Best Online Exercise Physiology Degrees (2026)

• Top Master's79.2 out of 100

  University of Florida

  Online Master of Science in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology (Human Performance concentration)

  Florida · M.S.

  University of Florida's M.S. Review
• Top Bachelor's47.8 out of 100

  Florida Atlantic University

  Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Health Promotion

  Florida · B.S.

  Florida Atlantic University's B.S. Review
• Top Doctorate67.5 out of 100

  University of North Dakota

  Kinesiology (Ph.D.)

  North Dakota · Ph.D.

  University of North Dakota's Ph.D. Review

A program qualifies when exercise physiology or clinical exercise physiology appears in its title or a concentration, and you can take it online. We checked each one against CAAHEP's public list on Sept. 29, 2026 and show that status as a plain fact.

Inside each degree level, programs are ordered by the six-factor score in our methodology: cost, outcomes, online flexibility, credential alignment, program depth and track record.

• Exercise physiology or clinical exercise physiology in the program title or concentration
• CAAHEP status checked against the CAAHEP list for each program
• Ranked within each degree level on the shared methodology

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 Counts as an Online Exercise Physiology Degree

Exercise physiology is mostly a master's-level field online. Nineteen of the 24 programs here are master's degrees, and CAAHEP accredits exercise physiology at that level, labeling programs Clinical or Applied. Degrees named Clinical Exercise Physiology, such as Mary's and Tiffin's, point toward cardiac and pulmonary rehab. Our clinical exercise physiology master's ranking narrows the list to those.

Read the concentration line carefully. The University of Texas Permian Basin offers a kinesiology master's with an exercise physiology track that includes courses in 12-lead EKG and graded exercise stress testing. Franklin's exercise science master's has a clinical exercise physiology specialization. Logan's sports science master's has an exercise physiology concentration and says it isn't an athletic training degree.

East Carolina is the one to check first. Its online kinesiology master's lists only a physical education pedagogy concentration, and the exercise physiology concentration is taught on campus. Ask which courses you'd take online before you count it.

Florida Atlantic's bachelor's has an exercise physiology concentration, but its 120 credits include a required internship with two athletic populations. The four doctorates are research degrees with exercise physiology emphases. The three with published rates run from $42,090 at Concordia University-Saint Paul's EdD to $53,475 at Concordia University-Chicago's PhD. Our online doctorate ranking compares them with other doctoral options.

How ACSM's August 2027 CAAHEP Rule Affects Your Choice

ACSM says that from Aug. 15, 2027, candidates for the ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program, or one that has started accreditation through a formal inquiry or a Request for Accreditation Services. For the clinical credential, that means a master's from a CAAHEP-accredited exercise physiology program plus 600 hours of hands-on clinical experience.

On CAAHEP's public list, Mary and Commonwealth show continuing accreditation and Lebanon Valley shows initial accreditation. Commonwealth's own program page doesn't name CAAHEP, so confirm it with the school. Franklin's and Lander's exercise science master's and Logan's exercise physiology concentration show a Letter of Review, which isn't accreditation. Florida, Aurora, Wisconsin-River Falls, Connecticut, Grand Canyon, Tiffin and Walsh don't appear on the list.

Not being on the list isn't the end of the road. ACSM says graduates on or after Aug. 15, 2027 may be eligible under a temporary exemption through Aug. 14, 2029. You'd submit transcripts, course descriptions and a signed attestation from your program director. ACSM also expects formal preparation in clinical exercise testing and prescription, advanced exercise physiology, and clinical exercise physiology and pathophysiology, and it can ask for syllabi.

So ask each program three questions. Is it accredited or in process? Will the director sign that attestation in writing? Do the syllabi cover those three areas? Walsh's page cites ASEP accreditation, a different body, and ACSM says only that its board may consider equivalent accreditation. Our certification-ready ranking covers both accreditation rules.

Clinical Hours, Residency Weekends and Internships Online

Online coursework doesn't replace hands-on hours. Lebanon Valley runs about a year of coursework, then a 600-hour internship in a cardiopulmonary or rehabilitation program, plus three residency weekends in Annville, Pennsylvania. Grand Canyon builds 600 practicum hours into two courses, EXS-690 and EXS-695, on 8-week terms.

Mary is blended: a one-week lab at its Bismarck campus each semester over 2 years, with one start a year in the fall. Wisconsin-River Falls asks for one lab weekend per semester and a supervised internship in cardiac or pulmonary rehab at a regional hospital or rehabilitation center. It has 3 starts a year, and you can finish in as little as 12 to 16 months.

Other internships are lighter. Tiffin requires 150 hours, and you can do them at your current place of employment. Logan requires 90 hours in the final trimester at a site you choose. Aurora requires a 3-credit exercise physiology internship, and Lander's non-thesis track takes a 3 to 6 credit internship. Franklin arranges a clinical internship with industry professionals, though availability depends on your state.

If your goal is the ACSM-CEP, compare each program's hours with the 600 ACSM asks for at the master's level. Ask in writing whether the school's internship hours count toward it. A short internship may leave you arranging more hours yourself.

What a Master's in Exercise Physiology Costs Against What the Job Pays

The BLS wage survey reports a May 2025 median of $59,460 a year for exercise physiologists, or $28.59 an hour. The 10th percentile earns $42,760 and the 90th earns $80,560. Only 8,560 people held the job in the data, so it's a small occupation, not a mass-hiring one. O*NET projects much faster than average growth from 2024 to 2034 and lists 1,700 projected openings.

Pay changes by state. Washington's median is $81,310 across 160 jobs, and Minnesota's is $67,230. California and Pennsylvania each employ 640 exercise physiologists, at medians of $62,440 and $48,040. BLS leaves out states with too few workers, so 42 states report.

Against that pay, a master's like Aurora's at $16,950 or Lebanon Valley's at $26,037 is a real decision. The degree doesn't set your salary, and this survey doesn't split pay by education. Our exercise physiologist salary page and career guide go further.