Exercise Science Degree Cost: What Online Programs Charge by Level

The exercise science degree cost for an online program depends mostly on the level. In our data on 168 online programs, the median bachelor’s costs $445 per credit, or $54,240 in total tuition. The median master’s costs $610 per credit and $20,200 in total. An associate degree runs $15,000 and a doctorate $41,745. Residency and fees move those numbers a lot.

How Much Does an Exercise Science Degree Cost?

Here’s the whole picture by degree level. Every rate is the per-credit price an out-of-state online student pays, taken from the school’s own tuition page in September 2026.

Total tuition means the rate times the credits, or the school’s own stated total. It leaves out fees, books and travel.

The master’s total is lower than the bachelor’s even though its rate is higher. It’s a 33-credit degree, not a 120-credit one. And the range is wide. The top bachelor’s rate of $845.68 is almost four times the bottom rate of $220. A median tells you where the middle sits. It doesn’t tell you what you’ll pay.

What Does an Online Bachelor’s in Exercise Science Cost?

A typical online bachelor’s is 120 credits at $445, which works out to about $53,400. Our median total tuition is $54,240, close to that figure because credit counts vary. Only 5 of the 41 bachelor’s programs with a published total come in under $40,000, and 7 cost more than $80,000.

Three of those five cheap totals are partial prices. Bryan University, California Baptist and California State University-Monterey Bay list only the completion portion of the degree, 50 or 60 credits. Two bachelor’s degrees are cheap all the way through.

The University of the Cumberlands’ online bachelor’s in exercise and sport science costs $220 per credit, or $26,400 for 120 credits. Northeastern State’s bachelor’s in health and human performance is $279 per credit, or $33,480.

Public schools aren’t the bargain here. The 24 public bachelor’s programs with a published rate have a median of $486 per credit. The 15 private nonprofit programs have a median of $445, and the 3 for-profit programs $360.

On campus, the pattern runs the other way. NCES reports average tuition and fees for first-time, full-time students at four-year schools in 2022-23 of $9,800 at public institutions and $40,700 at private nonprofits. Online, many public schools charge non-residents a much higher rate, and the gap closes.

At the top end, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s online bachelor’s in human performance lists $845.68 per credit for out-of-state students and $424.82 for Wisconsin residents. Same courses, same diploma, and a $421 difference per credit. Our online bachelor’s in exercise science ranking shows each program’s rate next to its score.

What Does an Online Master’s in Exercise Science Cost?

The median online master’s is 33 credits at $610 per credit, or $20,200. That’s a wide middle. Of the 86 master’s programs with a published total, 13 come in under $15,000, 42 under $20,000 and 11 over $30,000.

At the low end, the University of North Georgia charges $320 per credit for its online MS in kinesiology, which is 30 credits and $9,600 in tuition. UNG marks that rate as tentative and adds mandatory fees on top. Fort Hays State’s MS in health and human performance is $362.73 per credit for 32 credits, or $11,607.

In the middle, Concordia University-Saint Paul’s MS in exercise science is $475 per credit and $15,675 for 33 credits, with no application fee.

At the high end, Merrimack College’s MS in exercise and sport science is $1,180 per credit, or $37,760 for 32 credits. William Paterson’s MS in exercise physiology lists $1,408.50 per credit out of state and $903 in state. At 36 credits that’s $50,706 or $32,508.

Watch the credit count as closely as the rate. Fort Hays says students without a health and human performance background may add up to 18 leveling credits. At $362.73, that’s another $6,529.14. Our online master’s in exercise science ranking lists credits and rates for every program, so you can do this math for each one.

What About Associate and Doctoral Degrees?

Associate degrees are the cheapest way in. The median is 60 credits at $239 per credit, or $15,000. Georgia State’s online associate pathway in kinesiology and health is $105 per credit for every fully online student, so 60 credits come to $6,300. It adds an online learning fee of $195 per semester at 9 or more credits. Four semesters add $780.

