Best Online Master's in Exercise Science (2026)

Depth is the low factor here, a 1, because the curriculum splits between sport science and sports business. What keeps it in the top dozen is access: monthly starts, no entrance exam, no campus visits, and $470 per credit that falls to $250 for military students. The business half is the point if you want to run your own training operation.

Jacksonville State scores on price and credential. At $443 per credit, the same online rate for in-state and out-of-state students, cost rates 8.9, and credential comes in at 7 with exercise physiologist and strength coach certifications listed. Depth is 3. You need an exercise science or closely related degree to apply, so it fits people who already have the undergraduate base.

SUNY Plattsburgh prices by the semester, not the credit: $5,655 for New York residents and $6,785 for online students elsewhere, plus $618.50 in fees. That flat structure is why cost scores 5. Outcomes rate 7.2 and credential 7, and rolling admission with no set login times makes it easy to fit around work. Depth is 5.

Five concentrations designed with ACSM, NASM, ISSN and NSCA give this program a 9 for depth and a 10 for track fit. Tuition is $575 per credit plus an $18 per-credit technology fee, so cost scores 6.3. Outcomes rate 0.9, which holds it at sixteenth. It's the broadest menu of concentrations in this stretch of the list.

Cost and flexibility drive UWA's score, 9.1 and 10. It charges $429 per credit, offers six start dates a year, and most students finish in about a year. Military Connect Scholarship students pay $329. Outcomes are the drag at 0.7 and credential is 3, which is why it sits seventeenth despite being easy to work around.

UWF's score leans on price for out-of-state students. Florida residents pay $385.85 per credit, and everyone else pays $494.22 with the online waiver, fees included, if they request it each semester. Outcomes rate 7.2, but credential is 3 and flexibility 6 with 16-week courses. The sports performance and coaching specialization holds track fit to 4.7.

Saint Xavier gets a depth score of 8 for its Human Performance Lab, with GPS tracking, force plates and velocity-based technology, and a 7 for credential. Flexibility is 4 because the last semester includes a two-day onsite lab session. At $530 per credit and 36 credits, tuition is $19,080, and the accelerated option keeps time to degree at 12 months.

The match with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) list drives Commonwealth's 8 for credential, and its 9 for depth reflects electives in ECG, exercise testing and cardiac rehabilitation. Cost is the weak factor at 4.9: $557 per credit in-state and $613 out of state, before fees. Graduate assistantships and a 12 to 18 month timeline soften that.

Trevecca scores 8 for depth and 7 for credential, helped by lab materials shipped to your home and nine credits of built-in business coursework. You take one course at a time in a cohort over 18 months. At $563 per credit cost is 6.7 and outcomes 4.8. The cohort pace is what separates it from the self-paced programs nearby.

Cost is Lionel's lowest factor, 3.9, though that comes from quarter credits. Forty-five credits at $440 each total $19,800 with digital textbooks included, so compare totals, not per-credit rates. Outcomes score 9 and credential 8, and there's no travel. Three 20-credit concentrations give you a choice of strength, fitness leadership or wellness.

Flexibility earns Concordia Irvine an 8: four 11-week terms a year, a start in any term, asynchronous courses and no campus requirement. Credential is 7 through its work with the NSCA on the strength and conditioning specialist exam. At $610 per unit for 36 units, cost sits at 5.1, and depth is 3 because the degree ends in a portfolio.

Merrimack's score is a trade. Cost is 0.3 at $1,180 per credit, or $37,760 for the Exercise Science concentration. In return outcomes rate 9.3 and credential 8, with a choice of online or campus for each course. Fellowships that cover a third up to all of tuition are the way to bring the price down.

California Baptist earns an 8.1 for outcomes and an 8 for credential, mostly on its NSCA education recognition seal and preparation for the CSCS exam. Cost is the drag at 2.4, since $737 per unit across 30 units comes to $22,110 before fees. Flexibility is 7, with asynchronous courses and a virtual fitness testing lab, so there's no travel.

