Physical Education · Wisconsin

Wisconsin colleges that awarded Physical Education credentials

10 colleges in Wisconsin reported conferring Physical Education credentials to the federal IPEDS collection in 2023-24, and every one of them also awarded in the year before. 9 awarded a degree, and 1 awarded only a certificate. That is a record of credentials already awarded, not confirmation that a program is currently admitting.

Colleges and what they awarded

Largest first by credentials conferred in 2023-24. That order measures the size of the graduating class and nothing else: it is not a ranking, and the largest entry is often a certificate provider rather than the strongest degree program. The credential is labelled on every row for exactly that reason.

Colleges in Wisconsin that conferred Physical Education credentials in 2023-24, with the number awarded and whether any was a degree.
CollegeCredentials awardedHighest level
University of Wisconsin-River Falls53Degree
University of Wisconsin-Superior40Degree
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater40Degree
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh36Degree
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point30Degree
University of Wisconsin-Madison10Degree
Carroll University8Degree
Ripon College7Degree
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay5Certificate only
Concordia University-Wisconsin4Degree

How much of this field is in Wisconsin

Credentials awarded
233
Share of U.S. total
3.4%
Colleges awarding it
10
Awarding a degree
9

Wisconsin colleges conferred 233 Physical Education credentials in 2023-24, which is 3.4% of the 6,808 conferred across the 49 U.S. jurisdictions reporting any. Of the 10 colleges here, 9 awarded a degree and 1 awarded only a certificate. These counts measure the size of graduating classes, not program quality, and not how many students are currently enrolled.

What level those credentials were

  • Certificates6%14
  • Bachelor's94%219

Most Physical Education credentials awarded in Wisconsin were bachelor's degrees. That is 27 percentage points more weighted toward bachelor's degrees than the field nationally, where they are 67% of credentials. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and the level a program awards is set by the program rather than by the student.

We measured how much this varies nationwide, and for most fields the credential level is set by the field rather than the state: is your major a certificate or a degree?

How concentrated it is. The single college with the largest reported graduating class in this field accounted for 23% of Wisconsin’s Physical Education credentials. Activity is spread across several institutions rather than sitting with one.

What these Wisconsin colleges cost

Median net price across the 10 of these 10 colleges that report it, by family income. Net price is what students receiving federal aid actually paid for the WHOLE college after grants and scholarships, so it is not the price of a Physical Education program specifically, and not a quote for any family.

0-30k
$8,987
30-48k
$10,106
48-75k
$14,005
75-110k
$17,341
110k+
$18,348

A family earning under $30,000 paid a median of $8,987 at these colleges, against $18,348 for a family earning over $110,000. Individual colleges vary widely around these medians. See every Wisconsin college by income band.

What this evidence does and does not prove

This lists colleges that reported conferring credentials in this field to the federal IPEDS completions collection, in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. It does not confirm that any of them is currently admitting students to the program, and a college can appear here after deciding to close it. Confirm with the institution before it affects where you apply.

How this list was built

From the U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions collection, matched to each college on its exact federal program classification. A college appears only if it conferred credentials in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, which is what separates a running program from one that has already closed.

This page exists because its list of colleges is materially different from that of every closely related field in Wisconsin — the fields a reader could otherwise mistake it for, such as two engineering disciplines, or nursing and practical nursing. Where a related field resolves to the same colleges, the second page would be the first one with its title changed, and CampusPin does not publish it. Sharing colleges with an unrelated field is different, and not a reason to withhold the page: in most states the same colleges award business, psychology and biology alike, which says something about the colleges rather than about the fields. We measured exactly how often that happens, and published the result: does choosing a major narrow your college list?

What Physical Education graduates go on to do

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Physical Education, ordered by projected annual openings. National figures: openings and pay do not vary by where you studied, and the crosswalk describes related fields rather than a required or guaranteed path.

Occupations associated with Physical Education, with median annual wage, projected annual openings, and the education most entrants hold.
OccupationMedian payOpenings / yrMost entrants hold
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors$46,18074,200High school diploma or equivalent
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,58066,200Bachelor's degree
Coaches and Scouts$45,92041,800Bachelor's degree
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$62,97040,500Bachelor's degree
Education Teachers, Postsecondary$72,0905,600Doctoral or professional degree
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$75,8901,100Doctoral or professional degree

Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). “Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already in the occupation, not a legal requirement, an admission rule, or a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.

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