Read the unit before you compare. Georgia Military College and Lionel University price in quarter credits, and a quarter credit isn’t worth a semester credit. The most expensive associate degree on our list is Bryan University’s, at about $32,325 for 60 credits. Lionel’s is next, at $333 per quarter credit for 90 credits, or $29,970. See every option in our online associate degree ranking.

Doctorates are the smallest group, with 12 priced programs, and most are applied or post-professional degrees in athletic training and kinesiology. The median total is $41,745.

Old Dominion’s Doctor of Applied Science in Kinesiology is the lowest total at $23,832, from 36 credits at $662. Ohio University’s Doctor of Athletic Training is $593 per credit, or $24,906 for 42 credits. The top is Concordia University-Chicago’s PhD at $775 per credit and $53,475 for 69 credits. The doctorate ranking covers all 12.

What Is the Cheapest Exercise Science Degree?

Here are the lowest-priced programs at each level, sorted by what you’d pay in tuition.

Old Dominion’s rate is higher than Ohio University’s $593, but its 36-credit degree costs less in total than Ohio’s 42-credit one. That’s why we sort by total for this table, and why our cheapest online exercise science degrees ranking sorts each level by rate and shows credits beside it.

Cheapest doesn’t mean best for you. Georgia State’s own page says a pathway “is not a major and will not be represented on the diploma.” UNG requires a C or better in Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Exercise Physiology before you start, and it charges the on-campus rate if you take any course on campus. Read the fine print for each one.

Why Do Residents and Non-Residents Pay Different Rates?

Many public schools keep two prices, even for online courses. In the 9 online bachelor’s programs on our list that publish both, the median is $332 per credit for residents and $728 for everyone else. For the 17 master’s programs that publish both, it’s $386 versus $836.

East Carolina’s online MS in kinesiology shows the gap: $277.06 per credit for North Carolina residents and $1,044.06 for non-residents. Florida Atlantic’s bachelor’s in exercise science and health promotion lists $203.29 for Florida residents and $799.72 for non-residents. That’s $24,394.80 versus $95,966.40 over 120 credits, plus a $30 per-credit distance learning fee. It also requires an internship, so it isn’t fully remote.

Not every school splits its rates. Georgia State, UNG and Cumberlands charge every online student the same rate. Pennsylvania Western is $347 for residents and $354 for others, and Northeastern State is $278 versus $279.

Two moves can help. Ask whether the school has a discounted online rate for non-residents. East Tennessee State’s master’s lists an $835.50 e-rate for out-of-state students who take all their courses online, against $1,513 for other non-residents. And ask whether a waiver exists. William Paterson says qualified out-of-state students can pay the in-state rate through a waiver.

What Costs Come on Top of Tuition?

The per-credit rate is a starting point. These are the extras we found in school pages.

• Fees charged per credit. Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania’s online MS in applied exercise physiology charges $557 in tuition, but its tuition page shows $754 per credit once the technology ($81), academic enhancement ($78) and student services ($38) fees are added. Two of those cap at 9 credits.

• Fees charged per term. The University of West Alabama adds a $120 technology fee each semester to its $429 rate. Abilene Christian charges a $310 resource fee per eight-week session on top of $395 per credit.

• Graduation and registration fees. American Public University System lists $0 for textbooks and applications, but charges $350 to graduate.

• Fees folded in. Cumberlands’ $220 includes tuition, technology fees, books and library access. Bryan University includes books and courseware.

• Onsite requirements. Twenty-nine of the 168 programs require some in-person time. A.T. Still University’s Doctor of Athletic Training has a one-week onsite institute and adds a $44 per credit technology fee, about $2,640 more over 60 credits.

• Certification exams. The ACSM exercise physiologist exam is $460, or $350 for members. The NSCA’s CSCS exam is $475, or $340 for members.

Do Military Members and Veterans Pay Less?

Often. Thirty-eight programs on our list publish a military rate. Across the 13 bachelor’s programs with one, the median military rate is $250 per credit. Across the 22 master’s, it’s $320.