UTRGV scores on price and pace: $444.44 per credit, about $16,000 in all, in 7-week accelerated courses that can finish in 12 months. Cost is 8.8 and flexibility 7. Depth is 5 and credential 3 because the concentration is physical education, written for teachers and coaches. That's why it ranks below the more science-driven programs.

UND's score rests on depth, 9, and outcomes, 7.6. Online students pay one rate whatever their residency, and you can choose thesis, non-thesis or a Professional Science Master's option at a Carnegie R1 university. Credential scores 3 and track fit 2.4 because it's a broad kinesiology degree. Cost scores 5.8 at $586.22 a credit. Expect about two years.

Ole Miss earns its place through outcomes, not price. Online graduate courses are charged at in-state rates whatever your residency, so out-of-state students aren't penalized. You pick Applied Physiology, Biomechanics or Human Performance across 31 credits, with a thesis or non-thesis path. Admission asks for a 3.0 GPA, and the GRE only comes in below that. Assistantships aren't open to online students.

Cincinnati's outcomes score of 9.7 is why it ranks 29th despite a cost factor of 2.1. Tuition is $746 per credit for Ohio residents and $761 for everyone else, so 30 credits cost $22,830 out of state. Credential rates 7 from certification prep. It's asynchronous, with starts in spring, summer and fall.

Parker scores 10 for credential and 9.6 for outcomes on its CASCE-accredited curriculum, but cost is 1.3 at $871 per credit and flexibility is 4. Coursework is online in 7.5-week terms, while the optional internship track is 300 in-person hours at a facility anywhere in the country. The $250 military rate is the one price exception.

Credential is a 10 here because the Strength and Conditioning concentration is accredited by CASCE, and outcomes score 9. Flexibility is only 3: a campus residency in Bismarck in year two and about two years to finish. At $670 per credit plus a $55 per-credit distance fee, cost rates 3.7. Ten concentrations include leadership and business options.

Depth carries this one past cheaper but thinner programs. You finish with a thesis or an internship, and the program page names motion capture, force plates, a metabolic cart, DEXA and BodPod, plus work with UCM Athletics. Tuition is $450 per credit across 30 credits. Expect a 2.75 GPA requirement and possible prerequisites if your degree is in another field.

Price is what earns Cumberlands its spot on the master's list. At $355 per credit for 30 credits, tuition comes to $10,650, and the rate includes books and fees. Active military and veterans pay $315. You choose between Health and Fitness Promotion and Coaching and Fitness Leadership. No exam prep or programmatic accreditation is stated, so it suits a general degree.

Troy is the one to check for sport psychology or coaching. Nine-week terms and five starts a year keep the wait short, and the 30 credits include 9 core, 18 concentration and a 3-credit internship. Tuition is $475 per credit, $14,250 total. The internship has you working with athletes and teams, so line up a placement early.

Flexibility and credential fit lift this one. Courses run eight weeks, asynchronously, in a cohort with no clinical placement, and the school prepares you for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam. Total tuition is $15,675 at $475 per credit, or $350 for military. Depth is thin, though, with a capstone and no concentrations.

For clinical work, this is a lower-priced route than most. UW-River Falls charges $567 per credit whatever your residency, and the 34 credits include a supervised internship in cardiac or pulmonary rehab. Graduates are ready to sit for the ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP) exam. One on-campus lab weekend each semester costs it some flexibility points.

Fort Hays lands high on price. At $362.73 per credit for 32 credits, tuition is $11,607.36, the same as the on-campus resident rate. Most online students take six credits a term, summers included, so plan on three to four years. Without an HHP background, leveling courses can add up to 18 credits. Electives cover aging and exercise for older adults.

LSU trades price for outcomes. At $644 per credit, 36 credits brings tuition and fees to $23,184, well above the cheapest programs. In return you get a flagship school's graduation record, asynchronous courses with no set login times, and a flat rate with no out-of-state surcharge. The GRE is waived if you earned a 3.0 in your last 60 undergraduate hours.

