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2024 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in Illinois

20 Colleges in Illinois
2,044 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$33,016 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in health & physical education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #11 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 20 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for health & physical education students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,044 degrees in health & physical education during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Health & Physical Education School

Best Health & Physical Education Schools in Illinois Your choice of health & physical education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Health & Physical Education School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Health & Physical Education Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Phys Ed
Master's Degrees in Phys Ed
Doctor's Degrees in Phys Ed

The phys ed school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Health & Physical Education Schools in Illinois. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Health & Physical Education in Illinois

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the phys ed degree levels they offer.

10 Top Illinois Schools in Phys Ed

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
37.1% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in health & physical education needs to look into Northwestern University. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 62 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from Northwestern University earn $15,881 more than the standard phys ed student.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
175 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$24,883 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in health & physical education. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 175 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. After graduating, phys ed degree recipients usually make about $24,883 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
429 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
20.0% Growth in Graduates

Concordia University, Chicago is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in health & physical education. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of River Forest. A Best Colleges rank of #170 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Concordia University, Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 429 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Concordia University, Chicago in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the health & physical education program at Concordia University, Chicago earn $7,030 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Concordia University, Chicago

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$29,899 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in health & physical education has to check out University of Illinois at Chicago. UIC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 155 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the phys ed program make about $29,899 for their early career.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of Illinois at Chicago

5
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$30,299 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Naperville, North Central is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #568 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means North Central is a great college overall.

There were about 55 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at North Central in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program state that they receive average early career wages of $30,299.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from North Central College

6
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$27,486 Median Starting Salary
$24,899 Median Student Debt

Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Elmhurst. A Best Colleges rank of #403 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Elmhurst is a great university overall.

There were roughly 25 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Elmhurst in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program state that they receive average early career income of $27,486.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Elmhurst University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
3.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #545 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 92 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program state that they receive average early career earnings of $30,845.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

8
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
34.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #354 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Aurora is a great university overall.

There were approximately 86 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Aurora in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program report average early career income of $27,066.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Aurora University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
136 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$35,346 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were about 136 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from Illinois State University receive $2,330 more than the standard phys ed graduate.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Illinois State University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
11.2% Growth in Graduates

NIU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Dekalb. A Best Colleges rank of #550 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NIU is a great university overall.

There were about 98 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. Health & Physical Education degree recipients from Northern Illinois University earn a boost of approximately $2,585 over the average income of health & physical education graduates.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Northern Illinois University

Best Health & Physical Education Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 2,199
Ohio 314 2,493
Indiana 294 1,564
Wisconsin 273 938

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies area of study, Health & Physical Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Phys Ed Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 1,251
Sports Management 452
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 246
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 80
Sports Studies 15

View All Phys Ed Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Phys Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 196
Recreation Administration 188
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 14

View All Phys Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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