	$27,835	$19,343†	+$201K
232	Augusta University	GA	39	$27,490	$13,787†	+$220K
233	University of Idaho	ID	39	$27,484	$14,831†	+$216K
234	Roanoke College	VA	39	$27,304	$24,503	+$175K
235	Western Kentucky University	KY	39	$25,858	$10,990†	+$215K
236	Lebanon Valley College	PA	38	$39,243	$26,979	+$285K
237	Meredith College	NC	38	$38,525	$22,488	+$295K
238	McDaniel College	MD	38	$38,122	$21,916	+$294K
239	Husson University	ME	38	$37,993	$21,005	+$296K
240	Georgetown College	KY	38	$37,620	$14,095	+$320K
241	Aurora University	IL	38	$37,256	$18,838	+$297K
242	Pepperdine University	CA	38	$34,388	$58,098	+$111K
243	Black Hills State University	SD	38	$34,142	$15,911†	+$278K
244	Missouri Valley College	MO	38	$33,892	$18,086	+$267K
245	University of Mount Union	OH	38	$33,631	$23,280	+$243K
246	St Olaf College	MN	38	$33,577	$23,874	+$240K
247	Lewis-Clark State College	ID	38	$33,176	$15,635†	+$269K
248	Tennessee Technological University	TN	38	$33,170	$14,246†	+$275K
249	Georgia Southwestern State University	GA	38	$32,709	$12,019†	+$279K
250	University of Central Arkansas	AR	38	$31,767	$16,511†	+$252K
251	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania	PA	38	$31,622	$18,134†	+$244K
252	Colorado Mesa University	CO	38	$31,253	$15,103†	+$252K
253	SUNY at Fredonia	NY	38	$31,013	$15,897†	+$247K
254	Hardin-Simmons University	TX	38	$30,789	$19,555	+$230K
255	Youngstown State University	OH	38	$30,661	$12,767†	+$256K
256	Bridgewater College	VA	38	$30,243	$17,800	+$231K
257	North Park University	IL	38	$30,165	$16,948	+$234K
258	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona	PA	38	$30,133	$22,213†	+$212K
259	Rocky Mountain College	MT	38	$30,025	$19,751	+$221K
260	State University of New York at Cortland	NY	38	$28,289	$22,345†	+$194K
261	Northwestern State University of Louisiana	LA	38	$28,009	$13,606†	+$226K
262	University of Toledo	OH	38	$24,138	$17,249†	+$172K
263	Missouri Baptist University	MO	37	$37,165	$27,006	+$264K
264	Bowie State University	MD	37	$36,381	$19,298†	+$287K
265	St. John Fisher University	NY	37	$36,273	$28,945	+$247K
266	SUNY Oneonta	NY	37	$36,119	$19,158†	+$285K
267	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus	OK	37	$35,437	$17,447†	+$285K
268	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania	PA	37	$35,411	$19,608†	+$276K
269	Wayne State College	NE	37	$35,343	$15,360†	+$292K
270	Southern Oregon University	OR	37	$35,222	$16,732†	+$285K
271	North Central College	IL	37	$34,609	$21,044	+$262K
272	Robert Morris University	PA	37	$34,433	$23,003	+$252K
273	Springfield College	MA	37	$34,191	$30,587	+$220K
274	Eastern Connecticut State University	CT	37	$34,132	$21,067†	+$257K
275	University of Minnesota-Crookston	MN	37	$32,429	$12,212†	+$275K
276	Bemidji State University	MN	37	$32,388	$15,261†	+$263K
277	University of New England	ME	37	$31,749	$38,107	+$165K
278	Loras College	IA	37	$31,493	$20,716	+$232K
279	Indiana University of Pennsylvania	PA	37	$31,311	$16,804†	+$246K
280	Winthrop University	SC	37	$30,527	$15,343†	+$244K
281	University of Maryland Eastern Shore	MD	37	$30,407	$13,338†	+$251K
282	Southeastern Louisiana University	LA	37	$30,315	$13,154†	+$251K
283	University of Northwestern-St Paul	MN	37	$30,176	$27,705	+$191K
284	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks	PA	37	$30,133	$24,356†	+$204K
285	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg	PA	37	$30,133	$23,330†	+$208K
286	East Carolina University	NC	37	$29,797	$15,739†	+$235K