Calvin's price is high at $720 per credit, so its score rests on outcomes and depth. Its graduation rate is among the strongest in the master's group. You pick Health and Exercise Rehabilitation or Performance and Sport Science, or take both, and the coursework points toward three NSCA credentials. A three-course cardiac rehab certificate, about $5,760, can serve as your first step.

Lander lets a certification stand in for the final exam. Non-thesis students can sit for the ACSM-CEP or the NSCA's CSCS exam instead of a comprehensive exam. You pick Sport Performance and Rehabilitation or Clinical Exercise Physiology, and the rate is $545 per credit for in-state and out-of-state students alike. That's $19,620 for 36 credits.

Hardin-Simmons scores well for strength coaches. Its Exercise Science and Human Performance concentration is recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and it prepares you for the CSCS exam. Eight-week sessions let you finish in as little as a year. Tuition is $595 per credit, or $17,850 for 30 credits, and admission includes an interview with the program director.

ULM is worth a look if your interest is sport management rather than lab science. Its exercise science degree carries a Sport Management concentration, and the $500 per credit rate includes mandated fees. No GRE is required, and regular admission needs a 2.5 GPA. If your degree isn't in a related field, you must earn a B or better in your first 12 hours.

Lebanon Valley is on this list for its credential. Starting August 15, 2027, candidates for the ACSM-CEP exam must graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), and this one is. Expect $26,037 for 33 credits, three residency weekends in Annville and a 600-hour in-person internship. No GRE is required.

King's College fits sport science more than general exercise science. The 12 courses run in seven-week blocks, fully asynchronous, and align with the NSCA's Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) credential. Two digital project courses have you build a mobile app and a web dashboard. Plan on $27,540 for 36 credits, and on earning your CSCS by year two if you don't hold it.

Colby-Sawyer will consider a bachelor's in any field, as long as you've completed Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs. That makes it a practical option for career changers. You choose an Applied Exercise Science or Strength and Conditioning track, and you can add an optional nine-month fellowship working with teams. Tuition is $685 per credit for 32 credits.

This program pays for your CSCS exam, and a six-credit internship places you in settings like NCAA strength programs or private training centers. At $540 per credit, 33 credits comes to $17,820, and the GRE isn't required. Three in-person weekends of hands-on gym training keep its flexibility score modest, but they're what make the coursework practical.

Mary earns its score from accreditation and results, not convenience. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), and the school reports an 80% cumulative ACSM-CEP pass rate for 2015 through 2025. You'll spend a week on campus in Bismarck each semester and pay $670 per credit plus a $55 per-credit technology fee.

Coaches get a straight path here. Everything is asynchronous with no campus visits, and you can start October 12, 2026 or January 11, 2027. Thirty-three credits at $450 each comes to $14,850 before fees. It has no thesis or internship, only a professional seminar with a development plan, so depth is limited, but the price and pacing are what put it on the list.

Maryville pairs no GRE with three start dates a year, January, May and August, so you're rarely waiting long. Courses are asynchronous, and the 33 credits split into four core, four elective and three theory and application courses. Tuition is $625 per credit, or $20,625, plus a $775 technology fee each semester. There's no concentration or field experience.

Sam Houston State earns a top depth mark for research: four equipped labs on campus, an optional 200 to 400 hour internship, and a thesis you can finish remotely with outside supervision. Pricing works by the course, at $1,675.55 for three hours for Texas residents and $2,890.55 for non-residents, plus a $101 per credit hour distance fee. You'll need a 3.0 GPA.

UConn sits at the high end of the price range, at $925 per credit and $27,750 for 30 credits, the same for residents and non-residents. What you pay for is a curriculum shaped by Dr. Linda Pescatello, senior editor of ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, and a strong graduation record. A 12-credit online certificate can count toward the degree.

Southern Miss is built for coaches, with strength and conditioning training, applied physiology for sport, and a choice of practicum or thesis. It holds accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE), which lifts its credential score. Out-of-state tuition is waived online, so you pay $578.12 per credit part-time. The GRE isn't required.

