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Sports Studies

Types of Degrees Sports Studies Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Sports Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	25
Bachelor’s Degree	362
Master’s Degree	220

What Sports Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Sports Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Sports Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Sports Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Sports Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Student record software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Softworks Global PESoftOne	Computer based training software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Sports Studies graduates include:

• Kinesiology Professor
• Gymnasium Teacher
• Exercise Teacher
• Fitness Studies Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Exercise Science Instructor
• Recreation Professor
• Physical Education Instructor (PE Instructor)
• Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Professor (HPER Professor)
• Teacher
• Wellness and Activities Instructor
• Physical Education Teacher (PE Teacher)
• Human Performance Professor
• Health and Human Performance Professor
• Fitness and Wellness Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	74.2%
Master’s degree	20.8%
Bachelor’s degree	5.0%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Sports Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 60.8% of Sports Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	238	39.2%
Men	369	60.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Sports Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	382	62.9%
Asian	14	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	51	8.4%
Black or African American	89	14.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.5%
Two or More Races	17	2.8%
Race Unknown	28	4.6%
International Students	17	2.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Sports Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Sports Studies 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 Sports Studies Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Sports Studies. 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
Bachelor’s	4	2
Master’s	3	5

^{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 Sports Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Sports Studies 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
Exercise Science and Kinesiology	31.0505
Physical Fitness Technician	31.0507
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management	31.0504
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General	31.0501
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other	31.0599
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies	31.0101

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.