Best Online Exercise Science Degrees (2026)

The Citadel built this completion degree for transfer students, working professionals and military personnel, with a tactical strength and conditioning course and a 6-credit internship. At $520 a credit, cost scores 4.6. A 75% graduation rate and NSCA recognition lift outcomes to 9.7. You need at least 30 college credits to enter.

Penn Western is a value pick. Tuition is $347 a credit for Pennsylvania residents and $354 for everyone else, with a $250 rate for military and veterans, though fees push the total per credit to $416.90 or $458.90. You can earn NASM personal trainer and specialist certifications while enrolled. With no concentrations or internship, depth is 1.

Southern Miss suits you if fitness and nutrition interest you equally. Coursework is fully asynchronous, out-of-state tuition is waived for fully online programs, and a certification prep course in your last semester readies you for exams such as ACSM, NSCA or ACE. Course fees of $20 to $150 per credit hour add to the $433.59 part-time rate.

Oregon State's ranking rests on outcomes and depth, not price. A 70% graduation rate, an online Honors option with a thesis, and 3 credits of experiential learning outweigh a cost score of 2. Nonresidents pay no extra, but it's a 180 quarter-credit degree at $409 a credit, roughly $73,620 in tuition.

Mississippi State works as a degree-completion route if you already hold an associate degree, since you can transfer up to 60 hours from a community college or up to 86 from a four-year university. Everyone pays the in-state rate: $452 tuition plus a $25 instructional support fee per credit hour. A 67% graduation rate and 243 awards a year drive outcomes to 7.5.

Look here if nutrition and behavior matter as much to you as exercise. This ASU degree combines exercise and nutrition with human behavior and motivation, in 7.5-week classes. It shares the 68% graduation rate and track record of 10 with ASU's kinesiology degree, but at $580 a credit ($69,600 across 120) cost scores 2.4 and no concentrations hold depth to 3.

Arizona's degree leans toward nutrition. Courses cover sports nutrition, metabolic testing, body composition assessment and exercise prescription, taught by nutrition and kinesiology faculty. A 68% graduation rate earns 8.1 on outcomes, and there's no out-of-state tuition. But $525 a credit, or $63,000 across 120, holds cost to 4.4. A required 3-unit internship, which you secure yourself, lifts depth to 3.

Maryville trades price for training. At $575 a credit plus a $475 technology fee each semester, cost scores 2.9. But NSCA recognition, two courses built with the performance company EXOS, and practicum blocks of 120 and 200 supervised hours earn 8 for credentials and 8 for depth. A tactical strength and conditioning course rounds it out.

Missouri's strength and conditioning emphasis carries CASCE accreditation, worth 10 for credentials. That matters because starting January 1, 2030, NSCA-CSCS candidates need a bachelor's from a CASCE-accredited program. A 75% graduation rate helps outcomes, but part-time online tuition is $707.50 per credit, the reason cost scores 0.5.

Arizona State's track record is a 10, built on a 68% graduation rate and 272 awards a year. The online degree shares its curriculum with the campus version, and your diploma doesn't say online. At $580 a credit for 2026-27, cost scores 2.4. An optional 3-credit internship or research course helps if you're building clinical hours.

Franklin's case is speed and transfer. Six-week and 12-week courses start about eight times a year, up to 90 credits transfer, and the school's calculator shows about 20 months with 67 transfer credits. Tuition is $398 a credit, $250 for service members. Read the graduation rate before applying, though: 11% pulls outcomes down to 0.1.

Tarleton lists labs and internships as part of the curriculum, which holds flexibility to 3. Depth lifts it: three concentrations, internships in most, and preparation for the ACSM-EP (exercise physiologist), NSCA-CSCS and ACE exams. Since ACSM-EP candidates need a CAAHEP-accredited degree starting August 15, 2027, check that route first. It awards 263 degrees a year.

University of Saint Mary is a completion program for people who already have an associate degree or all their general education, finishing in about two years. Accelerated 8-week terms start up to five times a year, up to 90 credits transfer, and tuition is $435 a credit. The curriculum blends the approaches of four major certification bodies.

