Best Online Exercise Science Programs in Minnesota (2026)

• Top Bachelor's52.0 out of 100

  Concordia University-Saint Paul

  Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science

  Minnesota · B.A.

  Concordia University-Saint Paul's B.A. Review
• Top Master's57.9 out of 100

  Concordia University-Saint Paul

  Master of Science in Strength and Conditioning

  Minnesota · M.S.

  Concordia University-Saint Paul's M.S. Review
• Top Doctorate44.5 out of 100

  Concordia University-Saint Paul

  Doctor of Education in Kinesiology (emphases: Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Exercise and Sport Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning)

  Minnesota · Ed.D.

  Concordia University-Saint Paul's Ed.D. Review

Minnesota's online exercise science field is one school deep. Concordia University-Saint Paul is a private Lutheran university, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1967, and its online arm, CSP Global, runs a ladder from a B.A. through master's degrees to a PhD or EdD in Kinesiology. Neither the University of Minnesota system nor Minnesota State has an online exercise science degree on our list.

Online pricing doesn't depend on where you live. All five programs charge the same per-credit rate to every online student, so you get no in-state discount and pay no out-of-state premium. Some public universities charge residents less, which is worth remembering when you compare. The bachelor's at $420 a credit sits under our national median of $445 for online bachelor's programs.

The BLS counted 250 exercise physiologists in Minnesota in May 2025. They earned a median of $67,230 and an average of $72,750, the second-highest average among the 42 states with BLS data. The lowest earners made $61,640 and the highest $95,140. Statewide, that's a small occupation.

The larger job counts are nearby. Minnesota has 7,010 exercise trainers and group fitness instructors, with a median of $43,620 against $47,160 nationally. It has 4,680 coaches and scouts, with a median of $48,050 against $47,320 nationally.

The BLS names only Louisiana as licensing exercise physiologists. In Minnesota you'll meet certifications instead, such as the ACSM-EP (the American College of Sports Medicine's Certified Exercise Physiologist) and the NSCA's CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist). Read the posting for the job you want.

Minnesota belongs to M-SARA, the Midwestern part of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, which lets schools in member states offer distance education across state lines. North Dakota and Wisconsin are members too. For a school outside those states, ask whether it participates in SARA and can enroll Minnesota residents.

A program lands here when its school is based in Minnesota and the program is published as fully online, online with onsite requirements or online degree completion. 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.

Residency in Minnesota never changes a score, and neither does a military rate.

• School based in Minnesota, 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.

Checking CAAHEP and CASCE Accreditation Before You Enroll

Two rule changes decide whether a degree opens the certification you want. The American College of Sports Medicine says that from August 15, 2027, ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP candidates must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited exercise science or exercise physiology program, or one that has started the accreditation process. ACSM-CEP is the Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist.

The NSCA says that from January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates for the CSCS need a bachelor's from a CASCE-accredited program. CASCE stands for Collegiate Accreditation for Strength and Conditioning Education.

CSP's online category page says its Exercise Science and Allied Health programs are accredited by CAAHEP. We didn't find Concordia University-Saint Paul in CAAHEP's program search, and none of the five programs shows a CAAHEP or CASCE listing in our data. Ask admissions for the CAAHEP program number for your exact degree, then look it up before you pay a deposit.

Don't mix up the two Concordias. Concordia College in Moorhead is a different school, and it does hold CAAHEP accreditation for an on-campus exercise science bachelor's.

The bachelor's lists prep for the ACSM-CPT and other trainer exams, which need no degree, so accreditation matters most if you want the ACSM-EP or ACSM-CEP.

If you already hold a bachelor's and want the CSCS, the NSCA says the current rule stays in place through December 31, 2029. The 2030 rule looks at your bachelor's, so a master's from CSP wouldn't change it.

Six Minnesota Campus Programs With CAAHEP Accreditation

If the 2027 rule matters to you and you can attend class in person, you have choices. CAAHEP's search lists initial accreditation for The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth (a bachelor's and a master's), Concordia College in Moorhead, Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, the University of Minnesota Duluth and Winona State University. Crown College in Saint Bonifacius holds a Letter of Review, so it isn't accredited yet.

None of these is one of our online programs. Winona State also appears on NSCA's CASCE list for its B.S. in Strength and Conditioning, so it's the Minnesota program to check if you can attend campus and the 2030 rule fits your plan.

For an online route, Northeastern State University's B.S. in Health and Human Performance is the one fully online bachelor's on our list with a verified CAAHEP listing. For a master's, University of Mary's Clinical Exercise Physiology program has a verified CAAHEP listing and a one-week campus lab each semester in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Our certification-ready ranking lists every online program with a verified CAAHEP or CASCE listing.

Paying for Your Degree With the Minnesota State Grant and Minnesota GI Bill

The Minnesota State Grant is need-based aid for undergraduates at eligible Minnesota public and private institutions. Minnesota State University, Mankato says dependent students must have graduated from a Minnesota high school, independent students must have lived in Minnesota for 12 months before starting college, and eligibility rests on your FAFSA. Ask CSP's financial aid office whether the online bachelor's qualifies.

The grant covers undergraduates only, so it won't help with the master's degrees or doctorates.

For military benefits, CSP's military benefits page lists the Minnesota GI Bill for eligible Minnesota veterans, active-duty, Guard and Reserve members who served after September 11, 2001, plus eligible spouses and children. CSP administers it through its own Financial Aid Office, not the VA.

The same page lists Tuition Assistance for up to $250 per credit hour when you're eligible. That matches the bachelor's military rate of $250 and falls short of the master's rate of $350, so you'd cover the difference.

The bachelor's and the exercise science master's pages also list $2,000 partnership scholarships. Our military ranking compares other schools.

Online Options Outside Minnesota Worth Comparing

Minnesota has one school, so most residents end up comparing Concordia University-Saint Paul against programs elsewhere. Start with the neighbors. Our Wisconsin and North Dakota pages rank the programs based there.

University of Wisconsin-Superior's online B.S. in Exercise Science sits at the Duluth border and ranks 6th of 46 bachelor's programs on our score. Universities of Wisconsin Online lists an internship as required, and it can be arranged locally, with Superior and Duluth-area sites in the mix.

For a master's with hands-on training, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, just east of the Twin Cities, runs online master's degrees in clinical exercise physiology and strength and conditioning. The first has one lab-based campus weekend per semester and the second has three in-person weekends.

For the whole field, see the best online exercise science degrees and the cheapest programs.