287	East Central University	OK	37	$29,616	$8,683†	+$261K
288	Elizabeth City State University	NC	37	$26,821	$6,364†	+$243K
289	Canisius University	NY	37	$26,254	$17,940	+$191K
290	West Virginia Wesleyan College	WV	37	$24,526	$18,083	+$173K
291	Lakeland University	WI	36	$41,427	$24,212	+$317K
292	Shenandoah University	VA	36	$37,676	$30,298	+$256K
293	Anderson University	IN	36	$36,742	$25,021	+$267K
294	Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion	IN	36	$36,739	$22,866	+$276K
295	Lasell University	MA	36	$36,606	$27,511	+$256K
296	Benedictine University	IL	36	$36,344	$22,313	+$274K
297	Central College	IA	36	$35,914	$23,377	+$266K
298	Wright State University-Main Campus	OH	36	$35,640	$15,415†	+$295K
299	Concordia University-Saint Paul	MN	36	$33,744	$18,462	+$264K
300	University of Connecticut-Avery Point	CT	36	$32,586	$13,807†	+$271K
301	Western Carolina University	NC	36	$32,428	$13,315†	+$271K
302	Campbell University	NC	36	$32,167	$24,516	+$224K
303	Bethel University	TN	36	$31,638	$12,595	+$266K
304	Endicott College	MA	36	$30,338	$40,654	+$141K
305	Southern Utah University	UT	36	$30,092	$10,462†	+$259K
306	Adams State University	CO	36	$30,045	$12,980†	+$249K
307	Mississippi State University	MS	36	$29,654	$17,595†	+$226K
308	Temple University	PA	36	$29,322	$28,198†	+$180K
309	Indiana State University	IN	36	$28,975	$10,873†	+$246K
310	University of Akron Main Campus	OH	36	$28,659	$13,946†	+$231K
311	Wingate University	NC	36	$28,551	$20,748	+$203K
312	University of North Carolina at Pembroke	NC	36	$25,623	$10,260†	+$215K
313	Appalachian State University	NC	36	$24,829	$16,836†	+$181K
314	University of Hawaii at Hilo	HI	36	$24,815	$11,856†	+$201K
315	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	CA	36	$24,660	$13,171†	+$194K
316	University of Mississippi	MS	36	$22,239	$13,314†	+$169K
317	Cornell College	IA	35	$35,439	$23,634	+$260K
318	California Baptist University	CA	35	$35,328	$26,285	+$248K
319	Central Washington University	WA	35	$35,268	$18,476†	+$279K
320	Hanover College	IN	35	$35,085	$21,829	+$264K
321	Grand Canyon University	AZ	35	$34,723	$22,472	+$257K
322	California Lutheran University	CA	35	$33,818	$30,109	+$218K
323	Oklahoma Christian University	OK	35	$32,564	$21,872	+$238K
324	Holy Family University	PA	35	$31,518	$13,143	+$263K
325	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania	PA	35	$30,616	$23,726†	+$211K
326	Manchester University	IN	35	$29,936	$18,805	+$224K
327	Eastern Kentucky University	KY	35	$29,632	$11,040†	+$252K
328	California State University-Chico	CA	35	$28,236	$14,480†	+$224K
329	St. Mary's University	TX	35	$27,978	$21,145	+$195K
330	Coastal Carolina University	SC	35	$27,920	$13,966†	+$223K
331	Drexel University	PA	35	$27,376	$38,509	+$120K
332	McNeese State University	LA	35	$27,193	$12,493†	+$222K
333	Calvin University	MI	35	$26,309	$22,992	+$171K
334	Immaculata University	PA	35	$26,236	$24,258	+$165K
335	Manhattanville University	NY	35	$25,592	$20,991	+$172K
336	Wake Forest University	NC	35	$21,192	$28,719	+$97K
337	University of Dubuque	IA	34	$37,528	$23,386	+$282K
338	Saint Joseph's College of Maine	ME	34	$35,341	$27,555	+$243K
339	Bellevue University	NE	34	$33,229	$17,550	+$262K
340	University of Central Oklahoma	OK	34	$33,125	$18,309†	+$258K
341	Pennsylvania Western University	PA	34	$32,632	$18,256†	+$253K
342	University of Connecticut-Stamford	CT	34	$32,586	$16,798†	+$259K
343	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus	CT	34	$32,586	$16,403†	+$260K
