Athletic Training major
Athletic Training: courses, careers, and where to study
Athletic Training prepares students to prevent, evaluate, and rehabilitate injuries in physically active people, suiting those who want a hands-on clinical role in sports and orthopedic care.
An undergraduate Athletic Training major builds the science foundation for musculoskeletal care: anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, injury prevention and evaluation, therapeutic modalities and exercise, emergency care, and pharmacology, paired with supervised clinical hours alongside sports teams, clinics, and other physically active populations. Coursework emphasizes hands-on assessment of joints and soft tissue, recognition of acute and emergency conditions, and the design of rehabilitation programs.
Athletic training is now practiced as a master's-level clinical field. Many students complete a bachelor's in athletic training, exercise science, or a related area and then enter a graduate program; the credential to practice as a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) is earned through a CAATE-accredited master's degree. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical entry-level education for athletic trainers is a master's degree.
Graduates work on the sidelines and in clinics, performing on-field injury evaluation, taping and bracing, concussion screening, and return-to-play decisions, and collaborating with physicians and physical therapists. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of athletic trainers to grow 11.1% from 2024 to 2034, and reports a 2024 median wage of $60,250 per year.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Athletic Training maps to CIP 51.0913, Athletic Training/Trainer, within the HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to work in consultation with, and under the supervision of physicians to prevent and treat sports injuries and associated conditions. Includes instruction in the identification, evaluation, and treatment of athletic injuries and illnesses; first aid and emergency care; therapeutic exercise; anatomy and physiology; exercise physiology; kinesiology and biomechanics; nutrition; sports psychology; personal and community health; knowledge of various sports and their biomechanical and physiological demands; and applicable professional standards and regulations.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Athletic Training is awarded as
Of the 3,027 Athletic Training credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate6%176
- Associate3%99
- Bachelor's21%648
- Graduate70%2,104
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Functional anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology of the musculoskeletal system
- Injury prevention, risk reduction, and protective taping and bracing
- Clinical evaluation and orthopedic assessment of joints and soft tissue
- Therapeutic modalities and therapeutic exercise for rehabilitation
- Emergency and acute care, including concussion recognition and management
- Biomechanics and exercise physiology applied to physically active populations
- General medical conditions, pharmacology, and nutrition for the active patient
- Supervised clinical rotations with teams, clinics, and other patient settings
Typical careers
- Athletic trainers
- Rehabilitation Technician
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Physical Therapist (with DPT)
- Physician Assistant (with master's)
Typical salary range: BLS reports a 2024 median wage of $60,250 for athletic trainers.Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Athletic Training, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $105,620 | 27,400 | +17.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Athletic Trainers | $60,250 | 2,400 | +11.1% | Master's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 2 of these 2 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Athletic Training does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Athletic Training major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Athletic Training program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Athletic Training department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Athletic Training program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Athletic Training credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- A T Still University of Health SciencesMO · 70
- Rio Salado CollegeAZ · 60
- East Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaPA · 56
- West Chester University of PennsylvaniaPA · 55
- Florida State UniversityFL · 54
- Missouri State University-SpringfieldMO · 54
- University of South Carolina-ColumbiaSC · 46
- Kansas State UniversityKS · 44
- The University of AlabamaAL · 41
- Concordia University-WisconsinWI · 37
- Washington State UniversityWA · 36
- Northern Arizona UniversityAZ · 35
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Athletic Training credentials were awarded
24 states have a distinct enough set of Athletic Training colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Athletic Training schools by state
- Athletic Training in California
- Athletic Training in Florida
- Athletic Training in Georgia
- Athletic Training in Illinois
- Athletic Training in Maryland
- Athletic Training in Massachusetts
- Athletic Training in New York
- Athletic Training in North Carolina
- Athletic Training in Pennsylvania
- Athletic Training in Texas
Related majors
Kinesiology
Kinesiology studies human movement and exercise science, suiting students who want to work in fitness, rehabilitation, athletic training, or healthcare rather than treating disease.
Health Sciences
Health Sciences is a broad pre-professional major for students preparing for medical, dental, PA, PT, or pharmacy school, combining biology, chemistry, and patient-care exposure.
Nursing
Nursing prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam and careers as Registered Nurses, combining biomedical sciences with clinical rotations across hospital units.
Public Health
Public Health studies how to prevent disease and protect population health, suiting students who want to improve community well-being through data, policy, and programs rather than treating patients.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Athletic Training degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Healthcare careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Athletic Training degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Athletic Training path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.