United States Sports University gives you three ways to finish: a thesis, a six-hour hands-on experiential option, or a non-thesis track with three electives. Flat pricing of $640 per credit applies to everyone, so 33 credits comes to $21,120, or $575 per credit for active military. You can finish in as little as 15 months and transfer in up to 15 graduate credits.

Corban suits you if you want a Christ-centered master's, since admission requires a profession of faith. Two 8-week courses run per session, and you can finish in 12 months. A two-course corrective exercise sequence lines up with the NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist credential. Tuition is $750 per credit, $27,000 total, with discounts for military, alumni and church partners. The program launched in Fall 2026.

At $945 per credit and $31,185 for 33 credits, Canisius costs more than most programs on this list, so the case for it is depth. You take electrocardiography and clinical stress testing courses, then a 120-hour internship at a site you arrange. Sites include the Buffalo Bills and Roswell Park Cancer Institute. It also prepares you for four NASM specializations and the CSCS.

Northeastern State is the budget pick. Oklahoma residents pay $342.50 per credit and non-residents $343.50, which puts 36 credits at about $12,366. The tradeoff is scope. It's a broad health and sport science master's with four options, and only Exercise Rehabilitation is really exercise science. Admission needs a 2.5 GPA, or a GRE or MAT score above the 25th percentile.

North Georgia is among the lowest-priced programs on the list. At $320 per credit for 30 credits, tuition totals $9,600 before mandatory fees, and in-state, out-of-state and out-of-country students pay the same. You can enroll any semester. The GRE score of 301 is waived with a 3.0 GPA or any master's degree, but the prerequisite list is long.

Six-week courses taken one at a time, at $629 a credit across 36 credits, keep tuition near $22,644. Its 51.9 score (rank 58 of 99) leans on flexibility and on ACSM-CEP alignment, the American College of Sports Medicine's clinical exercise physiologist credential. Know that the program page describes learning one night a week, on campus or online, so plan for a weekly class night.

Concordia's exercise science degree is the broader sibling of its strength and conditioning master's, adding clinical, wellness and research topics, including a Clinical Exercise Assessment course. Starts come in January, May and September. If you want a doctorate later, the school says up to 24 credits may transfer toward its online PhD or EdD in Kinesiology. Military pay $350 per credit.

Lindenwood leans on hands-on training. Two hybrid courses, Advanced Strength Training and Advanced Exercise Testing and Prescription, bring you to campus for at least one weekend per semester. The coursework follows the content domains of the CSCS exam, and you finish with a thesis or an internship plus comprehensive exam. Active-duty military pay $250 per credit through scholarship.

Lenoir-Rhyne keeps things flexible: no cohort, three starts a year, and full-time or part-time pacing from anywhere. At $550 per credit and 33 credits, tuition is $18,150, before fees and books. You finish with a practicum final project or a thesis. The curriculum is described as preparing you for ACSM, NSCA or NASM certification, and anatomy and physiology I and II are required.

Montreat charges a flat $630 per credit for 30 credits, and military students pay the same $630, so there's no service discount to chase. Eight-week terms and a capstone you choose (exam, project or thesis) lift flexibility to 8, while no certification prep is stated. That's how it lands at 49.8, rank 62 of 99. Budget $250 a semester in student fees.

This is an entry-level athletic training master's, not a general exercise science degree. At $415 a credit for 56 credits (about $23,240), cost scores 9.3 out of 10, and CAATE accreditation earns a credential score of 9. The catch is year one on campus for labs and clinicals, before a fully online year two. Score 49.3, rank 63 of 99.

Floridians pay $371.82 a credit here and everyone else pays $1,125.06, which is why cost drags this program to 49.3 (rank 64 of 99) despite an outcomes score of 8.2 and a depth score of 10. Online sections add $30 a credit. It fits a resident who wants NSCA-CSCS prep and can complete the required in-person internship.

Tyler's GRE rule is the practical detail. You can skip it with a 3.00 upper-division GPA or a graduate degree already in hand. Human Performance and Nutrition concentrations, plus a choice between thesis and internship with a comprehensive exam, give it a depth score of 9. Outcomes score 5.2. That adds up to 48.2, rank 65 of 99.

