Sport and Fitness Administration/Management Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management maps to BLS occupations averaging about $64,987, with roughly 1,596,050 workers nationwide in those roles. About 11,853 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median in-state published tuition is about $7,979.
Key Statistics
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management: what the data shows
Common questions about sport and fitness administration/management degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a sport and fitness administration/management degree?
A Sport and Fitness Administration/Management program is classified under NCES CIP 31.0504 in the Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness field family (31.05).
A program that prepares individuals to apply business, coaching and physical education principles to the organization, administration and management of athletic programs and teams, fitness/rehabilitation facilities and health clubs, sport recreation services, and related services. Includes instruction in program planning and development; business and financial management principles; sales, marketing and recruitment; event promotion, scheduling and management; facilities management; public relations; legal aspects of sports; and applicable health and safety standards
IPEDS counted 11,853 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of sport and fitness administration/management degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 31.05 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology (CIP 31.0505)
- Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (CIP 31.0501)
- Physical Fitness Technician (CIP 31.0507)
- Sports Studies (CIP 31.0508)
How long does it take to get a sport and fitness administration/management degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 31.0504 in our file:
- 422 Associate (2.5% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 11,853 Bachelor's (70.3% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 4,581 Master's (27.2% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 5 Doctorate (0.0% 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 sport and fitness administration/management?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Teachers, Postsecondary (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 31.0504, 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 sport and fitness administration/management degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,500,000 | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1,072,540 | $64,580 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a sport and fitness administration/management degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness bachelor's program family: median debt $28,390, median earnings $54,562 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.93.
About 4.0% 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 $7,979 and median net price is $15,996.
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 Sport and Fitness Administration/Management and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$7,979 Median In-State Public
$35,615 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Sport and Fitness Administration/Management majors are, on average, $7,979 for in-state public colleges, and $35,615 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Sport and Fitness Administration/Management programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
11,853 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 3 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 4 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | 85,991 |
| 5 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Sport and Fitness Administration/Management programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haskell Indian Nations University | KS | $600 |
| 2 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 3 | Taft College | CA | $1,108 |
| 4 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 5 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Sport and Fitness Administration/Management programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 3 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 4 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 5 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Sport and Fitness Administration/Management programs.
Graduation Rates
53.47% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
53.15% Average Graduation Rate
1,134 Institutions Reporting
41.64% - 64.91% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 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 Sport and Fitness Administration/Management is in OH (955 completions). That state represents about 8.1% 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 SC (0.99% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| OH | 955 | 8.1% | 0.69% |
| TX | 875 | 7.4% | 0.30% |
| FL | 843 | 7.1% | 0.37% |
| NC | 743 | 6.3% | 0.60% |
| NY | 686 | 5.8% | 0.25% |
| MI | 626 | 5.3% | 0.55% |
| SC | 550 | 4.6% | 0.99% |
| PA | 448 | 3.8% | 0.26% |
| VA | 444 | 3.8% | 0.36% |
| MA | 432 | 3.6% | 0.34% |
| GA | 426 | 3.6% | 0.37% |
| TN | 372 | 3.1% | 0.50% |
| KY | 313 | 2.6% | 0.61% |
| IL | 291 | 2.5% | 0.21% |
| IA | 279 | 2.4% | 0.58% |
| KS | 276 | 2.3% | 0.75% |
| MO | 241 | 2.0% | 0.34% |
| NH | 225 | 1.9% | 0.36% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 31.05 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology CIP 31.0505
- Parks, Recreation, & Leisure CIP 31.0501
- Physical Fitness Technician CIP 31.0507
- Sports Studies CIP 31.0508
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 31.0504 in the survey year used in our extract (16,861 total across levels below).
- 422 Associate (2.5% of IPEDS total)
- 11,853 Bachelor's (70.3% of IPEDS total)
- 4,581 Master's (27.2% of IPEDS total)
- 5 Doctorate (0.0% 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 $64,987. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Sport and Fitness Administration/Management graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | $36,511 | 1,500,000 |
| Secondary School Teachers | $104,813 | 1,072,540 |
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 Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness CIP family (268 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Sport and Fitness Administration/Management graduate.
- $28,390 median federal loan debt among completers
- $54,562 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.93 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 4.0% 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
$40,621 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Sport and Fitness Administration/Management majors is $40,621.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Sport and Fitness Administration/Management majors.
Occupations by Share
1,596,050 2023 Workforce
The number of Sport and Fitness Administration/Management graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.
Age distribution for Sport and Fitness Administration/Management degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
11,853 Total Degrees Awarded
9,004 Male (75.96%)
2,849 Female (24.04%)
Gender distribution of Sport and Fitness Administration/Management degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
7,339 White (61.92%)
1,823 Black or African American (15.38%)
1,197 Hispanic or Latino (10.10%)
480 Two or More Races (4.05%)
159 Asian (1.34%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Sport and Fitness Administration/Management degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Sport and Fitness Administration/Management field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 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 Sport and Fitness Administration/Management majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to apply business, coaching and physical education principles to the organization, administration and management of athletic programs and teams, fitness/rehabilitation facilities and health clubs, sport recreation services, and related services. Includes instruction in program planning and development; business and financial management principles; sales, marketing and recruitment; event promotion, scheduling and management; facilities management; public relations; legal aspects of sports; and applicable health and safety standards
In 2023, 11,853 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.
CIP Code
31.0504 - Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $28,390 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $54,562, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Sport and Fitness Administration/Management graduate.
Men earned 27.6% of 17,472 Sport and Fitness Administration/Management completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $64,987. The largest mapped role by headcount is Teachers, Postsecondary (1,500,000 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $7,979 in-state at public colleges and $35,615 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.