This is the broader sibling of Missouri's strength emphasis. It keeps the 75% graduation rate and the Sport Science Lab with GPS monitoring and force plates, and its coursework lines up with several certification exams, worth 8 for credentials. The same $707.50 part-time credit rate drags cost to 0.5, so it suits you if the lab matters more than price.

Toccoa Falls keeps pricing simple: $400 a credit for 2026-2027 with no additional fees, rising to $410 in 2027-2028. That earns a 7.7 cost score. But the degree has no concentration, and its 72 credits of general education include 30 hours of Bible and Theology. Two required clinical practice courses lift depth to 3. It fits you if a Christian worldview in the degree matters.

Concordia Chicago scores 9 on flexibility with asynchronous 8-week courses and up to 90 transferable credit hours at $440 a credit. Its 4+1 pathway lets graduates finish the Applied Exercise Science MS with one more year of study. A 36% graduation rate holds outcomes to 1.5, and the degree has no concentrations.

Methodist earns a 10 for flexibility: asynchronous 8-week terms, six start dates a year, and up to 93 of 124 credits transferable. The Monarch Momentum pathway also guarantees an admission interview for its physical therapy and occupational therapy doctorates, and the online curriculum includes a lab methods course. Tuition is $445 a credit, about $55,180 in all.

Concordia St. Paul requires an in-person internship (KHS 498) at an approved local site, so flexibility scores 5. In return you get six start dates a year, a 90-credit three-year option at $420 a credit (about $37,800), $250 for active-duty, Guard, Reserve and spouses, and exam preparation for several personal trainer certifications.

Parker's score rests on credential and outcomes, not price. A degree accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE) earns the full 10 for credential alignment, and a 74% graduation rate lifts outcomes to 9.2. But $777 per credit leaves cost at 1.1, and the required practicum or 300-hour internship holds flexibility at 3.

This is a completion degree for transfer students, and the price earns its spot: $550 a unit for every student, in or out of California, across 50 units for about $27,500 in tuition. Eight-week courses and three entry points a year push flexibility to 6. No accreditation or exam alignment means credential scores just 3.

Florida Atlantic does well on track record (8.4) and depth (7), then loses ground on cost. Florida residents pay $203.29 per credit, but the non-resident rate of $799.72 is what we score, so cost lands at 0.8. Four strength and conditioning courses aimed at the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam and a required internship give it substance.

Flexibility is Montreat's strongest factor, at 8. The degree is fully online, courses run eight weeks, and you can start on six dates a year with ACE-verified credit for CLEP, DSST and military training. Everyone pays $445 per credit, military included, which makes $53,400 over 120 credits. A 50% graduation rate and no CAAHEP or CASCE accreditation keep the total in the middle.

Lewis-Clark is the coaching pick among bachelor's programs. The emphasis adds sport administration, facilities and event management, plus a technique course in the sport you choose, and a 6-credit internship is required. At $423 per credit for part-time enrollment, cost scores 7.3. A 40% graduation rate and no accreditation keep the overall score down.

Eastern Oregon spends its points on depth (8) and a fair price of $338 per quarter credit, the same for every online student. You choose a B.A. or B.S. path, and applied anatomy, biomechanics and exercise physiology labs are built into the online program. A 43% graduation rate holds outcomes at 2.4. Tuition comes to $60,840 over 180 quarter credits.

Bryan is a completion program, so the sticker price covers only the last stretch: about $13,550 in tuition if 60 credits transfer from Bryan's personal trainer certificate and associate degree. Building that associate first runs roughly $45,875 in tuition overall. Asynchronous eight-week courses earn flexibility 7, and the school says graduates can sit for the CSCS.

Tarleton's applied degree is written for people who already hold an applied associate degree and don't want to lose credits. Its 9.9 for track record is the highest in this stretch of the table, reflecting how many degrees Tarleton awards each year. Credential scores 3 and depth 1, though credit for prior learning can cover 12 to 45 hours.

Every kinesiology major at Concordia Texas graduates with at least three National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certifications, and that is what drives its depth score of 8. Online tracks are Sports Administration, Fitness Professional and Pre-Health. The rate is $550 per credit, or $350 with the Start Now Scholarship for new online students. A 45% graduation rate holds outcomes at 3.1.

