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2024 Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Plains States Region

64 Colleges in the Plains States Region
5,158 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$31,173 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.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 64 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 5,158 degrees in health & physical education to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Health & Physical Education School

Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Plains States Region 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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. 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 the Plains States Region

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 Plains States Region Schools in Phys Ed

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
622 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$31,109 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Iowa if you wish to pursue a degree in health & physical education. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were roughly 622 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the phys ed program make about $31,109 for their early career.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
251 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in health & physical education needs to check out Iowa State University. Iowa State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ames. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were about 251 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the phys ed program earn about $32,074 in the first couple years of working.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat University of Minnesota - Twin Cities if you wish to pursue a degree in health & physical education. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 113 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn $2,057 more than the standard phys ed grad.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$37,852 Median Starting Salary

Minnesota State University - Mankato is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in health & physical education. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public university located in the city of Mankato. A Best Colleges rank of #351 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Minnesota State Mankato is a great university overall.

There were approximately 129 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State Mankato in the most recent year we have data available. Those health & physical education students who get their degree from Minnesota State University - Mankato make $6,678 more than the typical phys ed graduate.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Minnesota State University - Mankato

5
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
214 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
15.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 214 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the phys ed program state that they receive average early career income of $28,152.

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

6
Loras crest
Loras College
Dubuque, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$33,391 Median Starting Salary

Loras is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Dubuque. This college ranks 16th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 32 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Loras in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the health & physical education degree program at Loras College get $2,218 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
7.2% Growth in Graduates

St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Davenport. This university ranks 10th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 69 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at St. Ambrose University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the phys ed program make an average of $25,757 in the first couple years of their career.

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

8
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
65 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$37,552 Median Starting Salary

Located in the distant town of Winona, Winona State is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 17th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 65 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Winona State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the health & physical education major at Winona State University earn $6,379 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
32.7% Growth in Graduates

Maryville U is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #202 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Maryville U is a great university overall.

There were about 49 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Maryville U in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the health & physical education program at Maryville University of Saint Louis make $9,407 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in health & physical education from Maryville University of Saint Louis

10
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
122 Phys Ed Degrees Awarded
$32,635 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 15th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 122 health & physical education students who graduated with this degree at Lindenwood University in the most recent data year. After graduation, phys ed degree recipients generally earn about $32,635 in their early careers.

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

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Health & Physical Education students in the Plains States Region that almost earned our Best Health & Physical Education Schools in the Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
11 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
12 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
13 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
14 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
15 Simpson College Indianola, IA
16 Dickinson State University Dickinson, ND

Best Health & Physical Education Colleges by State

Explore the best health & physical education colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 999
Missouri 283 1,112
Kansas 266 663
Iowa 264 1,351
Nebraska 238 351
North Dakota 210 266
South Dakota 204 311

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 2,904
Sports Management 1,444
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness General 505
Outdoor Health & Physical Education/Fitness 170
Physical Fitness Technician 70
Sports Studies 65

View All Phys Ed Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Phys Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 444
Recreation Administration 167
Outdoor Education 31
Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 11

View All Phys Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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