344	Nichols College	MA	34	$32,564	$33,036	+$193K
345	Bob Jones University	SC	34	$32,481	$16,641	+$258K
346	Ouachita Baptist University	AR	34	$31,385	$22,409	+$224K
347	Ripon College	WI	34	$29,768	$20,216	+$217K
348	University of North Alabama	AL	34	$29,714	$12,170†	+$248K
349	Columbus State University	GA	34	$29,310	$13,115†	+$241K
350	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	34	$29,258	$13,297†	+$239K
351	Concordia University-Chicago	IL	34	$29,231	$18,436	+$219K
352	Warner University	FL	34	$28,512	$19,748	+$206K
353	University of Hawaii at Manoa	HI	34	$27,626	$15,664†	+$214K
354	DeSales University	PA	34	$26,729	$31,643	+$141K
355	University of Louisiana at Monroe	LA	34	$26,286	$13,466†	+$209K
356	Alma College	MI	34	$25,445	$20,694	+$172K
357	Concordia University-Irvine	CA	34	$24,522	$28,115	+$133K
358	University of Puget Sound	WA	34	$22,260	$38,394	+$69K
359	Western Colorado University	CO	34	$21,038	$16,425†	+$145K
360	Southern New Hampshire University	NH	33	$39,092	$36,708	+$244K
361	Averett University	VA	33	$36,908	$22,925	+$277K
362	Baldwin Wallace University	OH	33	$36,528	$27,603	+$255K
363	Houston Christian University	TX	33	$34,720	$20,629	+$265K
364	Norwich University	VT	33	$33,805	$22,257	+$249K
365	Marian University	IN	33	$33,564	$24,018	+$240K
366	Newberry College	SC	33	$33,159	$21,656	+$245K
367	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus	NH	33	$32,603	$23,805†	+$231K
368	Oral Roberts University	OK	33	$32,150	$25,365	+$220K
369	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	OH	33	$31,919	$24,022†	+$223K
370	Rogers State University	OK	33	$31,167	$15,314†	+$250K
371	University of Mary Hardin-Baylor	TX	33	$30,674	$26,106	+$202K
372	University of Wisconsin-Superior	WI	33	$29,525	$12,220†	+$246K
373	Capital University	OH	33	$28,183	$22,576	+$192K
374	Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online	TX	33	$27,898	$23,698	+$184K
375	Winston-Salem State University	NC	33	$26,467	$13,479†	+$211K
376	SUNY Brockport	NY	33	$26,253	$16,353†	+$197K
377	Delaware State University	DE	33	$25,704	$13,910†	+$201K
378	Washburn University	KS	33	$25,679	$15,280†	+$196K
379	Jarvis Christian University	TX	33	$25,621	$9,825	+$217K
380	University of New Orleans	LA	33	$25,262	$12,384†	+$203K
381	Adelphi University	NY	33	$25,041	$30,783	+$127K
382	Shorter University	GA	33	$24,291	$16,646	+$176K
383	Northern Michigan University	MI	33	$22,113	$14,085†	+$165K
384	Xavier University	OH	32	$33,003	$32,997	+$198K
385	Seton Hill University	PA	32	$32,975	$22,204	+$241K
386	University of Connecticut	CT	32	$32,586	$25,097†	+$225K
387	Maryville University of Saint Louis	MO	32	$32,480	$22,066	+$237K
388	University of the Cumberlands	KY	32	$31,401	$14,107	+$258K
389	Malone University	OH	32	$31,005	$20,948	+$226K
390	Utah Tech University	UT	32	$30,912	$16,039†	+$245K
391	Boise State University	ID	32	$30,709	$21,610†	+$221K
392	University of Montevallo	AL	32	$30,250	$17,683†	+$232K
393	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	PA	32	$30,133	$32,875†	+$170K
394	Old Dominion University	VA	32	$29,989	$14,638†	+$241K
395	Southern Arkansas University Main Campus	AR	32	$29,854	$14,027†	+$242K
396	University of Southern Maine	ME	32	$29,478	$13,596†	+$240K
397	Northwood University	MI	32	$28,569	$27,232	+$177K
398	Abilene Christian University	TX	32	$27,898	$26,182	+$174K
399	North Carolina A & T State University	NC	32	$26,498	$10,846†	+$222K
400	University of San Francisco	CA	32	$26,496	$41,431	+$99K
