Kinesiology major
Kinesiology: courses, careers, and where to study
Kinesiology studies human movement and exercise science, suiting students who want to work in fitness, rehabilitation, athletic training, or healthcare rather than treating disease.
A Kinesiology major studies the science of human movement, drawing on anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, motor control, and exercise science. Coursework pairs foundational sciences (human anatomy, physiology, chemistry, statistics) with applied subjects like exercise physiology, kinesiology and biomechanics, motor learning and development, nutrition, and the psychology of physical activity. Most programs award a BS or BA and include hands-on lab work plus an internship or practicum in a fitness, clinical, or athletic setting.
Graduates apply this training to design exercise programs, assess fitness and movement, support rehabilitation, and promote physical activity and wellness. The bachelor's degree leads into roles such as exercise physiologist, strength and conditioning coach, or fitness specialist, and it is also a common undergraduate path toward graduate study in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, or physician assistant programs.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of exercise physiologists to grow about 9.5% from 2024 to 2034, with a 2024 median wage of $58,160 for that occupation.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Kinesiology maps to CIP 26.0908, Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology, within the BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES family. The official definition:
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the physiological processes involved in physical or motor activity, including sensorimotor interactions, response mechanisms, and the effects of injury, disease, and disability. Includes instruction in muscular and skeletal anatomy; molecular and cellular basis of muscle contraction; fuel utilization; neurophysiology of motor mechanics; systemic physiological responses (respiration, blood flow, endocrine secretions, and others); fatigue and exhaustion; muscle and body training; physiology of specific exercises and activities; physiology of injury; and the effects of disabilities and disease.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Kinesiology is awarded as
Of the 7,132 Kinesiology credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate<1%2
- Associate<1%5
- Bachelor's82%5,832
- Graduate18%1,293
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 29 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 0 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. 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
- Human anatomy and physiology
- Exercise physiology and the body's response to physical activity
- Biomechanics and the mechanics of human movement
- Motor learning, motor control, and motor development
- Nutrition and its role in performance and health
- Exercise testing, prescription, and program design
- Psychology of physical activity and behavior change
- Internship or practicum in a fitness, clinical, or athletic setting
Typical careers
- Exercise physiologists
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Fitness / Wellness Specialist
- Athletic Trainer (with required credential)
- Pre-Physical Therapy / DPT Pathway
- Rehabilitation Aide
Typical salary range: Informational, occupation-wide across all experience levels (BLS, 2024 median wage of $58,160 for exercise physiologists)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 Kinesiology, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $100,590 | 9,600 | +8.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $83,460 | 5,400 | +7.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Exercise Physiologists | $58,160 | 1,700 | +9.5% | Bachelor'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). 3 of these 3 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 Kinesiology 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 Kinesiology major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Kinesiology program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Kinesiology 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 Kinesiology 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 Kinesiology credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- University of FloridaFL · 370
- Texas Tech UniversityTX · 293
- University of UtahUT · 271
- Brigham Young UniversityUT · 259
- Auburn UniversityAL · 239
- Appalachian State UniversityNC · 212
- University of South Carolina-ColumbiaSC · 210
- Florida State UniversityFL · 203
- University of Massachusetts-AmherstMA · 188
- Liberty UniversityVA · 185
- University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMN · 181
- University of North Carolina at CharlotteNC · 180
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 Kinesiology credentials were awarded
12 states have a distinct enough set of Kinesiology colleges to be worth its own page.
Related majors
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.
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.
Biology
Biology is the foundational pre-health major, covering molecular, cellular, organismal, and ecological levels of living systems.
Psychology
Psychology majors study human cognition, behavior, and emotion, preparing graduates for clinical, research, business, and human-services careers (and graduate school in clinical, counseling, and I/O psych).
Nutrition and Dietetics
Nutrition and Dietetics studies how food and nutrients affect health, preparing graduates to assess diets and plan medical nutrition therapy in clinical, community, and food-service settings.
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 Kinesiology degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Science & Research careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Kinesiology 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 Kinesiology 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.