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Exercise Science

Types of Degrees Exercise Science Majors Are Earning

Those studying Exercise Science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	15
Associate’s Degree	2,805
Bachelor’s Degree	26,218
Master’s Degree	2,795
Doctor’s Degree	208

What Exercise Science Majors Need to Know

Studies in Exercise Science build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Exercise Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Exercise Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Exercise Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Exercise Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Exercise Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.7 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Exercise Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Exercise Science graduates include:

• Cardiac Exercise Specialist
• Clinical Exercise Physiologist
• Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Physiologist
• Cardiac Exercise Physiologist
• Fitness Specialist
• Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant
• Clinical Exercise Specialist
• Injury Prevention Specialist
• Exercise Scientist
• Certified Exercise Physiologist (EPC)
• Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist
• Applied Exercise Physiologist
• Exercise Physiologist
• Exercise Planner
• Bariatric Weight Loss Counselor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Exercise Science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	59.1%
Master’s degree	31.8%
Doctoral degree	9.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Exercise Science?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 56.1% women and 43.9% men among Exercise Science graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	17,977	56.1%
Men	14,064	43.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Exercise Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	17,613	55.0%
Asian	1,641	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	6,207	19.4%
Black or African American	3,405	10.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	163	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	82	0.3%
Two or More Races	1,596	5.0%
Race Unknown	571	1.8%
International Students	763	2.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Exercise Science Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Exercise Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,425
4 years	$47,075
5 years	$55,516

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,516 — roughly 61% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Exercise Science Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Exercise Science. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	8	11
Bachelor’s	14	31
Master’s	35	29
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Exercise Science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Exercise Science graduates earn a median of $47,075 four years after completion — roughly 24% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	31.05
Physical Fitness Technician	31.0507
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management	31.0504
Sports Studies	31.0508
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General	31.0501
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other	31.0599

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.