Best Online Exercise Science Programs in Pennsylvania (2026)

• Top Bachelor's60.4 out of 100

  Pennsylvania Western University

  Exercise Science (Human Performance and Wellness), BS

  Pennsylvania · B.S.

  Pennsylvania Western University's B.S. Review
• Top Master's66.6 out of 100

  Pennsylvania Western University

  Exercise Science and Health Promotion, MS

  Pennsylvania · M.S.

  Pennsylvania Western University's M.S. Review
• Top Doctorate46.6 out of 100

  Temple University

  Athletic Training, Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT)

  Pennsylvania · DAT

  Temple University's DAT Review

Pennsylvania's online exercise science programs come from three kinds of schools. Pennsylvania Western University, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania and East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania are public schools in the Pennsylvania State System. Temple is a large public research university in Philadelphia. Lebanon Valley College and King's College are private nonprofits.

The public schools split online tuition by residency and the private ones don't. Pennsylvania Western charges Pennsylvanians $347 a credit for its bachelor's and $557 for its master's, against $354 and $568 for everyone else. East Stroudsburg's athletic training master's is $602 for residents and $886 for non-residents. King's, Lebanon Valley and Temple charge every online student $765, $789 and $1,225.

BLS counts 640 exercise physiologists in Pennsylvania, tied with California at the top of its state employment list. The May 2025 median is $48,040. The lowest tenth earn $38,900 and the top tenth $67,820, and the national median is $59,460. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors number 11,580 here with a median of $45,250. Coaches and scouts number 8,170 with a median of $48,730.

Pennsylvania licenses athletic trainers through its State Board of Medicine and State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, which matters for two programs on this list. And if you're eyeing a school in another state, Pennsylvania takes part in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, which makes enrolling from home easier. Both topics get their own section below.

A program is on this page when its school is based in Pennsylvania and it's a published online program in our data. Inside each degree level, we order programs by the six-factor score in our methodology: cost, outcomes, online flexibility, credential alignment, program depth and track record.

Rates come from each school's own 2026-27 pages, and where a school lists a separate in-state price we show it. Programs from schools in other states are on our national ranking.

• School based in Pennsylvania, 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 You Will Pay at Pennsylvania Schools Beyond Tuition

Tuition is only part of the bill. Pennsylvania Western's in-state master's rate of $557 becomes $692.07 a credit once the $44.80 technology fee and $90.27 instructional support fee are added. The doctorate goes from $613 to $756.47 a credit, and the bachelor's from $347 to $416.90.

Commonwealth works differently. Its 100% online master's lists $557 in tuition plus fees, for $754 a credit in total. Two of those fees stop at 9 credits, and there's a one-time $30 registration fee. On 30 credits, the tuition alone comes to $16,710.

For comparison, our data puts the median online master's at $610 a credit and the median bachelor's at $445 across all 168 programs. Pennsylvania Western's bachelor's sits well under that at $347. The $557 master's rates at Pennsylvania Western and Commonwealth land modestly below the master's median.

Check each school's tuition page for the current year before you budget. King's says its tuition has risen about 2.5% per year on average, so a two-year plan should count on an increase.

Athletic Training Licensure and the Two Post-Professional Programs

Pennsylvania licenses athletic trainers through the State Board of Medicine and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine. The Department of State's licensure snapshot says you need to graduate from an approved athletic training education program, pass the Board of Certification (BOC) exam and keep your BOC certification current.

That's why East Stroudsburg's master's and Temple's Doctor of Athletic Training aren't ways to become an athletic trainer. East Stroudsburg admits people who are BOC certified or BOC-eligible graduates of an accredited entry-level program. Temple requires a current BOC certification and a master's degree, and its page says the program doesn't allow students to take the BOC exam.

Both are built for people already working in the field. East Stroudsburg's is a 13-month hybrid with campus labs, clinical practicums at affiliated sites, a required GRE and Pennsylvania Act 34 and 151 clearances. Temple's is fully online, with live classes on Monday nights, a July 1 application deadline and an optional GRE.

If you're starting from zero, our exercise science vs athletic training guide explains the two paths.

Pennsylvania Programs and the 2027 and 2030 Certification Rules

Two rule changes affect what you should look for. 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 CAAHEP process.

Lebanon Valley's Clinical Exercise Physiology master's is the Pennsylvania program that meets it today. It's CAAHEP-accredited, it names ACSM-CEP as its exam target, and CAAHEP's own list matches it. The catch is the format: three residency weekends in Annville and a 600-hour clinical internship at approved sites.

Commonwealth's Applied Exercise Physiology master's cites NSCA recognition and lists preparation for the NSCA personal trainer (CPT) and CSCS exams, but its page doesn't say the master's is CAAHEP-accredited. If ACSM-CEP is your goal, ask the department about its CAAHEP plans before you enroll.

The NSCA rule targets bachelor's degrees. From January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates for the CSCS need a bachelor's from a CASCE-accredited program, according to the NSCA. Pennsylvania Western's online bachelor's prepares you for NASM certifications, not that rule. See our certification-ready list for online options that fit.

Enrolling From Pennsylvania in Programs Based in Other States

Most online programs in the country are based somewhere else, and that's fine. Pennsylvania belongs to the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, or SARA. The Pennsylvania Department of Education explains that member states recognize participating schools authorized in other member states, so a school doesn't need separate approval to enroll you.

Before you apply, look the school up in the NC-SARA directory. NC-SARA says participating schools must be accredited by an agency the U.S. Department of Education recognizes, and they agree to offer a reasonable alternative or compensation if they can't deliver the instruction you paid for.

Being authorized to enroll you isn't the same as meeting a licensing board's rules. If you want a licensed job, such as athletic trainer, ask the board before you pay a deposit.

Only one Pennsylvania program is a bachelor's, so compare it with the online bachelor's list and the cheapest list. Military and veteran students get a home-state discount: Pennsylvania Western charges $250 a credit for the bachelor's and $399 for the master's, whatever state you live in. Our military list has the national picture.