Best Schools for Kinesiology & Exercise Science in 2026

529 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Kinesiology & Exercise Science, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Kinesiology & Exercise Science graduate earns $31,057/yr across 529 schools.

Programs Ranked
529
Avg Earnings
$31,057/yr
Avg DW Score
54/100
AI Risk
Moderate
28% task exposure

All Kinesiology & Exercise Science Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# Program DW Score Earnings AI Risk ROI
1 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
American Public University System · Charles Town, WV
77
75–74
$51,381/yr Moderate 15.4x
2 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Florida-Online · Gainesville, FL
74
71–75
$39,717/yr Moderate 35.9x
3 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Florida · Gainesville, FL
73
69–73
$39,717/yr Moderate 21.4x
4 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI
74
72–72
$46,027/yr Moderate 12.8x
5 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Ohio University-Eastern Campus · Saint Clairsville, OH
69
65–70
$35,165/yr Moderate 23.6x
6 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus · Chillicothe, OH
69
65–70
$35,165/yr Moderate 23.6x
7 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Ohio University-Southern Campus · Ironton, OH
69
65–70
$35,165/yr Moderate 23.6x
8 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Ohio University-Lancaster Campus · Lancaster, OH
69
65–70
$35,165/yr Moderate 23.6x
9 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Ohio University-Zanesville Campus · Zanesville, OH
69
65–70
$35,165/yr Moderate 23.6x
10 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Citadel Military College of South Carolina · Charleston, SC
69
66–70
$43,727/yr Moderate 13.0x
11 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT
69
64–70
$37,920/yr Moderate 17.3x
12 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Weber State University · Ogden, UT
71
69–69
$39,059/yr Moderate 16.7x
13 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Winona State University · Winona, MN
69
66–68
$41,742/yr Moderate 12.9x
14 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Northern State University · Aberdeen, SD
69
67–68
$40,123/yr Moderate 14.2x
15 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD
69
67–68
$41,019/yr Moderate 13.4x
16 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
West Texas A & M University · Canyon, TX
69
67–68
$40,313/yr Moderate 13.9x
17 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Florida Gulf Coast University · Fort Myers, FL
69
66–68
$36,002/yr Moderate 18.3x
18 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of North Georgia · Dahlonega, GA
71
68–69
$36,740/yr Moderate 17.3x
19 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA
67
62–68
$33,189/yr Moderate 20.3x
20 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Northern Kentucky University · Highland Heights, KY
69
67–67
$42,725/yr Moderate 12.0x
21 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE
70
68–67
$40,683/yr Moderate 13.0x
22 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC
66
60–69
$33,717/yr Moderate 19.6x
23 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Western Carolina University · Cullowhee, NC
67
64–67
$32,428/yr Moderate 21.6x
24 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Tarleton State University · Stephenville, TX
67
64–68
$36,117/yr Moderate 16.4x
25 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Utah Valley University · Orem, UT
67
62–68
$31,905/yr Moderate 26.2x
26 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Florida Atlantic University · Boca Raton, FL
66
62–67
$30,412/yr Moderate 26.4x
27 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of North Florida · Jacksonville, FL
67
63–67
$33,364/yr Moderate 18.6x
28 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Fitchburg State University · Fitchburg, MA
66
61–68
$37,218/yr Moderate 14.3x
29 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of North Carolina at Charlotte · Charlotte, NC
66
63–67
$34,219/yr Moderate 16.9x
30 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of South Carolina-Columbia · Columbia, SC
66
62–67
$40,702/yr Moderate 11.6x
31 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Houston-Clear Lake · Houston, TX
67
63–67
$35,107/yr Moderate 16.3x
32 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Sam Houston State University · Huntsville, TX
67
63–67
$37,005/yr Moderate 14.2x
33 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Sul Ross State University · Alpine, TX
70
68–67
$39,723/yr Moderate 12.1x
34 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Wyoming · Laramie, WY
66
60–67
$31,326/yr Moderate 22.2x
35 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Auburn University at Montgomery · Montgomery, AL
65
62–65
$36,579/yr Moderate 13.3x
36 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA
65
60–67
$31,901/yr Moderate 19.4x
37 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA
65
60–67
$33,022/yr Moderate 17.9x
38 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO
67
65–65
$41,161/yr Moderate 11.0x
39 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL
65
60–66
$29,519/yr Moderate 22.9x
40 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Georgia Southern University · Statesboro, GA
65
60–66
$29,320/yr Moderate 23.6x
41 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Iowa State University · Ames, IA
65
61–66
$36,492/yr Moderate 13.6x
42 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI
65
61–66
$43,506/yr Moderate 9.6x
43 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Wisconsin-Parkside · Kenosha, WI
65
58–67
$30,655/yr Moderate 21.5x
44 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA
65
61–66
$30,469/yr Moderate 21.4x
45 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Arkansas State University · Jonesboro, AR
64
60–65
$32,685/yr Moderate 16.5x
46 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA
63
57–65
$28,687/yr Moderate 20.0x
47 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Georgia Southwestern State University · Americus, GA
67
64–65
$32,709/yr Moderate 15.4x
48 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Kansas · Lawrence, KS
63
56–67
$33,891/yr Moderate 14.7x
49 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
Pittsburg State University · Pittsburg, KS
66
64–64
$36,393/yr Moderate 13.2x
50 Kinesiology & Exercise Science
University of Southern Mississippi · Hattiesburg, MS
66
65–64
$39,049/yr Moderate 11.5x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Kinesiology & Exercise Science?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, American Public University System ranks #1 for Kinesiology & Exercise Science with a score of 77/100 and graduate earnings of $51,381/yr.
How much do Kinesiology & Exercise Science graduates earn?
Across 529 schools, Kinesiology & Exercise Science graduates earn an average of $31,057/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $51,381/yr.
Is Kinesiology & Exercise Science a good major for AI resistance?
Kinesiology & Exercise Science has an average AI task exposure of 28%, rated "Moderate". This is a relatively AI-resistant field.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.