Residency matters at North Carolina Central. In-state online students pay $185 per credit, while the rate we score is $727.67, which leaves cost at 1.3. Lab testing is taught through recorded video demonstrations, so the whole degree stays online. Coursework points toward ACSM-EP (the American College of Sports Medicine's exercise physiologist certification) and the CSCS, lifting credential to 7.

Whitewater's asynchronous format and no-campus rule give flexibility a 7, and its four online minors include Strength and Conditioning. The tradeoff is price. At $845.68 per credit, cost scores 0.1, and Wisconsin residents and non-residents are billed differently. You can finish the 6-credit internship as a distance learner, and a 59% graduation rate lifts outcomes to 6.

United States Sports University charges a flat $650 per credit for everyone, includes books, and asks for no residency. Active military pay $250. Eight- or 16-week courses and up to 90 transferable credits give flexibility an 8. The Allied Health track folds physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training prerequisites into the degree. It has no CAAHEP or CASCE accreditation.

Cameron splits sharply on residency. Oklahoma residents pay $236.50 per credit, while out-of-state students pay $550.50, the figure this list scores. Physiology of Exercise Lab and Exercise Prescription both run online, and the plan includes physical therapist assistant (PTA) prerequisites for Oklahoma programs. A 31% graduation rate holds outcomes at 0.8.

Salem teaches one course a month with rolling monthly starts, about 40 months full-time on average. It's a biology degree with a 15-credit physiology and exercise science concentration, plus chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry and physics, which suits students eyeing physical or occupational therapy school. Rates are $550 per credit for most states and $425 for veterans and active duty. Graduation rate is 20%.

East Central is a bargain if you live in Oklahoma. Residents pay $331.80 per credit, against $668.80 for everyone else, and up to 90 transfer credits can bring the discounted price to $9,954, according to the school. We score the higher rate, so cost is 1.5. Eight-week asynchronous courses and a supervised 4-credit practicum shape the format.

University of the Southwest sits last among online bachelor's programs here, because a 17% graduation rate and no accreditation leave outcomes at 0.3 and credential at 3. What it offers is a science-heavy plan: genetics, cell biology, two chemistry courses and pathophysiology, at $575 per credit. That mix suits clinical exercise physiology interests more than personal training.

This degree blends sport and exercise science with sport business, including entrepreneurship, finance and marketing, so it suits future program directors and gym owners more than lab clinicians. The $470 rate ($250 for military) and monthly starts score well on cost and flexibility, at 8.3 and 9. Depth scores 1, since it lists no concentrations, internship or thesis.

Jacksonville State is a low-cost route if you already hold an exercise science degree. Online tuition is $443 per credit for in-state and out-of-state students alike, or $13,290 for 30 credits before fees. A stackable 12-credit Graduate Certificate in Human Performance can roll into the M.S.Ed., with the GPA minimum waived at a 3.0 certificate GPA. It doesn't lead to teacher certification.

Plattsburgh bills by the semester, not the credit: $5,655 for New York residents and $6,785 for everyone else, plus $618.50 in fees each semester. Because there's no per-credit rate, its cost score sits at the peer median and the rank rests on flexibility and outcomes. Nothing meets on campus or at set login times, and the GRE is optional.

Concordia Chicago's score leans on track record and depth. Its exercise science field reports 202 degree awards, and concentrations run from Exercise Physiology to Sports Nutrition, all designed with the American College of Sports Medicine and other certifying groups. Price is the weaker side, at $575 per credit plus an $18 per credit technology fee, so run the math against public options.

West Alabama earns its 17th place among online master's programs on price and pace. Every graduate student pays $429 per credit, and 8-week asynchronous courses start six times a year, so about one year is realistic. Budget for the $120 technology fee each semester. You choose a thesis or a practicum, and a Strength Training and Conditioning concentration is available.

Florida residents get the best deal here: $385.85 per credit in-state, or $11,575.50 for 30 credits. Everyone else can request an out-of-state waiver that brings the rate to $494.22, but you have to renew it every semester. Those rates include all fees. It's a sports performance and coaching degree, and assignments get adapted to your own coaching or fitness job.

