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2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

26 Ranked Colleges
727 Degrees Awarded
$17,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 13,944 people earned their degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general, making the major the 54th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 727 sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree in sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the sports kinesiology and physical education/fitness general program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region physical education students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General in the Great Lakes Region

1
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Michigan University landed the #1 spot on the list. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 2 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $16,007 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Central Michigan University Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical education students list, Illinois State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,830 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students per year to attend Illinois State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Report

3

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 64 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,462 for great lakes region physical education students.

Read more about Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at SIUE

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school handed out 120 degrees to qualified ’s phys ed students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,831 for great lakes region physical education students per year to attend OHIO Athens.

Full OHIO Athens Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s phys ed degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

NIU also made our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $13,956 for great lakes region physical education students per year to attend NIU.

Full NIU Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Report

6

Youngstown State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 4 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for great lakes region physical education students.

Full Youngstown State University Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 32 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $14,565 for great lakes region physical education students.

Read full report on Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

8

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 42 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $13,346 for great lakes region physical education students.

Read more about Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at UW - Stevens Point

9

With a ranking of #9, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 8 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Wright State University - Main Campus also took the #14 spot in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,962 for great lakes region physical education students per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

Read full report on Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Wright State University - Main Campus

10
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 6 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $14,765 for great lakes region physical education students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Ball State

11
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 2 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Purdue University - Main Campus

12
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 3 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Chicago also made our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $17,051 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Concordia University, Chicago

13

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 25 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Indiana University - Bloomington

14

With a ranking of #14, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Ohio State University - Main Campus

15

Baldwin Wallace University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Berea, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s phys ed degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Baldwin Wallace College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $25,361 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students per year to attend Baldwin Wallace College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Baldwin Wallace University

16
Quincy U crest
Quincy University
Quincy, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Quincy University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified ’s phys ed students in 2020-2021.

Quincy U also made our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $16,466 for great lakes region physical education students per year to attend Quincy University.

Full Quincy University Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Report

17

The University of Findlay came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Findlay is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Findlay, Ohio. It awarded 11 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical education students list, Findlay has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Findlay is $25,849 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Findlay

18
Bluffton crest
Bluffton University
Bluffton, Ohio

Bluffton University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Bluffton, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified ’s phys ed students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical education students list, Bluffton has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,407 for great lakes region physical education students per year to attend Bluffton University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Bluffton

19
Muskingum crest
Muskingum University
New Concord, Ohio

Muskingum University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. Muskingum is located in New Concord, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s phys ed degrees to qualified students.

Muskingum also took the #25 spot in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,561 for great lakes region physical education students per year to attend Muskingum University.

Full Muskingum Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Report

20
North Park crest
North Park University
Chicago, Illinois

North Park University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 degrees to qualified ’s phys ed students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical education students list, North Park has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Park is $18,282 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Park Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Report

21
Marian crest
Marian University
Indianapolis, Indiana

Marian University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Marian is a private not-for-profit institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Marian did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Marian is $19,266 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Marian Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Report

22
Calvin crest
Calvin University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Calvin University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Calvin University is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s phys ed degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical education students list, Calvin has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Calvin University is $26,082 for great lakes region physical education students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Calvin University Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Report

23
Hanover crest
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana

Hanover College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Hanover, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified ’s phys ed students in 2020-2021.

Hanover not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Hanover College is $20,732 for great lakes region physical education students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Hanover College

24
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Monmouth is located in Monmouth, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s phys ed degrees to qualified students.

Monmouth also made our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Monmouth is $17,302 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at Monmouth College

25

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 15 ’s phys ed degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Physical Education students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

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