Best Online Exercise Science Programs in Ohio (2026)

• Top Bachelor's55.1 out of 100

  Franklin University

  B.S. in Exercise Science

  Ohio · B.S.

  Franklin University's B.S. Review
• Top Master's58.7 out of 100

  University of Cincinnati

  Master of Science in Exercise Science

  Ohio · M.S.

  University of Cincinnati's M.S. Review
• Top Doctorate64.6 out of 100

  Ohio University

  Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT)

  Ohio · DAT

  Ohio University's DAT Review

Ohio's online exercise science options are mostly private. Franklin University, Tiffin University and Walsh University are private nonprofits, and all three charge every online student one rate, whether you live in Ohio or Oregon. Only the two public schools, the University of Cincinnati and Ohio University, publish a separate resident rate.

That resident discount is thin. Cincinnati's online master's costs Ohioans $746 a credit and everyone else $761, and Ohio University's Doctor of Athletic Training costs $571 in state and $593 out of state. Your address won't decide which program is cheapest. Total tuition, fees and how many credits you can transfer will.

Pay and job counts come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025. Ohio's exercise physiologists have a median wage of $51,660 and about 340 jobs. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors have a median of $36,370 across 9,040 jobs, and coaches and scouts have a median of $46,530 across 13,150 jobs.

Ohio's Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board licenses athletic trainers, which is why the Ohio University doctorate is open only to credentialed athletic trainers. The board's site covers occupational therapy, physical therapy, athletic training, and orthotics, prosthetics and pedorthics. Exercise physiology isn't on that list, so an exercise physiologist's credential comes from a certifying body such as ACSM or the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

If you look outside Ohio, the school has to be able to enroll students who live in your state. Franklin lists program availability state by state and says some states get the program only through employer partnerships. So the rule is real even for a school based here. Ask any out-of-state school in writing whether it can enroll you as an Ohio resident before you pay an application fee.

A program is on this page when a school based in Ohio offers the degree online and its own pages say so. Each one was checked against the school's site on Sept. 29, 2026.

Inside each level, programs are ordered by our 0 to 100 score, which weighs cost, graduation rate and earnings, online flexibility, credential alignment, program depth and track record. The full weights are in our methodology. Ohio residency never changes a score.

• School based in Ohio, 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 Ohio Residents Really Pay for an Online Degree

Start with Franklin's bachelor's. At $398 a credit, the school's own calculator shows $47,760 for all 120 credits, and each semester adds a $100 resource fee. But Franklin accepts up to 90 transfer credits. A student who arrives with 60 credits pays for about half the degree, so what you've already earned decides the real price.

On the master's side, Franklin's two 32-credit specializations total $22,080 in tuition at $690 a credit. Cincinnati's 30-credit degree totals $22,380 for Ohio residents and $22,830 for everyone else. Tiffin's 2026-27 tuition page shows $24,915 at $755 a credit. Walsh lists $24,335 at $785 for 31 credits before fees, though its page cites $20,000 as the average cost after aid.

Compared with the rest of the country, these aren't bargains. Ohio's master's programs run $690 to $785 a credit, and online master's programs elsewhere start as low as $320 a credit. Our cheapest online exercise science degrees list shows where those are, and Franklin's clinical exercise physiology master's is the Ohio one to compare against them.

The doctorate is the exception. Ohio University's Doctor of Athletic Training is 42 credits at $571 for residents, the lowest per-credit rate of any online doctorate on our doctorate list. Total tuition is $23,982 for Ohioans and $24,906 for everyone else. Active or veteran military members, Ohio University alumni and employees of corporate partners are automatically eligible for a 15% tuition scholarship.

Certification Rules That Change Which Program to Pick

Two rule changes matter more than tuition if you want a credential. Starting Aug. 15, 2027, candidates for the ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP (Certified Exercise Physiologist and Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist) must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program, or one that has started the accreditation process.

And from Jan. 1, 2030, U.S. candidates for the NSCA-CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) need a bachelor's from a program accredited by CASCE, the Collegiate Accreditation for Strength and Conditioning Education.

None of Ohio's seven online programs is on CAAHEP's accredited list or the CASCE list. The closest is Franklin's M.S. in Exercise Science, which CAAHEP's directory shows with a Letter of Review, the status a program holds before it's accredited. Ask Franklin which specializations that listing covers, and ask ACSM whether the status meets the rule for your exam date.

What the Ohio programs do offer is alignment. Franklin's clinical exercise physiology master's says graduates are prepared to sit for the ACSM-CEP exam, and its strength and conditioning master's follows the CSCS exam. Cincinnati's master's says it can help meet the ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP requirements. Alignment isn't accreditation, so weigh it accordingly.

There's a timing detail for the CSCS. NSCA says the current requirement, a bachelor's degree plus CPR/AED, stays in place through Dec. 31, 2029. If you already hold a bachelor's, you can sit for the exam under the old rule until then, and a master's won't change the 2030 bachelor's requirement.

Ohio has twelve CAAHEP-accredited exercise science bachelor's programs on the directory we checked, at schools such as Kent State, Wright State, Youngstown State and the University of Akron, but none is flagged as online. For an online route, look at Northeastern State University's bachelor's, which is CAAHEP accredited, or the full certification-ready list. Our accreditation guide explains both rules.

Ohio Pay, Jobs, and Licensing

Ohio's exercise physiologists earn a median of $51,660, against $59,460 nationally, and the state has about 340 of them compared with 8,560 across the country. The 10th percentile is $44,310 and the 90th is $71,560. The salary side is covered on our exercise physiologist salary page.

Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors, the BLS category that includes personal trainers, have a median of $36,370 in Ohio versus $47,160 nationally, across 9,040 jobs. Coaches and scouts have a median of $46,530, and the spread is wide, from $28,280 at the 10th percentile to $81,760 at the 90th.

Licensing works differently for athletic trainers. Ohio's licensing board says athletic training is practiced by licensed athletic trainers, and the Ohio University doctorate asks for a BOC certification (or equivalent), a state credential and an NPI number. So it suits someone already working as an athletic trainer, not someone hoping to become one. Our athletic trainer salary page covers that career.

These are market medians, not what a graduate is owed. And 340 exercise physiologist jobs is a small market, so check current postings near you before you commit to two years of coursework. Our exercise physiologist career guide lists the settings where people work.

Choosing Between an Ohio School and a National One

If you want a bachelor's, Franklin's is the only Ohio choice. It runs 6- and 12-week courses with about 8 starts a year and offers optional pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy and pre-medical focus areas. You'll need a field experience at a site you arrange, such as a healthcare facility, fitness center or community rec center, unless you choose the capstone instead.

The master's programs from four schools differ more than their prices suggest. Franklin takes any bachelor's with no prerequisites, doesn't require the GRE and finishes in as few as 16 months. Cincinnati's wants a related bachelor's or equivalent experience or certifications, a 3.0 GPA and a letter of recommendation, and it can be done in as little as 3 semesters.

Tiffin's clinical exercise physiology master's takes 12 months in 7-week terms with a 150-hour internship that can happen at your current job. Walsh's asks for a 2.75 GPA, lists no internship and takes about two years, with business coursework mixed in.

Look past Ohio when accreditation or price matters more than location. Start with the best online exercise science degrees, the no-GRE master's list or the clinical exercise physiology master's ranking, then confirm the school can enroll a student who lives in Ohio.