Best Online Sport Science and Human Performance 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's56.3 out of 100

  University of Arizona

  Nutrition & Human Performance (BS)

  Arizona · B.S.

  University of Arizona's B.S. Review
• Top Doctorate68.1 out of 100

  Liberty University

  PhD in Health Sciences, Exercise and Sport Science

  Virginia · Ph.D.

  Liberty University's Ph.D. Review

A program makes this list when it belongs to the sport science or human performance family, is delivered online, and is a published associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree. All 23 that qualified are listed, and none is an associate degree.

Inside each level, programs are ordered by the six-factor score in our methodology: cost, outcomes, online flexibility, credential alignment, program depth and track record. We publish a price only when the school does.

• Sport science or human performance as the degree family
• Delivered online at the associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral level
• 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 an Online Sports Science Degree Actually Teaches

Sport science and human performance aren't one degree, so read the concentration list before the title. University of Florida's master's offers five optional specializations, including Integrative Strength and Conditioning Science, Sport Psychology and Elite Human Performance, and Human Performance in Tactical, Flight, and Space Operations. Liberty University's master's has four: Clinical, Fitness and Wellness, Nutrition, and Strength Training and Conditioning.

Two programs lean toward data. Lasell University's master's has you work in Python and R on athlete performance data. King's College's master's has you build a mobile app and a web dashboard in two digital project courses. If you'd rather read a spreadsheet than run a training session, start with those two.

Others lean toward coaching or management. American Public University System's Coaching and Athletic Development degree mixes sport science with sports business. Wayne State College's degree is a Master of Science in Organizational Management, with an 18-credit human performance focus next to an 18-credit management core. That suits you if you want to run a facility. It suits you less if you want a lab-heavy physiology degree.

Check who gets in. Jacksonville State requires a degree in exercise science or a closely related field. Trevecca wants 12 credit hours across biological and physical sciences. Logan asks for six credits of physics, kinesiology, exercise science, biomechanics or statistics plus six of biological science. East Tennessee State says your undergraduate degree need not be related, and Wayne State accepts all bachelor's degrees.

Then look for the in-person piece. Liberty's master's requires two week-long intensives in Lynchburg, Virginia. Parker's bachelor's requires either an 80-hour observational practicum or a 300-hour internship, and its master's strength and conditioning track adds the same 300 hours. Logan requires a 90-hour internship. East Tennessee State requires 240 supervised hours at a site you choose. Plan the time off work before you enroll.

Do These Degrees Meet the New CSCS and ACSM Rules?

Two rule changes matter if you're planning a performance or exercise career. The NSCA says that from January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam must hold a bachelor's degree from a CASCE-accredited program. CASCE stands for Collegiate Accreditation for Strength and Conditioning Education. Until December 31, 2029, a bachelor's degree plus CPR/AED certification is enough.

The rule is about your bachelor's degree, so a master's from this list can't stand in for it. If you're still choosing a bachelor's, Parker University's Strength and Human Performance degree states CASCE accreditation on its own page. The NSCA's CASCE list also names University of Missouri's Strength and Conditioning Emphasis. Missouri's online degree in our data follows a general sport science track, so ask which one the accreditation covers.

The second rule comes from the American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM says that effective August 15, 2027, candidates for its Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP) and Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP) credentials must graduate from an exercise science or exercise physiology program accredited by CAAHEP, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. A program that has started the CAAHEP process also counts.

Here's where these 23 stand. CAAHEP's public list carries one of them by name: Logan University's exercise physiology concentration, marked Letter of Review rather than accredited. Parker names ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP among the exams its degrees prepare you for, but we found no Parker entry on CAAHEP's list. If a clinical credential is your goal, start with our clinical exercise physiology master's ranking.

Most people on this list won't need either credential to get hired. But if you want the CSCS, know the exam is hard: the NSCA reported that 41% of 2024 candidates passed both sections. Our CSCS guide and accreditation guide cover both deadlines in more detail.

Jobs and Pay After a Sport Science Degree

Two Bureau of Labor Statistics occupations sit closest to this work. Coaches and scouts is the broad one: the BLS OEWS data for May 2025 counts 248,950 people with a median wage of $47,320. The middle 80% earn between $28,790 and $98,860. That spread is wide, and a degree doesn't decide where you land in it.

Exercise physiologists are the direct match for the physiology side. BLS OEWS shows a median of $59,460, with the middle 80% between $42,760 and $80,560. It's a small field, with 8,560 jobs nationwide, and O*NET projects much faster than average growth with about 1,700 openings from 2024 to 2034. Clinical roles often want an ACSM credential on top of the degree.

Personal training is the largest door. BLS OEWS lists 322,930 exercise trainers and group fitness instructors with a median of $47,160. You don't need a degree to start, since a certification is the real gate. A master's earns its cost only if it opens something a certification can't, such as team roles, program leadership or research work.

Price the degree against the job you'd apply for. A master's that costs $17,572.50 or $27,540 isn't guaranteed to move you past a $47,320 median, and nothing on this page promises a salary. Ask each program where its recent graduates work. Our strength and conditioning coach career page and salary page go deeper on that path.

Paying for an Online Sport Science Degree After the July 2026 Loan Changes

University of the Cumberlands has the lowest master's price here at $355 a credit, or $10,650 for 30 credits, and it says books and fees are included. Fort Hays State comes next at $362.73 a credit for 32 credits. University of West Florida charges Florida residents $385.85 a credit. Wayne State College charges $427.45 a credit for 36 credits, about $15,389 in all.

At the other end, King's College charges $765 a credit for 36 credits, and Parker's master's costs $871 a credit. Fees move the total, so ask for the full bill. Parker's master's adds a $64 student health fee each term, and King's bills a $208 graduation fee in your final year. Our cheapest programs ranking sorts every program by price.

Federal loan rules changed on July 1, 2026. Georgetown's financial aid office, summarizing the Department of Education rules, says graduate students in non-professional programs face an annual borrowing cap and a $100,000 lifetime limit. Grad PLUS loans ended for new borrowers. If you enroll less than full time, your loan eligibility is reduced in proportion.

Run that against these prices. University of Florida's whole 30-credit tuition of $17,572.50 is less than one year's annual cap, which the Georgetown page lists. King's at $27,540 needs at least two years. Liberty's PhD costs $630 a credit for 60 credits, or $37,800 before any transfer credit, so your borrowing stretches over several years.

Residency changes the rate at several public schools. East Tennessee State charges $672 a credit to Tennessee residents and $835.50 to out-of-state students taking all web-based courses. University of West Florida's $494.22 rate is for non-Florida residents with its online waiver. Cameron's bachelor's is $236.50 a credit for Oklahoma residents and $550.50 for others.

Nine programs here publish a military rate: Parker at $250 a credit for its bachelor's and master's, American Public University System at $250, Jacksonville State University at $250, the University of Arizona at $250, Liberty at $310 for its master's and $395 for its PhD, University of the Cumberlands at $315, and Salem at $495. Our military ranking explains Tuition Assistance and GI Bill limits.