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2024 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in Virginia

14 Colleges in Virginia
1,593 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$32,008 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.

College Factual looked at 14 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in Virginia ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,593 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 Virginia 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. 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.

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

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 Virginia. 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 Virginia

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 Virginia Schools in Phys Ed

1
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
326 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
8.0% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat James Madison University if you want to pursue a degree in health & physical education. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were about 326 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the health & physical education degree program at James Madison University earn $5,583 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
18.8% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Virginia - Main Campus if you want to pursue a degree in health & physical education. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 117 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Health & Physical Education degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus get an earnings boost of around $17,945 above the typical earnings of health & physical education graduates.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of Virginia - Main Campus

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
16.8% Growth in Graduates

George Mason University is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in health & physical education. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 113 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from George Mason University make $2,201 more than the typical phys ed graduate.

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

4
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, VA
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
19.0% Growth in Graduates
$38,731 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in health & physical education has to check out Shenandoah University. Located in the city of Winchester, Shenandoah is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #302 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Shenandoah is a great university overall.

There were approximately 21 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Shenandoah in the most recent year we have data available. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from Shenandoah University receive $6,723 more than the typical phys ed graduate.

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

5
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
125 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$27,366 Median Starting Salary

William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were roughly 125 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, phys ed degree recipients typically earn about $27,366 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from William & Mary

6
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
392 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
14.3% Growth in Graduates

Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lynchburg. This university ranks 12th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 392 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. After graduation, phys ed degree recipients usually earn about $32,791 in their early careers.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
19.8% Growth in Graduates

Old Dominion is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk. This university ranks 14th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 91 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion 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 $29,545.

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

8
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$26,496 Median Starting Salary

Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Salem. This college ranks 24th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 41 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Roanoke in the most recent data year. After graduating, phys ed degree recipients typically make about $26,496 at the beginning of their careers.

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

9
AU crest
Averett University
Danville, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
3.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Danville, AU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 42nd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 32 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at AU 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 $23,288.

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

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$38,805 Median Starting Salary

VCU is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 47 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from Virginia Commonwealth University make $6,797 more than the average phys ed student.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Virginia Commonwealth 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
North Carolina 279 2,932
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
Sports Management 647
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 557
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 349
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 17
Sports Studies 14
Physical Fitness Technician 9

View All Phys Ed Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Phys Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 74
Recreation Administration 63
Outdoor Education 11

View All Phys Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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