Saint Xavier is here for speed and lab depth. Seven-week terms let you finish the strength and conditioning master's in 12 months, and the Human Performance Lab has force plates, VO2 analysis and velocity-based tools. You'll travel for a two-day onsite session in your last semester. Tuition is $530 per credit, roughly $19,080 for 36 credits.

Commonwealth suits you if you want a research-flavored master's without the GRE. A biology or allied health degree gets you in, no exercise science major needed, and you finish with a practicum or a thesis. In-state tuition is $557 per credit and out-of-state is $613, before fees. The program reports a 100% certification exam pass rate for 2025-26.

Trevecca fits you if you'd like to run a facility or open a practice. A 9-credit MBA-level entrepreneurship track is built into the degree, you take one course at a time with a cohort, and lab materials arrive at your home. Tuition is $563 per credit, $20,268 for 36 credits. Trevecca's own estimate with course fees and books is $23,818.

Lionel's score comes from outcomes, at a school with a 67% graduation rate. Credits are quarter credits, so you need 45 of them at $440 for $19,800 in tuition, taken in 10-week online courses. Only 5 credits can transfer, and a $500 research fee applies. You pick from strength and conditioning, fitness leadership or wellness, and there's no GRE.

Concordia Irvine is a coaching-first degree with an NSCA angle. MSCE 586 Advanced Strength, Speed, and Conditioning earns graduate credit while you prepare for the CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) exam. Four 11-week asynchronous terms a year let you start in any of them and finish in about 15 months. Tuition is $610 per unit, $21,960 for 36 units.

Merrimack is the priciest program in this group, and it earns its rank on outcomes. At $1,180 per credit, the 32-credit exercise science concentration comes to $37,760. In return you get a 70% graduation rate, an NSCA-recognized strength and conditioning concentration, a success coach, and fellowships covering 33% to 100% of tuition. You can mix online and campus courses.

California Baptist offers a 12-month full-time master's with asynchronous courses and a virtual lab for fitness testing. It holds the NSCA Education Recognition Program seal, and the curriculum prepares you for the CSCS exam. At $737 per unit, 30 units come to $22,110 before fees. You'll need Exercise Physiology completed with a C or better and a $45 application fee.

UTRGV is the low-cost pick if you're already teaching. It's designed for current educators, with 7-week courses, 36 credits at $444.44 (about $16,000 total) and as little as 12 months to finish. Its score rests on price and pace rather than certification alignment. Electives like KINE 6306 cover resistance and cardiovascular programming for personal training and coaching.

North Dakota charges one online rate whether you live in the state or not, which matters if you're out of state. Mandatory fees cap at $955.08 per semester at 12 or more credits. Depth drives the score: thesis, non-thesis and Professional Science Master's options, plus a course on gas-analyzed exercise testing. Classes are asynchronous but not self-paced, and it takes about two years.

Ole Miss charges in-state rates for online graduate courses regardless of where you live, which helps if you're out of state. Its outcomes score comes from a 72% graduation rate. You pick Applied Physiology, Biomechanics or Human Performance, with a thesis or non-thesis finish. Assistantships aren't open to online students, and a 3.0 undergraduate GPA lets you skip the GRE.

Cincinnati's score is built on outcomes, with a 75% graduation rate. Everything is asynchronous, with spring, summer and fall starts, and the curriculum prepares you for the NSCA CSCS and CPSS exams and can help meet ACSM-EP (exercise physiologist) and ACSM-CEP requirements. Per credit you pay $746 as an Ohio resident or $761 from anywhere else. No GRE is required.

Parker has the widest credential coverage in this group. It's accredited by CASCE (Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education), and the school lists the program as eligible for the ACSM-EP, ACSM-CEP and NSCA-CSCS exams among others. Tuition is $871 per credit, or $250 for active military. The optional 300-hour internship happens in person, at a facility anywhere in the country.

University of Mary earns its place through credentials. The strength and conditioning concentration is accredited by CASCE (Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education), and the school reports that 38 of 38 test-takers passed the CSCS exam over three years. Ten optional concentrations add range. Tuition is $670 per credit plus a $55 distance fee per credit, and the parent degree has a short residency in year two.

