Best Online Exercise Science Programs in North Dakota (2026)

• Top Bachelor's62.6 out of 100

  University of North Dakota

  Kinesiology (B.S.)

  North Dakota · B.S.

  University of North Dakota's B.S. Review
• Top Master's59.6 out of 100

  University of North Dakota

  Kinesiology (M.S.)

  North Dakota · M.S.

  University of North Dakota's M.S. Review
• Top Associate64.2 out of 100

  Lake Region State College

  Fitness Trainer Technician (Associate in Applied Science)

  North Dakota · A.A.S.

  Lake Region State College's A.A.S. Review
• Top Doctorate67.5 out of 100

  University of North Dakota

  Kinesiology (Ph.D.)

  North Dakota · Ph.D.

  University of North Dakota's Ph.D. Review

North Dakota's online options come from two public campuses and one private university. University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and Lake Region State College in Devils Lake are public, and University of Mary in Bismarck is a private Catholic, Benedictine school. The state's higher education system is small, so you won't find a long list of exercise science choices.

What you will find is a mix of levels, from a 60-credit associate degree to a 90-credit Ph.D.

In-state versus out-of-state rates barely matter here. Both public schools bill online students one rate regardless of where they live, and University of Mary charges every online student the same $670 a credit for its two master's degrees. If you live in North Dakota, you pay what a Minnesota or Montana student pays. If you live elsewhere, these schools cost you nothing extra for being out of state.

Jobs are the other local fact. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts only 50 exercise physiologists in North Dakota, with a May 2025 median of $50,430 and a range from $49,030 at the 10th percentile to $64,590 at the 90th.

The state has 680 exercise trainers and group fitness instructors with a median of $37,760, and 1,180 coaches and scouts with a median of $37,100. The 90th percentile for coaches is $75,210.

What that means for you: clinical exercise physiology roles are few in-state, and many graduates look across the border or work remotely on the coaching, wellness or research side. Nationally, exercise physiologists earn a median of $59,460, so it's worth checking wages where you'd actually work.

One more thing applies to any school outside North Dakota. North Dakota belongs to the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) through the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, which sets shared standards for online programs that cross state lines.

It's meant to make online courses from other states easier to take, and it gives you a complaint path if something goes wrong. Check that your school is on the SARA institution list before you apply.

A program is on this page when it is offered online by a school based in North Dakota.

We rank within each degree level, so a bachelor's is never scored against a Ph.D. The score weighs cost, outcomes, online flexibility, credential alignment, program depth and track record, and a missing input counts as the peer median. Rates appear only when the school publishes them. Full weights are in our methodology.

• School based in North Dakota, 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.

Which North Dakota Program Fits Your Goal?

Start with the job you want, because these six programs point in different directions.

For personal training or gym work, Lake Region's Fitness Trainer Technician associate degree is 60 credits, asynchronous, and taught in 8-week terms. It is CAAHEP accredited. The final semester adds a 1-credit internship in a community setting, so ask the college how you'd arrange a site. Tuition across all 60 credits comes to $14,319 before fees.

For a bachelor's you can finish without leaving home, University of North Dakota's Kinesiology B.S. is 120 credits and asynchronous, and the school says you never have to come to campus. You choose a stream: Teacher Education, Coaching and Sports Management, Kinesiology Applications or Allied Health. The internship is 10 credits, with placements listed at the YMCA, Choice Health and Fitness, and UND Athletics.

For clinical work, University of Mary's Clinical Exercise Physiology M.S. is the one built for cardiac and pulmonary rehab careers. It's blended, so you learn online and travel to Bismarck for a one-week lab each semester. Admission asks for a bachelor's with a 3.0 GPA and prerequisites such as anatomy and physiology with labs, and the priority application date is Jan. 5.

For strength coaching or research, University of Mary's Kinesiology M.S. offers a strength and conditioning concentration accredited by CASCE, the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education.

The school reports that 38 of 38 test takers passed the CSCS exam (the NSCA's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist credential) over three years.

UND's M.S. is 30 credits and takes about 2 years, with thesis, non-thesis and Professional Science Master's options. Its Ph.D. is 90 credits, and up to 30 master's credits can transfer.

How the 2027 and 2030 Certification Rules Affect Your Choice

Two rule changes decide whether a degree opens the credential you want, and both are close.

The first is ACSM's. Starting Aug. 15, 2027, candidates for the ACSM-EP (Certified Exercise Physiologist) and ACSM-CEP credentials must graduate from an Exercise Science or Exercise Physiology program accredited by CAAHEP, or one that has started the CAAHEP process. University of Mary's clinical master's is accredited. UND's bachelor's lists CAEP accreditation for its teacher education track, not CAAHEP, so ask the department where it stands before you count on ACSM-EP.

The second is NSCA's. Starting Jan. 1, 2030, U.S. candidates for the CSCS must hold a bachelor's degree from a CASCE-accredited program. Until Dec. 31, 2029, a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution plus CPR/AED certification is enough. The rule names the bachelor's, so ask the NSCA whether a CASCE-accredited master's like Mary's would satisfy it. Don't assume it will.

Personal trainer certifications work differently. Credentials such as the ACSM-CPT need no degree, only age 18 and CPR/AED certification. If training clients is the whole plan, Lake Region's associate degree adds coursework and a credential-adjacent internship, but it isn't a requirement for the job. For lists built around these rules, see the certification-ready rankings and our accreditation guide.

What Online Tuition Really Costs at North Dakota Schools

The sticker price and the real price differ at all three schools, so read the fee lines.

Lake Region bills $238.65 tuition plus a $6.00 distance delivery fee, a $10.12 technology fee, a $0.04 state fee and a $5.50 ConnectND fee per credit, for $260.31 in all. There's no maximum, so every credit costs the same. A CPR card course adds $22. Military students pay the $238.65 tuition rate, and basic and distance fees are waived under MiLTA and MyCAA.

University of Mary lists $670 per credit for both master's programs and adds a $55 per credit technology and distance learning fee. Its clinical exercise physiology page offers up to $5,000 in scholarships for eligible candidates. Total credit hours aren't posted on the pages we read, so ask the admissions office for the full-degree total before you compare it with UND.

UND charges online tuition per credit for everyone, $432.45 for the bachelor's and $586.22 for the master's and Ph.D., with no 12-credit cap on tuition. Mandatory fees cap at $955.08 a semester at 12 or more credits. Active-duty undergraduates using Federal Tuition Assistance pay $250 a credit, and that rate doesn't cover graduate programs.

Fill out the FAFSA at studentaid.gov either way, since unsubsidized federal loans don't depend on financial need. For lower national prices, see the cheapest online exercise science degrees and the military list.

Pre-Physical Therapy and Other Paths Beyond These Six

If a doctorate in physical therapy is your goal, UND's Allied Health stream is the North Dakota fit. It's built around prerequisites for physical therapy, occupational therapy or chiropractic school. The American Physical Therapy Association says most DPT programs require a bachelor's degree before admission, and each program sets its own prerequisite courses. Compare them side by side in the PTCAS directory before you pick electives.

If you want a CAAHEP-accredited bachelor's, no North Dakota school offers one online, so look nationally. Northeastern State University's Health and Human Performance B.S. is CAAHEP accredited and fully online, at $279 a credit for students outside Oklahoma.

If you want clinical exercise physiology from a school outside the state, compare the online clinical exercise physiology master's programs. For strength and conditioning, the strength and conditioning list covers CASCE and NSCA-recognized programs, and our pre-physical therapy list covers the DPT route.