401	Chowan University	NC	32	$25,983	$14,086	+$203K
402	West Liberty University	WV	32	$24,139	$15,366†	+$180K
403	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	OH	31	$34,268	$25,648†	+$240K
404	Baylor University	TX	31	$33,921	$41,104	+$175K
405	Warner Pacific University	OR	31	$31,903	$25,629	+$217K
406	Reinhardt University	GA	31	$31,900	$24,425	+$221K
407	Midland University	NE	31	$31,475	$26,267	+$210K
408	McKendree University	IL	31	$31,259	$24,717	+$214K
409	Southwest Baptist University	MO	31	$30,837	$21,677	+$222K
410	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	CA	31	$30,472	$16,665†	+$238K
411	Bellarmine University	KY	31	$30,236	$21,499	+$216K
412	Keene State College	NH	31	$29,990	$17,887†	+$228K
413	Grand Valley State University	MI	31	$29,913	$16,317†	+$234K
414	George Fox University	OR	31	$29,842	$31,679	+$172K
415	Bluffton University	OH	31	$28,602	$19,943	+$206K
416	Emory & Henry University	VA	31	$28,146	$19,061	+$205K
417	The University of Tennessee Southern	TN	31	$28,069	$12,798†	+$229K
418	North Carolina Central University	NC	31	$26,682	$15,359†	+$205K
419	Saint Ambrose University	IA	31	$26,608	$24,691	+$167K
420	East Tennessee State University	TN	31	$25,768	$15,983†	+$194K
421	Berry College	GA	31	$25,091	$22,320	+$162K
422	Fort Lewis College	CO	31	$24,419	$17,296†	+$175K
423	Misericordia University	PA	30	$35,836	$37,485	+$208K
424	Grace College and Theological Seminary	IN	30	$32,549	$19,932	+$246K
425	Seattle University	WA	30	$31,627	$34,662	+$178K
426	Clarke University	IA	30	$31,013	$24,479	+$212K
427	Colby-Sawyer College	NH	30	$30,804	$27,431	+$198K
428	Texas Lutheran University	TX	30	$30,607	$24,654	+$207K
429	The University of Tampa	FL	30	$30,554	$36,211	+$161K
430	William Penn University	IA	30	$30,314	$22,601	+$213K
431	Mississippi Christian University	MS	30	$30,193	$27,712	+$191K
432	Sterling College	KS	30	$30,086	$22,371	+$211K
433	Southwestern Christian University	OK	30	$30,063	$20,146	+$220K
434	Guilford College	NC	30	$28,802	$22,270	+$199K
435	Coker University	SC	30	$28,319	$20,286	+$202K
436	Westmont College	CA	30	$27,708	$29,053	+$161K
437	Trine University	IN	30	$25,812	$25,355	+$157K
438	Belhaven University	MS	30	$25,503	$15,676	+$192K
439	William Jessup University	CA	29	$30,128	$28,062	+$189K
440	Barton College	NC	29	$29,374	$23,626	+$199K
441	Dallas Baptist University	TX	29	$29,344	$28,516	+$179K
442	University of Saint Mary	KS	29	$29,151	$22,519	+$201K
443	Olivet Nazarene University	IL	29	$28,990	$20,729	+$207K
444	Park University	MO	29	$28,945	$21,032	+$205K
445	Ohio Wesleyan University	OH	29	$28,294	$20,897	+$199K
446	St Bonaventure University	NY	29	$27,885	$27,074	+$171K
447	Hampton University	VA	29	$27,633	$25,319	+$175K
448	Catawba College	NC	29	$27,305	$17,879	+$202K
449	Lander University	SC	29	$27,155	$15,363†	+$210K
450	Carson-Newman University	TN	29	$25,972	$20,251	+$179K
451	Our Lady of the Lake University	TX	29	$25,403	$16,442	+$188K
452	Defiance College	OH	28	$30,147	$26,337	+$196K
453	Biola University	CA	28	$29,298	$31,495	+$167K
454	Western Washington University	WA	28	$29,268	$21,193†	+$208K
455	Bethany College	KS	28	$28,881	$27,686	+$178K
456	Dean College	MA	28	$28,609	$30,684	+$163K
457	Point University	GA	28	$28,245	$25,335	+$181K
458	University of Alabama in Huntsville	AL	28	$27,788	$18,796†	+$203K
459	Greensboro College	NC	28	$27,624	$17,882	+$205K
460	Hope College	MI	28	$25,862	$27,182	+$150K
461	Prairie View A & M University	TX	28	$25,594	$13,570†	+$202K