Central Missouri is a lab-heavy public option that ends in a thesis or an internship. The program page names motion capture, force plates, a metabolic cart, DEXA and BodPod, plus a partnership with UCM Athletics to work with NCAA athletes. Tuition is $450 per credit, $13,500 for 30 credits, and the school's own estimate with fees is $15,120. Plan on 18 to 24 months.

Cumberlands is here on price: $355 per credit with books and fees included, or $315 if you're active military or a veteran. Thirty credits comes to $10,650, and you can transfer in up to half the degree. Choose Health and Fitness Promotion or Coaching and Fitness Leadership. The trade-off is a 50% graduation rate, which holds its outcomes score down.

Troy rates 9 for depth, with Sport Psychology and Coaching concentrations and an internship that puts you with athletes and teams. The program is fully online, and flexibility scores 7. You'd pay $475 a credit, $14,250 for 30 credits, in 9-week terms with five starts a year. Military-affiliated students can use TROY for Troops.

Saint Paul is built around a single goal, a strength and conditioning master's you can finish around a job. You get 8-week asynchronous courses in a cohort, no GRE and no placement to arrange, aimed at the CSCS exam. Tuition is $475 per credit, $15,675 in all, or $350 per credit for active-duty, Guard, Reserve and spouses. It has no concentrations, which keeps depth low.

River Falls puts a supervised internship in cardiac or pulmonary rehab inside the clinical exercise physiology degree. Coursework is asynchronous, with one on-campus lab weekend each semester. The program reports a 93% graduation rate and 93% job placement, and describes graduates as ready to sit for the ACSM-CEP (clinical exercise physiologist) exam. Tuition is $567 per credit regardless of residency.

Fort Hays is the budget pick from Kansas: $362.73 per credit, tuition and fees included, which comes to $11,607.36 for 32 credits. You build your own concentration from electives like Physiology of Aging. At 6 credits a semester it takes 3 to 4 years, so it fits a full-time job better than a fast finish. Without an HHP degree, up to 18 leveling credits get added.

LSU charges a flat $644 per credit with no out-of-state surcharge, so your residency doesn't change the bill. The total is $23,184 for 36 credits. Its score rides on a 69% graduation rate. Classes have no set meeting or login times. Bring a GRE target of 295 or qualify for the waiver, such as a 3.0 GPA in your last 60 undergraduate hours.

Calvin's score is powered by outcomes, with a 74% graduation rate. Two concentrations, Health and Exercise Rehabilitation and Performance and Sport Science, prepare you for three NSCA credentials. A stackable cardiac rehab certificate, estimated at $5,760, can be your first step. At $720 per credit it's not cheap, textbooks cost extra, and a Reformed Christian perspective runs through the courses.

Lander sits 40th because credentials (7) and depth (9) do the heavy lifting. The Sport Performance and Rehabilitation concentration points to the NSCA-CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), and non-thesis students can sit an approved exam like the ACSM-CEP (clinical exercise physiologist) instead of a comprehensive exam. Tuition is a flat $545 a credit, $19,620 for 36 credits. A 50% graduation rate holds outcomes to 3.8.

Hardin-Simmons pairs a $595 flat online rate with 8-week sessions, so you can finish in as little as a year. The Exercise Science and Human Performance concentration is recognized by the NSCA Education Recognition Program, and three other tracks pull you toward coaching or sport administration. Expect an interview with the program director and a comprehensive exam that needs 80% or higher.

Louisiana Monroe is a sport management degree at heart, and it ranks 42nd because you choose between a 400-hour internship and a thesis. The $500 online rate covers tuition and mandated fees, so the price is easier to predict than at schools that add fees on top. There's no GRE, and regular admission needs a 2.5 GPA. Without a related bachelor's, you must earn a B or higher in your first 12 hours.

Lebanon Valley is on this list for its CAAHEP accreditation. ACSM-CEP candidates must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program (or one in the process) starting Aug 15, 2027. Price is $789 per credit, about $26,037 for 33 credits. You'll travel to Annville, Pennsylvania for three residency weekends and complete a 600-hour in-person clinical internship.