Best Online Exercise Science Degrees for Athletes (2026)

• Top Bachelor's56.3 out of 100

  University of Arizona

  Nutrition & Human Performance (BS)

  Arizona · B.S.

  University of Arizona's B.S. Review
• 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

A program lands here when its own pages say it fits student athletes or former athletes, or say you'll work with athletes and train them. We quote that reason on each program review. Some programs say it outright, like University of Mary's student testimonial recommending the degree to student-athletes. Others describe sport performance coursework.

Within each level, programs follow the six-factor score in our methodology. None of them promises anything about athletic eligibility, so you'll need to check that yourself.

• A stated athlete audience on the program page
• Format and term length noted for each program
• Ranked on the shared six-factor 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.

Fitting Classes Around Training, Travel and Games

Start with the calendar, because that's where athletes lose the most time. Of the 19 programs, 11 are fully online and 8 need some time in person. Seven state that coursework is asynchronous, which means you can log in from a hotel room on the road. The University of Florida records its live sessions, and Liberty sets no login times.

Term length matters as much as format. Liberty runs 8-week courses with 8 starts a year, and Parker's terms last 7.5 weeks, so a missed season doesn't cost you a whole semester. Missouri, Florida Atlantic, Central Missouri, Wisconsin-River Falls and Texas Permian Basin use 16-week semesters. Those hold your attention longer but start fewer times a year.

The in-person pieces are the real trap. Liberty requires two week-long intensives in Lynchburg, Virginia, and Wisconsin-River Falls requires three weekends on campus. Lindenwood needs at least one weekend per semester for two hybrid courses.

Hardin-Simmons lists six week-long lab intensives in Abilene, five in year one, including August, October and December in 2026, and one in early year two, then puts you into full-time clinical work in year two. Compare those dates to your own schedule before applying.

Internships deserve the same scrutiny. Florida Atlantic's bachelor's and master's both require an in-person internship with at least two distinct athletic populations. Parker's optional strength and conditioning track adds a 300-hour, full-time internship in your final semester, and you can't easily work another job during it. Franklin makes you arrange your own internship site.

Strength Coach or Athletic Trainer? Pick the Credential First

Athletes often assume every sports degree leads to the same job. It doesn't. Strength and conditioning coaches and athletic trainers follow different credentials, and the degree you choose has to match one of them.

For strength coaching, the NSCA's CSCS currently asks for a bachelor's degree and CPR/AED certification. From January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates need a bachelor's from a CASCE-accredited program. Only Missouri's strength and conditioning bachelor's on this list has it. Mary's and Parker's master's programs carry CASCE too, but the rule is written about the bachelor's. Be aware the exam is hard: 41% of 2024 candidates passed both sections.

College and pro jobs have their own credential. The CSCCa's SCCC combines a 640-hour practicum with a written exam and a practical exam before a panel of master coaches. You can sit for it as a student preparing to become a full-time collegiate or professional coach. The CSCCa also says a rule effective August 1, 2015 requires full-time Division I strength coaches to hold an accredited certification.

Wisconsin-River Falls curates a 6-credit internship in places like NCAA strength and conditioning positions, and it pays for your CSCS exam.

Athletic training is a separate road. The BOC says you must complete an entry-level program accredited by CAATE and pass its exam, and certification doesn't guarantee a state license. An exercise science bachelor's alone won't qualify you.

Hardin-Simmons is the only program on this list that does. It runs 77 credits over 24 months, takes one start a year with a cohort of 16, and its faculty have NCAA Division I and III experience.

Athletic trainers earned a median $62,520 in BLS May 2025 data, and coaches and scouts earned $47,320.

Finishing a Degree After Your Playing Days End

If your eligibility ran out before your degree did, the NCAA addresses it. The NCAA's core guarantees say Division I schools that provide athletics aid must support eligible former student-athletes seeking to complete a first undergraduate degree. At a minimum that can cover tuition, fees and course materials. Ask the athletics administration, academic support or compliance office whether it pays for an online degree at another school.

That help covers a first undergraduate degree, which makes the four bachelor's options here the relevant ones. Missouri's degree is 120 credits, and a typical transfer student needs about 57 to 60 of them, so bring every credit you earned. United States Sports University accepts up to 90 transfer credits. Arizona's is $525 a credit with no out-of-state tuition, $63,000 across 120 credits. Its focus is nutrition and human performance.

Master's admissions vary more than the marketing suggests. The University of Florida takes a bachelor's in any major with a 3.0 upper-division GPA. Franklin lists no program prerequisites. Central Missouri, Sam Houston State and Lindenwood expect a related degree, and Parker requires prerequisite courses with labs. Seven master's programs state the GRE isn't required: Florida, Liberty, Wisconsin-River Falls, Texas Permian Basin, Avila, Franklin and Hardin-Simmons.

Check the price too. Florida Atlantic's master's is $371.82 a credit for Florida residents and $1,125.06 for non-residents. Central Missouri's page estimates $15,120 for 30 credits with fees.

Sport Coursework That Sets These Programs Apart

Anyone can put "athletes" on a web page. The better test is what you'd actually study. Avila's master's includes KN 639 Advanced Sport Psychology, KN 627 Evidence-Based Recovery for Performance and a mental performance course. The University of Florida offers a Sport Psychology and Elite Human Performance concentration and one in Integrative Strength and Conditioning Science, so you can choose your direction in the same degree.

Some programs fit an athlete's own history. Missouri's bachelor's includes SP_SCI 3630 The Female Performance Blueprint. Central Missouri lists Monitoring Athlete Training and Performance and Sport Performance Analytics. Liberty's master's has EXSC 541 Advanced Speed and Agility. Arizona's bachelor's includes NSC 415 Advanced Sports Nutrition, and Concordia University-Chicago offers concentrations in sports performance training and sports nutrition. The University of the Southwest even includes KES 5033 Issues in Sports Law.

The flip side is worth knowing. A sport focus doesn't equal accreditation, and several programs here name no credential at all. Each program review lists what its school says about certification prep, so read that before assuming a degree gets you into an exam.