462	Lenoir-Rhyne University	NC	28	$22,695	$20,689	+$144K
463	Belmont University	TN	27	$32,464	$33,147	+$192K
464	Ottawa University-Ottawa	KS	27	$30,426	$27,963	+$192K
465	Monmouth College	IL	27	$29,027	$17,133	+$222K
466	John Carroll University	OH	27	$27,971	$28,746	+$165K
467	Monmouth University	NJ	27	$27,907	$30,988	+$155K
468	North Greenville University	SC	27	$27,537	$21,063	+$191K
469	St. John's University-New York	NY	27	$27,534	$29,999	+$155K
470	Concordia University Ann Arbor	MI	27	$27,522	$32,811	+$144K
471	Bryan College-Dayton	TN	27	$27,342	$20,614	+$191K
472	Cornerstone University	MI	27	$27,327	$20,301	+$192K
473	Lincoln Memorial University	TN	27	$26,830	$20,406	+$187K
474	Bethel University	IN	27	$26,799	$18,610	+$194K
475	University of Mobile	AL	27	$26,785	$22,382	+$178K
476	Pfeiffer University	NC	27	$26,744	$19,076	+$191K
477	Pacific University	OR	27	$26,219	$35,273	+$121K
478	Glenville State University	WV	27	$25,138	$14,006†	+$195K
479	Graceland University-Lamoni	IA	27	$22,051	$18,504	+$146K
480	Ottawa University-Surprise	AZ	26	$30,426	$33,393	+$171K
481	Flagler College	FL	26	$29,600	$30,525	+$174K
482	Neumann University	PA	26	$28,982	$27,804	+$179K
483	Huntingdon College	AL	26	$28,469	$22,566	+$194K
484	Concordia University-Wisconsin	WI	26	$27,522	$36,201	+$130K
485	University of Mount Olive	NC	26	$27,413	$18,853	+$199K
486	Anderson University	SC	26	$27,340	$23,544	+$179K
487	Charleston Southern University	SC	26	$26,722	$21,666	+$181K
488	Western New England University	MA	26	$26,544	$27,290	+$156K
489	Morehouse College	GA	26	$26,158	$39,013	+$106K
490	Southeastern University	FL	26	$25,994	$31,942	+$132K
491	La Sierra University	CA	26	$25,899	$45,566	+$77K
492	Faulkner University	AL	26	$25,710	$22,085	+$169K
493	Seattle Pacific University	WA	26	$25,625	$24,488	+$158K
494	University of Pittsburgh-Bradford	PA	26	$24,916	$15,350†	+$188K
495	The University of Olivet	MI	26	$24,879	$21,393	+$163K
496	Tennessee State University	TN	26	$24,722	$15,796†	+$184K
497	William Carey University	MS	26	$24,182	$14,258	+$185K
498	Mercy University	NY	26	$23,094	$14,072	+$175K
499	Elon University	NC	26	$21,440	$41,555	+$48K
500	Livingstone College	NC	26	$21,427	$13,479	+$160K
501	Johnson C Smith University	NC	25	$29,678	$20,894	+$213K
502	Webber International University	FL	25	$29,540	$29,529	+$177K
503	Methodist University	NC	25	$28,270	$24,704	+$184K
504	Belmont Abbey College	NC	25	$27,739	$24,639	+$179K
505	Ohio Northern University	OH	25	$27,463	$24,478	+$177K
506	Liberty University	VA	25	$27,423	$29,357	+$157K
507	Millikin University	IL	25	$26,065	$21,989	+$173K
508	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	PA	25	$24,916	$30,434†	+$127K
509	Friends University	KS	25	$24,870	$27,715	+$138K
510	Franklin College	IN	25	$24,181	$22,855	+$150K
511	Southern Connecticut State University	CT	25	$24,029	$20,857†	+$157K
512	Frostburg State University	MD	25	$23,291	$16,715†	+$166K
513	Saint Peter's University	NJ	25	$19,735	$12,199	+$149K
514	Muskingum University	OH	25	$16,067	$19,532	+$83K
515	Howard University	DC	24	$30,733	$50,539	+$105K
516	Wilmington College	OH	24	$26,433	$24,153	+$168K
517	William Woods University	MO	24	$24,329	$26,569	+$137K
518	Azusa Pacific University	CA	24	$22,233	$22,212	+$133K
519	Lee University	TN	24	$22,135	$18,878	+$146K
520	Whittier College	CA	23	$24,055	$25,757	+$138K
521	Shaw University	NC	23	$18,987	$16,512	+$124K
522	Mitchell College	CT	22	$27,007	$30,260	+$149K
