Sports Science Schools and Programs in The United States
25 schools in The United States teach Sports Science.
Albertus Magnus College
University New Haven, The United States In an official register
Albertus Magnus College is a Catholic college in New Haven, Connecticut, founded by the Dominican Sisters of Peace. It provides a liberal arts-based education on a 50-acre campus at 700 Prospect Street, and students of all faiths and none are welcome. Its traditional…
Ashland University
University Ashland, The United States In an official register
Ashland University (AU) is a private, comprehensive university in Ashland, Ohio, located between Cleveland and Columbus and guided by its Christian heritage. It was founded in 1878 as Ashland College and took its current name in 1989. More than 7,500 undergraduate and…
Avila University
University Kansas City, The United States In an official register
Avila University is a Catholic university in Kansas City, Missouri, founded and inspired by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. It offers undergraduate and graduate education in the liberal arts and professional studies on a 50-acre campus in a quiet suburb of South…
Colorado College
University Colorado Springs, The United States In an official register
Colorado College (CC) is a selective liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with just over 2,000 students on a campus of about 90 acres. The campus is a short walk from downtown Colorado Springs and about an hour's drive from Denver. CC follows the Block Plan…
DeSales University
University Center Valley, The United States In an official register
DeSales University is a Catholic, Salesian university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley, less than two hours from New York City and Philadelphia. Its teaching combines the liberal arts and professional studies and is rooted in the Christian humanism of St…
East Carolina University
University Greenville, NC, The United States In an official register
East Carolina University came into existence in 1907 as a public research university at Greenville, North Carolina, United States. ECU offers more than 200 programs, catering bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and certificate students. ECU comprises of 9 undergraduate academic…
Ferris State University
University Big Rapids, The United States In an official register
Ferris State University is a mid-sized, four-year public university whose main campus is in Big Rapids, Michigan. It was founded in 1884 by Woodbridge and Helen Ferris as the privately owned Big Rapids Industrial School, became a state institution in 1950 and a state…
Hofstra University
University Hempstead, The United States In an official register
Hofstra University is a university with a residential campus about 25 miles (40 km) from Manhattan, New York. It is organised into 13 schools and colleges, has a student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1 and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)…
Idaho State University
University Pocatello, The United States In an official register
Idaho State University (ISU) is a doctorate-granting research university founded in 1901, with its main campus at 921 South 8th Avenue in Pocatello, Idaho, and further locations in Meridian, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls. It is Carnegie-classified for high research activity and…
Ithaca College
University Ithaca, The United States In an official register
Ithaca College is a private institution founded in 1892 as a music conservatory. It is located in the South Hill of Ithaca, New York, but is known internationally for its communications program, provided by the Roy H. Park School of Communications. Four other schools offer…
Long Island University
University Brookville, The United States In an official register
Long Island University (LIU) is a university in the New York metropolitan area, founded in 1926. Its two main campuses are LIU Post in Brookville, on Long Island's Gold Coast about 27 miles east of New York City, and LIU Brooklyn in Downtown Brooklyn. LIU also has locations…
Miami University
University Oxford, The United States In an official register
Miami University is a public research university founded in 1809, with its main campus in Oxford, Ohio. It also has polytechnic campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning centre in West Chester, the Dolibois European Center in Luxembourg and a fully online option, Miami…
Old Dominion University
University Norfolk, The United States In an official register
Old Dominion University was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of The College of William and Mary, and became independent in 1962. It is a public research university, located in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. The institution is known to be one of the largest US providers of…
Purdue University
University West Lafayette, The United States In an official register
Purdue University is a public land-grant university with its main campus at 610 Purdue Mall in West Lafayette, Indiana, and a second campus in Indianapolis. Its roots go back to the Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862, and it has more than 150 years of history. According…
SUNY Cortland
University Cortland, The United States In an official register
SUNY Cortland is a medium-sized public university in Cortland, New York, in the United States. It offers 68 majors, as well as minors, through three schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education and the School of Professional Studies. According to the…
Tennessee Tech University
University Cookeville, The United States In an official register
Tennessee Tech University is a public university in the US state of Tennessee. Around 10,000 students are enrolled in its eight academic schools and colleges, which include Agriculture and Human Ecology, Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Fine Arts and Nursing. The…
Texas Tech University
University Lubbock, The United States In an official register
Texas Tech University is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, in the United States. It is one of 94 public universities with the Carnegie classification of very high research activity. Its main campus covers 1,839 acres and has more than 40,000 students, 10…
The University of Texas at Austin
University Austin, The United States In an official register
The University of Texas at Austin was founded in 1883. It is one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the world and hosts some 51,000 students.The University of Texas is a public research university, which campus is located only 0.25 km away from the Texas…
United States Sports University
University Daphne, The United States In an official register
United States Sports Academy is a special mission sports university, established in 1972 in Daphne, Alabama. It is a non-profit institution, granting the Bachelor of Sports Science (B.S.S.), Master of Sports Science (M.S.S.) and Doctor of Education in Sports Management…
University of Bridgeport
University Bridgeport, The United States In an official register
The University of Bridgeport (UB) is a university in Bridgeport, Connecticut, founded in 1927. Its main campus covers 56 acres on Long Island Sound and houses 14 schools, colleges and institutes and seven residence halls. Students come from more than 80 countries, and the…
University of California Santa Barbara
University Santa Barbara, The United States In an official register
The University of California, Santa Barbara is an institution of great international prestige. It welcomes students from almost 70 countries by a number of around 1,200.