East Texas Baptist keeps pricing simple with a flat $447 per credit and no out-of-state surcharge, so 30 credits comes to about $13,410. Cost scores 8.7, its strongest factor. With no accreditation or certification alignment and a short graduate track record, it lands at 48, rank 66 of 99. You can start in any semester, and each online course carries a $70 fee.

North Carolina residents pay $352.81 a credit online, while students living outside the state pay $660.37. The online track is sport and exercise psychology, asynchronous and coursework only, ending in a comprehensive exam. It scores 47.5, rank 67 of 99. Choose it for the mental side of performance rather than lab science or a certification.

Wisconsin's in-state online rate is $666.32 a credit against $1,280.77 for everyone else, and that cost gap (a factor of 0.2) holds this program at 47.4, rank 68 of 99. What earns points is an asynchronous format, no campus visits, ACSM-EP alignment (the ACSM exercise physiologist credential) and an outcomes score of 7.2. It's best for residents.

Only working athletic trainers should apply. A T Still requires BOC certification (Board of Certification) and does not lead to BOC exam eligibility, so this is a post-professional degree with Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation and Sport Neurology and Concussion tracks. Tuition is $690 a credit plus a $44 per credit technology fee. Score 47.2, rank 69 of 99.

Total tuition runs $11,729.70 to $12,902.67, depending on whether you take 30 or 33 credits, and the GRE isn't required. Depth scores a full 10 because the Exercise Physiology track offers a thesis, a research project or a non-research route, plus EKG and stress testing courses. Asynchronous 16-week semesters help, but outcomes are low. Score 46.7, rank 70 of 99.

Tennessee residents pay $742 a credit and other domestic students $882, so 30 credits costs $22,260 for residents. Cost scores 1.1, which explains a 46.7 and rank 71 of 99 even with outcomes at 6.8 and depth at 10. Concentrations run from Lifetime Wellness to Adapted Physical Education and Sport Management, with a research project and field experience.

Avila doesn't require the GRE, and $650 a credit over 31 credits makes $20,150 in tuition, the same for every U.S. resident. Asynchronous 8-week courses, several starts a year and an 18-month finish lift flexibility to 9. Textbooks come inside the online course. With no certification alignment, it scores 46.2, rank 72 of 99. It isn't visa-eligible.

Out-of-state tuition is waived for fully online programs here, so everyone pays the $578.12 part-time online rate across 30 credits, before delivery and course fees. Admission expects a bachelor's in exercise science or a related field with chemistry or biology. A thesis option and Advanced Clinical Exercise Physiology in the core give it 45.9, rank 73 of 99.

Clinical work is the draw: 12-lead ECG interpretation, ACSM-guideline exercise testing and 600 required practicum hours. At $610 a credit for 34 credits, tuition is about $20,740, and military students pay $400 a credit. Eight-week online courses push flexibility to 8, but an outcomes score of 1.7 keeps it at 45.6, rank 74 of 99.

Coaches and educators who can't attend evening classes are the audience here. The curriculum follows the seven Core Responsibilities of the National Standards for Sport Coaches. Arkansas residents pay $338 a credit and others $530 over 33 credits. Cost scores 7.3, but thin depth (1) and no certification alignment leave it at 45, rank 75 of 99. It's non-licensure.

Marketed as the nation's first online Master of Athletic Training, this is a route to becoming an athletic trainer, not a general exercise science degree. Tuition is $595 a credit across 77 credits ($45,815). You'll attend six one-week lab intensives in Abilene, five in year one and one in early year two, plus full-time clinicals in year two. CAATE accreditation lifts credential to 9; onsite time holds flexibility at 4. Score 44.9, rank 76 of 99.

Pairing exercise with sports nutrition is a rarer angle. The coursework-only option is available fully online, while the thesis option is Denton and Houston only, and a professional practicum is required. A dietitian license would take a separate accredited dietetics program. Admission asks for a 3.25 GPA on your last 60 hours, or 3.0 for provisional entry. Score 44.7, rank 77 of 99.

