undergradly.
Major · Biological & Biomedical Sciences

The science of how bodies move, adapt, and recover under physical stress

Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology examines the biological mechanisms behind physical activity — muscle contraction, cardiovascular response, neuromotor control, and the effects of training, injury, and disease on the body. About 5,770 degrees are awarded annually across 117 colleges, primarily at the bachelor's level. It is one of the few programs in the biological sciences where a bachelor's alone opens a licensed, patient-facing career path.

Schools offering
117
Annual completions
5,770
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$62k

About this major

Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology is defined by the CIP system as the scientific study of physiological processes involved in physical or motor activity — including sensorimotor interactions, response mechanisms, and the effects of injury, disease, and disability on movement and performance. In practice, the major covers muscular and skeletal anatomy, the molecular and cellular basis of muscle contraction, neurophysiology of motor mechanics, fuel utilization during exercise, and how body systems — circulatory, respiratory, endocrine — respond and adapt to physical demands. Students spend substantial time in labs running metabolic tests, analyzing gait and movement mechanics, and interpreting physiological measurements. It rewards students who want biology to have a direct physical and clinical application.

The degree sits at an unusual position within the biological sciences. Unlike most fields in this concentration, Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology has a clearly defined bachelor's-level career pathway: exercise physiologist, a licensed clinical role with a $58,160 median wage and 9.5% projected growth. That makes it distinct from adjacent biological sciences majors — Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Cell Biology — where the bachelor's is almost universally a stepping stone to graduate training and the entry-level roles with only a bachelor's pay considerably less. Students in this major can reach a meaningful professional destination without a graduate degree, though most who want to advance into physical therapy, sports medicine, cardiac rehabilitation research, or higher education will continue their education.

The field is moderate in scale: about 5,770 degrees are awarded each year across 117 colleges, predominantly at the bachelor's level. Texas Tech, Brigham Young University, the University of Utah, and the University of Florida are among the largest programs by graduate output. A closely related major — Exercise Science and Kinesiology under CIP 31.0505, in the Parks and Recreation concentration — is roughly five times larger at 28,900 annual completions. The two tracks cover similar territory but differ in their biological science depth and in how graduate programs classify applicants.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists $101k +8.7% Doctoral or professional degree
Biological science teachers, postsecondary $83k +7.3% Doctoral or professional degree
Exercise physiologists $58k +9.5% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$62k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$20k

Bachelor's

$63k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you're drawn to understanding biology in the context of human movement and physical performance — if questions about how the cardiovascular system adapts to endurance training, how muscle fibers recover from injury, or how metabolic efficiency changes with conditioning feel more engaging than abstract molecular research. You may also fit well if you're aiming toward a clinical career that touches exercise and rehabilitation: the bachelor's in this field opens exercise physiologist roles directly, and the coursework overlaps meaningfully with graduate prerequisites for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and physician assistant programs. If you want a biological sciences degree that has a more legible undergraduate career endpoint than most, this major is one of the cleaner options in that concentration.

Think twice if you're expecting the associate's path to deliver meaningful standalone outcomes — the data shows associate's completers in this field at about $20,189 median five-year earnings, which points to the associate's functioning primarily as a transfer credential rather than a terminal degree. Think twice also if your goal is research science or academic medicine: the two highest-earning careers in this major's tracked data — medical scientists at $100,590 and postsecondary biological science teachers at $83,460 — both require doctoral degrees, and Exercise Physiology is not the most direct route into those tracks compared to Biochemistry or Biomedical Sciences. And if your interest is in fitness and sport performance without the clinical physiology emphasis, the larger Exercise Science and Kinesiology field (31.0505) may be a better fit — it has five times the enrollment and is more directly aligned with coaching, sport management, and fitness industry roles.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX 0 285 285
Brigham Young University Provo, UT 0 259 259
University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT 0 255 255
University of Florida Gainesville, FL 0 206 206
Auburn University Auburn, AL 0 202 202
Appalachian State University Boone, NC 0 197 197
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC 0 179 179
University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA 0 177 177
University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC 0 173 173
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN 0 168 168
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Exercise Science and Kinesiology

28,901 completions/yr

Biochemistry

8,736 completions/yr

Biomedical Sciences, General

6,553 completions/yr

Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology

3,392 completions/yr

Physiology, General

1,875 completions/yr

Molecular Biology

817 completions/yr

Anatomy

681 completions/yr

Neurobiology and Anatomy

652 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology majors actually study?
The curriculum covers muscular and skeletal anatomy, the cellular and molecular basis of muscle contraction, neurophysiology of motor mechanics, cardiovascular and respiratory responses to exercise, fuel utilization during activity, and the physiological effects of injury and disease. Lab components are central — students run metabolic testing, measure VO2 max and lactate thresholds, and analyze movement mechanics. Upper-division coursework typically branches into exercise prescription, clinical applications, and research methods.
Is an associate's degree in this field worth pursuing?
The data tells a stark story here. Associate's completers in Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology report median five-year earnings of about $20,189 — well below the poverty line for most households. The associate's path in this field does not lead to licensed clinical roles; those require a bachelor's at minimum. An associate's in this area is most defensible as a transfer credential for students planning to complete a bachelor's at a four-year institution, not as a terminal degree.
What jobs are available with just a bachelor's degree?
The most direct career path with a bachelor's is exercise physiologist — the BLS tracks this occupation at a $58,160 median wage with 9.5% projected job growth, and it lists a bachelor's as the typical entry credential. Exercise physiologists work in cardiac rehabilitation programs, clinical settings, fitness facilities, and corporate wellness programs. Other common bachelor's-level destinations — personal training, fitness management, corporate wellness coordination — are not separately tracked in the BLS data but are widely reported by programs.
What's the difference between Exercise Physiology and Exercise Science or Kinesiology?
This major (CIP 26.0908) sits within Biological and Biomedical Sciences and emphasizes the physiological mechanisms of exercise — it's grounded in anatomy, cellular biology, and clinical measurement. Exercise Science and Kinesiology (CIP 31.0505) sits under Parks, Recreation, and Fitness and is far larger — about 28,900 completions per year versus this field's 5,770. The distinction matters mostly for graduate school: if you're targeting clinical exercise physiology, cardiac rehab, or a PhD in exercise science, the 26.09 classification signals a more rigorous biological foundation.
Do most graduates in this field need a graduate degree?
It depends on the direction. If you're targeting exercise physiologist roles in clinical or cardiac rehab settings, a bachelor's is sufficient to enter the field, though a master's improves advancement prospects. If you're aiming at physical therapy, occupational therapy, sports medicine, or physician assistant programs — common next steps for students in this field — you'll need a graduate professional degree. The two BLS careers beyond exercise physiologist in this major's data — medical scientists ($100,590) and postsecondary biological science teachers ($83,460) — both list doctoral degrees as the typical credential.
What are realistic earnings after this degree?
The overall five-year median earnings across completers in this field run about $62,366. Bachelor's completers specifically report about $63,025 at the five-year mark — this reflects a mix of graduates working as exercise physiologists ($58,160 median), those in graduate school or professional programs, and those in adjacent fitness or wellness roles. The ceiling for doctoral-level careers in the field — medical scientists at $100,590 — is meaningful but requires additional years of training past the bachelor's.