Best Online Exercise Science Programs in Arizona (2026)

• Top Bachelor's56.6 out of 100

  Arizona State University

  Health Sciences - Healthy Lifestyles and Fitness Science (BS)

  Arizona · B.S.

  Arizona State University's B.S. Review
• Top Master's45.6 out of 100

  Grand Canyon University

  Master of Science in Exercise Physiology

  Arizona · M.S.

  Grand Canyon University's M.S. Review
• Top Associate47.5 out of 100

  Bryan University

  Associate of Arts in Applied Exercise and Fitness

  Arizona · A.A.

  Bryan University's A.A. Review

Arizona's online prices split into two camps. The three public schools, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Cochise College, list $580, $525 and $96 per credit. The two private for-profit schools set their own terms: Grand Canyon's master's is $610 a credit, and Bryan University charges by the academic year instead of by the credit.

Residency changes the price at only one school. Cochise charges Arizona residents $96 a credit and out-of-state students $258 once they take more than 6 credits. Arizona State's cost page shows one $580 rate for undergraduates, and the University of Arizona says it has no out-of-state tuition, so a resident and a Texan pay the same at both.

Arizona pays a little better than the country does for all three exercise jobs. BLS OEWS data from May 2025 puts the Arizona median for exercise physiologists at $62,350 with 220 people employed, against $59,460 nationally. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors have a median of $47,980 and 7,010 jobs. Coaches and scouts have a median of $53,130 and 4,120 jobs.

Read the 220 carefully. That is how many Arizona jobs carry the exercise physiologist title, and the middle 80 percent of them earn between $51,950 and $77,630. The trainer row is bigger and starts lower: 7,010 jobs, a 10th percentile wage of $30,770 and a 90th percentile wage of $83,200. Our exercise physiologist salary guide has the state-by-state table.

If you'd rather study out of state, the school has to be allowed to enroll you. Arizona appears in the NC-SARA directory of states in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, and schools in other member states can enroll Arizona residents under it. Still, open the school's own state authorization page and look for Arizona, and ask where a practicum site can be in your area.

A program is on this page when an Arizona school runs it and it is delivered online, either fully or as a degree-completion program. 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.

In-state rates come from each school's own pages. Arizona wages and the national picks sit beside the list and never change a score.

• School based in Arizona, program delivered online
• In-state rate shown when the school publishes one
• Scored on the same six factors as every list and ranked inside its degree level

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 Arizona Residents Pay for an Online Degree

Start with the bachelor's degrees, because they are 120 credits each and the price gap is large. Arizona State's two online bachelor's degrees list $580 a credit, which comes to $69,600 in tuition before program fees. The University of Arizona lists $525 a credit and $63,000 for its Nutrition and Human Performance degree, with fees not stated. Resident status buys you nothing extra at either school.

Bryan University sells by the year. Its Applied Exercise and Fitness associate degree is 60 credits and about $32,325 in tuition, with books and courseware included. The bachelor's completion degree adds about $13,550 if you transfer in all 60 Bryan associate credits, so the full ladder is roughly $45,875. That undercuts Arizona State's $69,600, but it's a fitness coaching and business degree, not a lab-science one.

Grand Canyon's master's is 34 credits at $610, or $20,740 in tuition, and it includes 600 practicum hours. Active-duty students pay $400 a credit there. If you're serving near Fort Huachuca, Cochise also charges active-duty military the in-state $96 no matter where they live. Our military list compares every program with a published military rate.

One more discount is worth a phone call. Arizona is on the Western Undergraduate Exchange list, which caps undergraduate tuition at 150 percent of the resident rate at participating public colleges across the West, and more than 170 schools take part. Cochise lists a $144 WUE rate of its own. Ask any out-of-state school whether its online bachelor's is included.

Starting at Cochise or Another Arizona Community College

The cheapest way into the field in Arizona is the Cochise College Fitness and Wellness associate degree. It's 60 credits, $96 a credit for residents, $5,760 in tuition, 100% online, with fall and spring starts. Up to 30 credits can come from prior learning. Cochise says the degree is designed for transfer into exercise physiology, physical education teaching and fitness wellness bachelor's programs.

Arizona's transfer system does part of the work. The Arizona General Education Curriculum, or AGEC, is 32 to 35 credits of lower-division general education. Finish it at an Arizona public community or tribal college and it transfers as a block to Arizona State, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. AZTransfer also says a cumulative 2.5 GPA earns assured general admission to all three.

That assurance is to the university, not to a major. AZTransfer notes that some majors add prerequisites of their own, so read the receiving program's course list before you pick electives. Arizona State's Kinesiology page, for one, lists 14 competency courses for admission and an Earned Admission route through online courses with a 2.75 GPA.

Two cautions on Cochise. It sits last on our Arizona list because the score rewards accreditation, certification alignment and depth, and this is a 60-credit transfer degree. And the degree map shows no delivery code for HPE 179 Lifelong Wellness, so ask the college to confirm every required class runs online.

Do Arizona Programs Meet the ACSM and NSCA Rules?

Two rule changes matter if you're choosing a degree now.

From August 15, 2027, candidates for the ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP) and ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP) credentials must graduate from an Exercise Science or Exercise Physiology program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), or one that has started the process. Our ACSM-EP guide covers the details.

From January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates for the NSCA's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam need a bachelor's from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE). Until December 31, 2029, the current rule holds: a bachelor's degree plus CPR/AED certification. The CSCS guide lays out the timeline.

CAAHEP's list shows three Arizona programs: Arizona State's bachelor's in Clinical Exercise Science and master's in Clinical Exercise Physiology, both in Phoenix, and Northern Arizona University's Fitness Wellness bachelor's in Flagstaff. CASCE lists Arizona State's strength and conditioning bachelor's and master's in Tempe. None is one of the seven online programs here.

The Arizona State Online kinesiology page also says its accelerated route into the clinical exercise physiology master's is for campus students only.

That leaves you deciding with open eyes. Grand Canyon's master's is built around clinical exercise physiology and 600 practicum hours, yet it isn't on CAAHEP's list, so ask whether it has begun the process. Bryan's bachelor's says graduates can sit for the CSCS today, but it isn't on CASCE's list. Our accreditation guide explains how to check.

Best National Options for Arizona Residents

When accreditation or price matters most, look past the state line. Northeastern State University's online bachelor's in Health and Human Performance is on CAAHEP's list and charges non-Oklahoma online students $279 a credit, less than half of Arizona State's $580. It ranks fourth of 46 online bachelor's programs in our scoring.

A practicum and a capstone are required, so ask how an Arizona student arranges the site. Also ask NSU to confirm in writing that the online option is the accredited one.

For a master's, the University of Florida's online MS in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology ranks first of 99 master's programs in our scoring. It's 30 credits, asks for no GRE, has no campus visits and starts three times a year. It isn't CAAHEP accredited, and it leans toward human performance rather than clinical work. Grand Canyon's 34 credits and 600 practicum hours are the comparison.

American Public University System's online bachelor's in Sports and Health Sciences is our highest-scoring bachelor's overall, at $360 a credit, with lab materials shipped to your door. Read its program review for the details.

The full lists are here: best online exercise science degrees, online bachelor's programs and online master's programs. If you're aiming at physical therapy school, start with the pre-physical therapy list.