Kinesiology Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Kinesiology maps to BLS occupations averaging about $122,756, with roughly 50,000 workers nationwide in those roles. About 5,832 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median program completion runs near 62%.
Key Statistics
Kinesiology: what the data shows
Common questions about kinesiology degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a kinesiology degree?
A Kinesiology program is classified under NCES CIP 26.0908 in the Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences field family (26.09).
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.
IPEDS counted 5,832 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of kinesiology degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 26.09 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Aerospace Physiology and Medicine (CIP 26.0912)
- Biomechanics (CIP 26.0913)
- Cardiovascular Science (CIP 26.0907)
- Cell Physiology (CIP 26.0903)
- Endocrinology (CIP 26.0904)
- Molecular Physiology (CIP 26.0902)
- Oncology and Cancer Biology (CIP 26.0911)
- Pathology/Experimental Pathology (CIP 26.0910)
- Physiology, General (CIP 26.0901)
- Reproductive Biology (CIP 26.0905)
- Vision Science/Physiological Optics (CIP 26.0909)
How long does it take to get a kinesiology degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 26.0908 in our file:
- 5 Associate (0.1% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 5,832 Bachelor's (83.3% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 1,164 Master's (16.6% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 4 Doctorate (0.1% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in kinesiology?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Monitoring, Service Orientation, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Occupational Therapists (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 26.0908, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a kinesiology degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Kinesiology to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Therapists | 152,280 | $98,340 |
| Physical Therapists | 248,630 | $101,020 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a kinesiology degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences bachelor's program family: median debt $32,582, median earnings $62,172 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.05.
About 5.3% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $11,790 and median net price is $15,944.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Kinesiology and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$11,790 Median In-State Public
$46,314 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Kinesiology majors are, on average, $11,790 for in-state public colleges, and $46,314 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Kinesiology programs.
Institutions awarding the most Kinesiology degrees
| # | Institution | State | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida | FL | 370 |
| 2 | Texas Tech University | TX | 293 |
| 3 | University of Utah | UT | 271 |
| 4 | Brigham Young University | UT | 259 |
| 5 | Auburn University | AL | 239 |
| 6 | Appalachian State University | NC | 212 |
| 7 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | SC | 210 |
| 8 | Florida State University | FL | 203 |
| 9 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | 188 |
| 10 | Liberty University | VA | 185 |
IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), all award levels for this CIP in our extract.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
5,832 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Kinesiology from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Kinesiology.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 |
| 3 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 |
| 4 | Liberty University | VA | 50,012 |
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 45,638 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Kinesiology programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego City College | CA | $1,146 |
| 2 | Crafton Hills College | CA | $1,188 |
| 3 | Glendale Community College | CA | $1,191 |
| 4 | Mt San Antonio College | CA | $1,364 |
| 5 | Golden West College | CA | $1,380 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Kinesiology programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-Central Texas | TX | $1,300 |
| 2 | CUNY Lehman College | NY | $3,148 |
| 3 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus | OH | $3,925 |
| 4 | Golden West College | CA | $4,824 |
| 5 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campus | OH | $5,650 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Kinesiology programs.
Graduation Rates
61.92% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
61.95% Average Graduation Rate
393 Institutions Reporting
50.12% - 74.58% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Kinesiology programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Kinesiology is in NC (601 completions). That state represents about 10.3% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is ID (1.24% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC | 601 | 10.3% | 0.49% |
| FL | 518 | 8.9% | 0.23% |
| UT | 514 | 8.8% | 0.48% |
| TX | 362 | 6.2% | 0.12% |
| ID | 352 | 6.0% | 1.24% |
| WA | 323 | 5.5% | 0.47% |
| SC | 308 | 5.3% | 0.56% |
| AL | 300 | 5.1% | 0.44% |
| MN | 247 | 4.2% | 0.29% |
| OH | 199 | 3.4% | 0.14% |
| MA | 198 | 3.4% | 0.15% |
| NY | 198 | 3.4% | 0.07% |
| KS | 188 | 3.2% | 0.51% |
| IN | 187 | 3.2% | 0.18% |
| WV | 150 | 2.6% | 0.42% |
| PA | 118 | 2.0% | 0.07% |
| AR | 117 | 2.0% | 0.36% |
| CA | 111 | 1.9% | 0.03% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 26.09 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Aerospace Physiology and Medicine CIP 26.0912
- Biomechanics CIP 26.0913
- Cardiovascular Science CIP 26.0907
- Cell Physiology CIP 26.0903
- Endocrinology CIP 26.0904
- Molecular Physiology CIP 26.0902
- Oncology and Cancer Biology CIP 26.0911
- Pathology/Experimental Pathology CIP 26.0910
- Physiology, General CIP 26.0901
- Reproductive Biology CIP 26.0905
- Vision Science/Physiological Optics CIP 26.0909
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 26.0908 in the survey year used in our extract (7,005 total across levels below).
- 5 Associate (0.1% of IPEDS total)
- 5,832 Bachelor's (83.3% of IPEDS total)
- 1,164 Master's (16.6% of IPEDS total)
- 4 Doctorate (0.1% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $122,756. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Kinesiology graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Therapists | $120,303 | 152,280 |
| Physical Therapists | $124,258 | 248,630 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences CIP family (34 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Kinesiology graduate.
- $32,582 median federal loan debt among completers
- $62,172 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.05 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 5.3% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$122,952 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Kinesiology majors is $122,952.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Kinesiology majors.
Occupations by Share
50,000 2023 Workforce
The number of Kinesiology graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Kinesiology by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Debt and earnings fields below come from College Scorecard where present in our degree extract.
Financial value (extract)
$18,750 Median Student Debt
$50,000 Median Annual Earnings (10 years after enrollment)
37.50% Debt-to-Earnings Ratio
3.8 years Estimated Payback Period (assuming 10% of income)
683.99% Return on Investment (10-year earnings vs 4-year cost)
Ten-year earnings in this extract exceed four years of median net price.
$63,776 Estimated Total Cost (4 years at median net price)
Financial value comparison for Kinesiology degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Kinesiology in the United States.
Workforce Age
40.0 Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Kinesiology.
Age distribution for Kinesiology degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
5,832 Total Degrees Awarded
2,284 Male (39.16%)
3,548 Female (60.84%)
Gender distribution of Kinesiology degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
3,951 White (67.75%)
693 Hispanic or Latino (11.88%)
411 Black or African American (7.05%)
274 Asian (4.70%)
261 Two or More Races (4.48%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Kinesiology degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Kinesiology are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Kinesiology.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Kinesiology field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Kinesiology majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Kinesiology majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Kinesiology majors.
About
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.
In 2023, 5,832 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Kinesiology.
CIP Code
26.0908 - Kinesiology
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $32,582 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $62,172, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Kinesiology graduate.
Women earned 59.9% of 7,132 Kinesiology completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $122,756. The largest mapped role by headcount is Occupational Therapists (152,280 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $11,790 in-state at public colleges and $46,314 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.