Best Online Associate Degrees in Exercise Science (2026)

• Highest Score66.8 out of 100

  Lowest Price$105 per credit

  Georgia State University

  Kinesiology and Health, Exercise Science Pathway (Associate of Science)

  Georgia · A.S.

  Georgia State University's A.S. Review
• Most FlexibleFully Online, asynchronous, 5- and 10-week terms

  Lionel University

  Associate of Science in Exercise Science

  California · A.S.

  Lionel University's A.S. Review
• Strongest CredentialsCAAHEP accreditation confirmed on the official list; certification preparation stated

  Lake Region State College

  Fitness Trainer Technician (Associate in Applied Science)

  North Dakota · A.A.S.

  Lake Region State College's A.A.S. Review

A program is on this list when it is an associate degree in exercise science, kinesiology, fitness or a close match, delivered online, with tuition per credit and total credits confirmed on the school's own pages.

We order the programs by the six-factor score in our methodology: cost, outcomes, online flexibility, credential alignment, program depth and track record. Many of these degrees are transfer paths, and the score can't tell you whether your target university will accept your credits.

• Associate level, delivered online
• Tuition per credit and total credits confirmed on the school's pages
• Ranked on the six-factor methodology within the associate group

Scores are the weighted sum of six factors (Cost 25%, Outcomes 20%, Online Flexibility 20%, Credential Alignment 15%, Program Depth 10%, Track Record 10%), version 1.0. The methodology page shows the rubric for each factor.

What an Associate Degree in Exercise Science Can Get You

An associate degree in exercise science is a two-year credential, and it opens fewer doors than the name suggests. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says fitness trainers and instructors typically need a high school diploma, and that personal trainers usually must be certified before they start with clients. Median pay was $47,160 in May 2025.

So the degree isn't the gate for personal training. A certification is. Lake Region State College's Fitness Trainer Technician gives you exercise prescription, fitness assessment and an internship, which is real preparation, but you could sit for a trainer exam without it. Decide whether the coursework is worth the tuition before you enroll.

Exercise physiologist jobs ask for more. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education, with a median wage of $59,460 in May 2025. And ACSM asks for a minimum of a bachelor's degree in exercise science, exercise physiology or kinesiology before you can take the ACSM-EP exam. An associate degree gets you partway there.

One more path to rule out. According to BLS, every state requires physical therapist assistants to hold an associate degree from an accredited program, and the median wage was $68,380 in May 2025. None of the 11 programs on this list is a physical therapist assistant program, so check that program's own requirements before you pick a kinesiology associate for that goal.

How to Choose an Online Associate Degree That Transfers

Most programs here are built to transfer, and transfer is where students lose money. A Government Accountability Office study found that students who transferred from 2004 to 2009 lost, on average, an estimated 43 percent of their credits. The heaviest losses in that study came in moves from private for-profit schools to public ones.

So name your bachelor's school first. Georgia Military College lists guaranteed-acceptance agreements with Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Kennesaw State and Mercer. Georgia State's own pathway is designed to feed its Atlanta B.S. in Exercise Science, though the A.S. is what's awarded and the pathway doesn't appear on your diploma. Central Texas College lists a route to Eastern Oregon University's B.S. in Physical Activity & Health.

Then check the science courses. Angelina College's online plan uses BIOL 1408 and 1409, and its own notes say athletic training and physical training programs require BIOL 2401 and 2402. Georgia Military College's plan lists BIO 207 and BIO 208, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II. Ask your target school which course numbers it accepts.

Look at the accreditor too. Georgia State, Angelina, Central Texas and Georgia Military are accredited by SACSCOC, Eastern Iowa and Cochise by the Higher Learning Commission, and Bryan by NWCCU. Lionel is accredited by DEAC, a national accreditor, so get the receiving university's answer in writing before you enroll.

Finally, plan the timing. Central Texas College's catalog says four-year colleges generally accept a maximum of 66 semester credit hours of lower-division coursework, and Blinn asks you to meet an advisor at 30 completed hours to choose a transfer destination. When you're ready for the next step, our degree completion ranking lists transfer-friendly bachelor's programs.

Accreditation Rules That Shape Your Degree Plan

Two credential rules are changing, and both point at the bachelor's degree you'd transfer into, not the associate. ACSM says that effective August 15, 2027, candidates for the ACSM-EP and the ACSM-CEP (ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist) must graduate from an exercise science or exercise physiology program accredited by CAAHEP, or one that has started the accreditation process.

The NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) has a matching rule. From January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates for the CSCS need a bachelor's degree from a program accredited by CASCE, the Collegiate Accreditation for Strength and Conditioning Education.

Lake Region's Fitness Trainer Technician is CAAHEP-accredited, but CAAHEP lists it as a personal fitness training associate program. ACSM's 2027 rule names exercise science and exercise physiology programs. Treat Lake Region's accreditation as a quality signal for personal training, not as a shortcut to the ACSM-EP.

The other 10 associates didn't match CAAHEP or CASCE accreditation lists, and that's normal at this level. The accreditation to ask about belongs to the bachelor's school. Our certification-ready ranking lists those bachelor's programs, and the CAAHEP exercise science page lets you search accredited programs yourself.

Comparing Fitness Trainer Associate Programs

If personal training is your goal, three programs on this list are built around it. Lake Region State College's online rate is $238.65 a credit plus fees, $260.31 all in, and it estimates $14,319 in tuition for 60 credits. Classes are asynchronous with 8-week options, and the final semester includes a 1-credit internship in a community setting, so ask how online students arrange a site.

Bryan University charges by academic year: $14,925 for year one, $14,900 for year two and $2,500 for a partial third year, with books and courseware included. Courses run 8 weeks, two at a time, and one NASM Certified Group Exercise Instructor exam attempt is included in tuition. A fitness kit ships to your home. It's the most expensive associate here, and it's a private for-profit school.

Lionel University lets you pick a 21-credit concentration in strength and conditioning, fitness leadership and management, personal training or wellness. Its degree is 90 quarter credits at $333 each, with 5-week terms and digital textbooks included. Certification courses cost $199 each on top of tuition.

The ACSM Certified Personal Trainer exam costs $410 for non-members and needs no degree, and the NSCA personal trainer exam costs $435. If you only want to train clients, a certification alone costs a fraction of any degree here. Choose a degree when you want the coursework, the internship, or a bachelor's path down the road. Our ranking for personal trainers covers bachelor's and master's programs.