523	Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale	FL	22	$26,168	$30,498	+$140K
524	Brigham Young University	UT	22	$25,253	$15,564	+$190K
525	Bluefield University	VA	22	$24,450	$25,573	+$142K
526	Long Island University	NY	22	$24,096	$33,062	+$109K
527	Tusculum University	TN	22	$22,825	$21,131	+$144K
528	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro	PR	22	$16,486	$9,788	+$126K
529	Claflin University	SC	21	$22,642	$17,800	+$155K
530	Keystone College	PA	21	$21,026	$22,051	+$122K
531	Nova Southeastern University	FL	20	$23,136	$30,371	+$110K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

Rice University takes the #1 spot because of sheer geographic and institutional leverage. Rice’s campus sits directly across the street from the Texas Medical Center—the largest medical complex in the world. Its kinesiology students don't just study biomechanics in a vacuum; they secure elite practicums at Houston Methodist and Memorial Hermann, or work with Houston’s massive cluster of professional sports franchises. This translates to premium entry-level clinical and performance roles that most undergrads can only dream of.

Further down, the dominance of Ohio University’s regional campuses—claiming five consecutive spots from #8 to #12—is a masterclass in educational ROI. Ohio University holds deep historical prestige in sports sciences, but attending the Chillicothe or Zanesville branches strips the tuition cost down to the absolute floor. Students get the same rigorous physiology curriculum and local clinical placements without the flagship-campus price tag. Meanwhile, Simmons University punches up to #3 for a similar geographic reason as Rice: located in the heart of Boston's Longwood Medical Area, Simmons grads are heavily recruited by neighboring world-class facilities like Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's for clinical exercise and rehabilitation roles.

What is Kinesiology & Exercise Science?

Kinesiology and exercise science is the study of human movement, biomechanics, and the body's physiological response to physical stress. Graduates spend their days on their feet, designing strength and conditioning programs, running corporate wellness initiatives, or working in clinical settings to optimize human performance and prevent injury.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to work in a gym with this degree?

Not at all. While personal training and commercial fitness are common options, top programs place graduates in corporate wellness, cardiac rehabilitation, biomechanics research, and tactical strength and conditioning for the military or first responders (which perfectly explains why The Citadel ranks highly at #7).

Does the division of the school’s athletic program matter?

It can be a massive advantage. Major Division I powerhouses like Michigan (#2) and Florida (#6) have sprawling, state-of-the-art athletic facilities. Undergrads who secure assistantships or internships in these varsity weight rooms build resumes that professional sports teams and elite private training facilities hire on sight.

Should I choose a B.S. or a B.A. in Kinesiology?

Always look at the curriculum rather than just the letters. A Bachelor of Science typically leans heavier into hard sciences—physics, chemistry, and advanced biomechanics—which is ideal for clinical physiology roles. A Bachelor of Arts might integrate more sports psychology and management, perfect for coaching or wellness program administration.