Strength coaches get an online lab course for practical resistance and conditioning training, a curriculum aligned with the NSCA-CSCS exam (the strength and conditioning coach credential) and a required internship in a real performance setting. It's $690 a credit for 32 credits, or $536 for service members, finishing in as few as 16 months. Cost 3.2 and outcomes 0.1 give 44.5, rank 78 of 99.

The clinical track is built around ACSM-CEP domains, meaning the ACSM clinical exercise physiologist credential, with a pharmacology course for exercise scientists and a required hands-on clinical internship. Tuition is $690 a credit for 32 credits ($22,080), or $536 for current service members. GMAT and GRE aren't required. An outcomes score of 0.1 pulls it to 43.4, rank 79 of 99.

Western Michigan goes fully online in Fall 2026 at $868.04 a credit, one rate for online-only students across 30 credits. The general GRE isn't required. Outcomes at 6.8 and depth at 8 (thesis, independent research or field experience, plus wide electives) offset a cost score of 1.4. Score 43.3, rank 80 of 99.

Data is the point here. You'll work in Python, R and machine learning on athlete performance data, in a curriculum shaped by sport science practitioners. It's $756 a credit for 36 credits (about $27,216), with no GRE and six starts a year. Outcomes 7.2 and flexibility 7 offset a cost score of 2.2, giving 42.8, rank 81 of 99.

Base tuition is low: $303.25 a credit for Arkansas residents, about $9,097.50 for 30 credits, and $556 for others (waived to the in-state rate for students from TX, OK, MO, TN, MS and LA). Mandatory fees and a $50 per credit distance fee add real money, roughly $486.50 a credit if all apply. Thin depth leaves it 42.6, rank 82 of 99.

Texas residents pay $3,851 for nine graduate credit hours and non-residents $7,703, plus $50 per online hour. Eight-week courses let you finish in a year. The curriculum covers conditioning, sports nutrition, training program design and coaching theory, with optional certificates in coaching and fitness training. A required internship lifts depth to 3, which puts it at 42.5, rank 83 of 99.

One course a month lets you finish 36 credits in as little as 12 months. At $650 a credit that's $23,400 in tuition, or $495 for active duty and veterans, with no GRE. The Strength and Conditioning track carries two NSCA-CSCS prep courses and a practical internship. An outcomes score of 0.4 holds it to 41.8, rank 84 of 99.

Only the physical education pedagogy concentration is offered online, so this suits teachers more than lab-minded exercise scientists. North Carolina residents pay $277.06 a credit and everyone else $1,044.06, plus $25.17 a credit in distance fees. Outcomes 8.2 and depth 8 are strong, but cost 0.5 and flexibility 3 leave it at 41.8, rank 85 of 99.

The admission rule is the hurdle. You need an undergraduate major or minor in health and human performance, kinesiology or a related field, plus three hours each of exercise physiology and tests and measures. The GRE isn't required. Concentrations are Health and Wellness Promotion and Sports Performance, ending with a comprehensive exam. Score 41.4, rank 86 of 99.

Bakersfield charges $651 per unit through Extended Education, and the program's own estimate is $22,100 once books and supplies are counted. Three start terms a year, a practicum, and a thesis, project or exam ending give it flexibility and depth scores of 6 and 7. Outcomes and cost sit lower, so it holds 41.3 at rank 87 of 99, with no certification alignment listed.

Logan's track record score of 9.3 is its strongest factor. You choose Exercise Physiology or Sports Rehabilitation at $700 a credit, finishing in a year at 12 credits per trimester, with no GRE. The catch is a 90-hour internship over seven weeks at a site you find, which holds flexibility at 3. Chiropractic students in the rehab concentration can sit for the CCSP exam. Score 40.8, rank 88 of 99.

Two field experiences of 150 hours each, 300 in total, under a CSCS-credentialed coach at a site you pick, make this the hands-on option. Courses are written and taught by coaches working in the NFL, NCAA and MLB. At $700 a credit, 42 credits comes to $29,400. Outcomes at 0.5 keep it at 40.8, rank 89 of 99.