University of Connecticut
University Storrs, The United States In an official register
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is the flagship public research university of the US state of Connecticut and a land and sea grant institution. Its main campus is in Storrs, and it also has campuses and sites at Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford and Waterbury, as well as…
University of Northern Colorado
University Greeley, The United States In an official register
p>The University of Northern Colorado is a public institution of higher learning, located in Greely, Colorado. It was established in 1889 as the State Normal School of Colorado, and has a very strong background of providing teacher education. Undergraduate degrees are usually…
SUNY, The State University of New York
University Albany, The United States
SUNY is a system of public universities in New York, USA. It was established in 1948, and represents the largest system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the world. Overall, it has 64 campuses around the state, including four University Centers…
The Ohio State University
University Columbus, The United States
Ohio State University is a public research university, and currently has the third largest university campus in the United States. Located in Columbus, Ohio, it was founded in 1870 as a land-grant university. Now the university has also established regional campuses in Lewis…
Sports Science Studies in The United States
Sports science is the study of how the human body moves, performs and adapts to exercise. In the United States the subject is rarely called "sports science": universities usually teach it under the names exercise science or kinesiology, often next to related programmes in athletic training, sport management and coaching. SUNY Cortland defines kinesiology as the study of human movement.
How the degree is organised
According to EducationUSA, the US bachelor's degree is usually completed in four years of full-time study and is awarded after a specified number of credits in a major field, alongside classes in a wide variety of other subjects. Sports science follows this pattern:
- Bachelor's degree (usually a Bachelor of Science) in exercise science or kinesiology, four years
- Master's degree in kinesiology, exercise science, athletic training, strength and conditioning or sport management
- Doctorate (PhD) in exercise physiology or another research area of kinesiology
Some examples from the schools' own pages: The Ohio State University awards a Bachelor of Science in Education in Exercise Science, a programme that strongly emphasises exercise physiology. Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, offers a B.S. in Kinesiology with required courses in chemistry, physics, statistics, human anatomy and physiology, biomechanics and exercise physiology. Purdue University's kinesiology major has optional concentrations in clinical exercise physiology and sports medicine. SUNY Cortland lists majors in exercise science, coaching, sport studies and strength and conditioning, as well as combined routes such as a 3+2 bachelor's and M.S. in Athletic Training. Texas Tech University has a BS and an MS in Kinesiology and a PhD in Exercise Physiology, and the University of Connecticut offers an MS in Athletic Training and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Exercise Science.
Accreditation and professional recognition
There is no national ministry that approves degrees in the United States; EducationUSA advises checking that an institution is accredited, because recognition of credits and degrees by other institutions and employers is linked to accreditation. Miami University states that its kinesiology programme is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Athletic training programmes are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).
The route into regulated work depends on the occupation. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that athletic trainers typically need a master's degree from an accredited programme and that nearly all states require them to be licensed or certified. For exercise physiologists, state licensing requirements vary. Fitness trainers do not need a degree in most cases, but employers prefer to hire those with certification.
Admission and visa
Application requirements vary from one institution to another. EducationUSA lists the usual elements: secondary school diploma and transcripts with English translations, standardised test scores to assess academic ability and English proficiency, recommendation letters and a personal statement. Undergraduate applications are typically due between November and January for a start the following September. Admission to the major can have its own conditions: Ohio State asks for a minimum 2.75 GPA and a grade of C- or higher in set biology and chemistry courses before students enter the exercise science major.
International students need a student visa. The F visa is for study at an accredited US college or university. Applicants must first be accepted by an institution certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which then issues the Form I-20 needed for the visa application.
Costs
Tuition is set by each institution. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, average tuition and fees at four-year institutions in 2022-23 were $9,800 at public institutions and $40,700 at private nonprofit institutions. The public figure is the in-state rate, so international students should check each university's non-resident tuition.
Where to study sports science in the United States
The schools on this page are spread across the country rather than concentrated in a few cities. Examples include The Ohio State University in Columbus, Miami University in Oxford and Ashland University in Ohio; Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana; SUNY Cortland, Ithaca College and Hofstra University in New York State; the University of Connecticut in Storrs; The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University in Lubbock; and Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, which has its own Department of Exercise Science. The United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama, which now presents itself as United States Sports University, teaches only sport-related degrees, including exercise science, sports management and coaching. Teaching is in English.
Careers
Graduates work in fitness and strength and conditioning, coaching, clinical exercise programmes, rehabilitation and research, or continue into health professions. The BLS reports that employment of exercise physiologists is projected to grow 13 percent from 2025 to 2035, with a median annual wage of $59,460 in May 2025. For athletic trainers it projects 13 percent growth and reports a median annual wage of $62,520; for fitness trainers and instructors, 7 percent growth and $47,160.
Frequently asked questions
What is sports science called in the United States?
Most universities use the names exercise science or kinesiology.
How long does a sports science degree take in the United States?
A bachelor's degree is usually completed in four years of full-time study. Master's and doctoral degrees follow the bachelor's.
Can I work as an athletic trainer with a bachelor's degree?
According to the BLS, athletic trainers typically need a master's degree from an accredited programme, and nearly all states require a licence or certification.