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2024 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in North Carolina

31 Colleges in North Carolina
3,043 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$26,744 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #11 in popularity, health & physical education is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual reviewed 31 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of health & physical education. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,043 degrees in health & physical education during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Health & Physical Education School

Best Health & Physical Education Schools in North Carolina The phys ed program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Health & Physical Education rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for health & physical education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Health & Physical Education Degree Level

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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Health & Physical Education Schools in North Carolina list to help you make the college decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Health & Physical Education in North Carolina

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the phys ed degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top North Carolina Schools in Phys Ed

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
401 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
4.5% Growth in Graduates

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in health & physical education. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were roughly 401 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill receive $9,921 more than the standard phys ed graduate.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In NC
181 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded

University of North Carolina at Wilmington is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in health & physical education. UNCW is a fairly large public university located in the city of Wilmington. A Best Colleges rank of #457 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNCW is a great university overall.

There were about 181 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UNCW in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of North Carolina at Wilmington

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
21.9% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in health & physical education needs to check out North Carolina State University. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 114 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the health & physical education program at North Carolina State University get $7,419 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

4
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$24,425 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in health & physical education needs to take a look at Wake Forest University. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #128 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Wake Forest University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 69 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the phys ed program make around $24,425 in the first couple years of working.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
249 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$30,190 Median Starting Salary

Appalachian State is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Boone. A Best Colleges rank of #445 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Appalachian State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 249 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State in the most recent year we have data available. Health & Physical Education degree recipients from Appalachian State University earn a boost of approximately $3,445 above the average income of health & physical education graduates.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$31,398 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #414 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ECU is a great university overall.

There were about 157 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent year we have data available. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from East Carolina University earn $4,653 more than the average phys ed graduate.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
232 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
22.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #623 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNC Greensboro is a great university overall.

There were approximately 232 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UNC Greensboro in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, phys ed degree recipients usually earn an average of $26,789 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

8
Campbell crest
Campbell University
Buies Creek, NC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$22,773 Median Starting Salary

Located in the fringe town of Buies Creek, Campbell is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1038 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Campbell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 82 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Campbell in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, phys ed degree recipients usually make around $22,773 at the beginning of their careers.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$32,747 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #859 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 52 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at WCU in the most recent year we have data available. Health & Physical Education degree recipients from Western Carolina University receive an earnings boost of around $6,003 over the average income of health & physical education majors.

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

10
Gardner - Webb crest
Gardner - Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$27,205 Median Starting Salary
$26,875 Median Student Debt

Gardner - Webb is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Boiling Springs. A Best Colleges rank of #1093 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Gardner - Webb is a great university overall.

There were approximately 19 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Gardner - Webb 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 $27,205.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Gardner - Webb University

Best Health & Physical Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Health & Physical Education Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 1,801
Florida 282 1,944
Virginia 274 1,581
Tennessee 269 2,402
South Carolina 248 1,140
Kentucky 244 952
Louisiana 242 678
Mississippi 234 1,043
Arkansas 234 854
Alabama 233 858
West Virginia 207 1,158

View All Rankings >

Health & Physical Education is one of 4 different types of Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies programs to choose from.

Phys Ed Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 1,238
Sports Management 764
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 751
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 166
Physical Fitness Technician 75
Sports Studies 49

View All Phys Ed Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Recreation Administration 356
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 125
Outdoor Education 41

View All Phys Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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