That $250 isn’t a coincidence. It’s the Tuition Assistance rate schools quote, and Abilene Christian, California Baptist and American Public University System all use it. The University of West Alabama’s military benefits page says Tuition Assistance covers up to $250 per credit hour and offers a $329 graduate rate against its standard $429.

Some examples of the savings:

• Pennsylvania Western’s bachelor’s: $250 against $354.
• Concordia-Saint Paul’s master’s: $350 against $475.
• Liberty’s MS in exercise science and wellness: $310 against $600.

For veterans, the VA says the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the maximum level covers “the full cost of public, in-state tuition and fees,” and caps the rates for private schools. Our military-friendly ranking shows which programs state a rate.

How Can You Lower the Cost of an Exercise Science Degree?

Start with credits you already have, then look at who’s paying.

1. Transfer credits. Cumberlands accepts up to 75 percent of a bachelor’s in transfer, and American Public University System accepts up to 90 credits. Of the 18 bachelor’s programs that state a cap, the median is 90 credits.

   Here’s a best-case example: 60 credits from Georgia State at $105 cost $6,300. If all of them transferred, the last 60 credits at Cumberlands’ $220 would add $13,200, for $19,500 total. Get the credit evaluation in writing first. Our degree completion ranking lists 34 transfer-friendly programs.

2. A completion program. Bryan University’s bachelor’s completion costs about $13,550, but it assumes 60 credits block-transferred from Bryan’s own associate degree. The catalog puts that associate at about $32,325, so the full ladder is roughly $45,875.

3. Scholarships and discounts. Concordia-Saint Paul lists $2,000 partnership scholarships for its master’s. Merrimack lists fellowships that cover 33 to 100 percent of tuition.

4. Federal aid. File the FAFSA, the federal aid application. Then ask each school whether your program qualifies.

5. Employer help. If you already work in fitness, healthcare or coaching, ask your employer whether it offers tuition benefits before you enroll.

Does a Cheaper Degree Affect Certification Eligibility?

Yes, it can. Two rule changes make accreditation part of the price comparison. From August 15, 2027, ACSM’s exercise physiologist certifications require a graduate of a CAAHEP-accredited program, or one that has started the process. From January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates for the CSCS need a bachelor’s from a CASCE-accredited program.

Only 9 of our 168 programs hold either accreditation, so the cheapest degree usually isn’t one of them. The bright spot is Northeastern State’s bachelor’s at $279 per credit, which lists CAAHEP accreditation. Confirm the exact option on CAAHEP’s list first.

The CASCE bachelor’s options cost more. Parker University’s is $777 per credit for $93,240 in total, and the University of Missouri’s is $841.70 for $101,004. Our certification-ready ranking and accreditation guide show how to check.

Is an Exercise Science Degree Worth the Cost?

That depends on the job you’re aiming for. BLS counts 8,560 exercise physiologists, with a median wage of $59,460. The 10th percentile earns $42,760 and the 90th earns $80,560. Fitness trainers and group instructors are a much bigger group, 322,930 people, with a median wage of $47,160. Wages are from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Set those beside the price. The median bachelor’s total of $54,240 is close to a year of the median exercise physiologist’s pay. That’s worth sitting with, and it’s why the cheaper bachelor’s programs deserve a hard look.

Personal trainer certifications such as the NSCA-CPT ($300 for members, $435 for non-members) don’t require a degree. If your goal is training clients, price that route too.

A master’s adds a median of $20,200. BLS wage data doesn’t split by degree, so it can’t tell you what that extra year buys. Our salary guide and worth-it guide go deeper.

How We Calculated These Figures

Every rate, credit count and total comes from the school’s own pages, checked in September 2026. Medians are taken across programs, not students, and use the rate an out-of-state online student pays. Totals leave out fees, books and travel.

Programs change prices every year, and some pages don’t label their academic year. Check the school’s tuition page before you budget, and use our program reviews to see the source we used for each.