undergradly.
Major · Education

Teaching movement, coaching athletes: what this degree actually prepares you for

Physical Education Teaching and Coaching prepares you to deliver PE instruction at the K–12 level and coach sports programs — a dual-track credential that sits at the intersection of education and athletics. Around 4,787 degrees are awarded annually across 496 colleges, with the bachelor's path leading to teaching licensure and a median five-year earnings figure near $51,376.

Schools offering
496
Annual completions
4,787
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$50k

About this major

Physical Education Teaching and Coaching is one of the few undergraduate majors designed explicitly around dual credentials: a teaching license for K–12 physical education and practical coaching competency for sports programs. The CIP definition captures this directly — the program prepares individuals to teach physical education at various educational levels and to coach sports. In practice, that means the curriculum spans two domains: the exercise science foundation (anatomy, exercise physiology, motor learning, biomechanics) that underlies any serious work in movement and fitness, and the pedagogical methods needed to deliver instruction to students across age groups, skill levels, and physical abilities.

Coursework typically covers how children and adolescents develop motor skills at different stages, how to design and assess K–12 PE curricula, how to adapt instruction for students with disabilities through adapted PE, and the fundamentals of sport coaching — tactical knowledge, strength and conditioning concepts, and the administrative responsibilities of running a school athletic program. Every accredited program includes supervised field placements and requires a student teaching semester for students on the licensure track. That clinical requirement makes this major structurally similar to nursing or social work: theory is scaffolded, but credentialing depends on demonstrated performance in supervised practice.

By scale, this is a mid-sized program: roughly 4,787 degrees awarded annually across 496 colleges, which is substantially smaller than broader education majors like Elementary Education (over 31,000 completions per year) but well established enough that programs exist at institutions of every type and size. Louisiana State University leads with 404 completions, followed by University of Kentucky (189) and University of Louisiana at Lafayette (162). The top programs consistently appear at state flagship and regional comprehensive universities — institutions with the field placement infrastructure and coaching partnerships a program like this requires. Two career destinations frame most of the labor market: secondary school PE teacher ($64,580 median wage) for the school-based track, and coaches and scouts ($45,920 median) or exercise trainers ($46,180 median) for the athletics-facing track.

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
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $65k -1.6% Bachelor's degree
Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education $63k -2.0% Bachelor's degree
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors $46k +11.9% High school diploma or equivalent
Coaches and scouts $46k +6.4% Bachelor's degree
Education teachers, postsecondary $72k +2.1% Doctoral or professional degree
Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary $76k +2.4% Doctoral or professional 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

$50k

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

Associate's

$34k

Bachelor's

$51k

Who this major is for

You may be well matched to this major if you've spent real time in organized sports or coached youth athletics and found that your interest extends beyond competing to understanding how movement is taught and how athletes are developed. The daily reality of this work is instructional and relational — managing a gym or field full of students with varying fitness levels and motivation, designing lessons that are both physically engaging and educationally purposeful, and doing that fifty times a week. If that kind of structured, people-facing work appeals to you, and if you're willing to complete a supervised student teaching semester and pursue state teaching licensure, the credential this degree produces is well matched to a clear set of jobs. The five-year median for bachelor's completers sits at around $51,376, which is modest for a four-year credential but in line with teacher pay structures nationally — and secondary school PE teachers earn a $64,580 median wage once placed.

Think twice if your primary draw is competitive athletics and you see coaching as a path to working at an elite level — the coaches and scouts occupation median is $45,920, and most K–12 coaches work as teachers first, with coaching as an assigned or supplemental duty rather than a standalone career. Think twice if you're interested in fitness or movement but not in classrooms — exercise science, kinesiology, or sport management programs may fit better, and shorter certification paths exist for personal training and fitness instruction that don't require a four-year degree. The fitness instructor role shows +11.9% projected growth and doesn't require this credential, which matters if the teaching licensure process doesn't appeal to you. And if geographic flexibility is limited, be aware that PE teaching jobs, like all K–12 positions, are highly localized — hiring depends on district enrollment trends and your state's specific licensure requirements, both of which vary considerably across the country.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Physical Education Teaching and Coaching

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA 0 404 404
University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 0 189 189
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA 0 162 162
State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, NY 0 150 150
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 0 115 115
Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 0 106 106
University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL 0 101 101
Fort Hays State University Hays, KS 0 81 81
SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY 0 74 74
Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA 0 64 64
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Elementary Education and Teaching

31,672 completions/yr

Early Childhood Education and Teaching

19,347 completions/yr

Sport and Fitness Administration/Management

12,019 completions/yr

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General

11,042 completions/yr

Special Education and Teaching, General

5,456 completions/yr

Secondary Education and Teaching

4,057 completions/yr

Teacher Education, Multiple Levels

3,430 completions/yr

Music Teacher Education

3,229 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Physical Education Teaching and Coaching majors actually study?
The curriculum combines exercise science foundations — anatomy, physiology, motor development, biomechanics — with methods courses on how to teach movement skills across age groups. You'll study curriculum design for K–12 PE programs, assessment of student fitness and skill, adapted physical education for students with disabilities, and sport coaching theory. Field placements are built in throughout, and a supervised student teaching semester is required in every accredited program for those pursuing teaching licensure. Coaching-track courses typically cover sport-specific tactics, athletic training fundamentals, strength and conditioning principles, and the administrative side of running a school sports program.
Do I need a bachelor's for this major, or will an associate's work?
For teaching in a K–12 school, a bachelor's is required — every U.S. state mandates at minimum a four-year degree plus a state teaching license to work as a PE teacher. The associate's degree path exists primarily as a transfer vehicle into a bachelor's program, not as a standalone credential for school-based work. The earnings data reflects this: bachelor's completers in this field report a five-year median of about $51,376, while associate's completers show around $34,368 — a substantial gap that largely represents people who haven't completed the credential required for a licensed teaching position. If your goal is coaching rather than classroom teaching, the picture is more nuanced: school coaching jobs often require teaching licensure too, while club and recreational coaching roles may not.
What kinds of jobs do graduates in this major end up in?
The most common destinations are secondary school PE teacher ($64,580 median, -1.6% projected growth) and middle school teacher ($62,970 median, -2% growth). The coaching track leads to the coaches and scouts occupation ($45,920 median, +6.4% growth) or exercise trainer and fitness instructor roles ($46,180 median, +11.9% growth). Note that the fitness instructor and coaching occupations have positive growth projections, while the two teaching tracks show slight national contractions. Postsecondary teaching roles in recreation and fitness ($75,890 median) appear in the career data but require a doctoral degree — well beyond what a bachelor's in this field positions you for without additional graduate study.
How competitive is the job market for PE teachers right now?
The national projections for secondary school teachers are -1.6% and for middle school teachers -2%, meaning both occupations are expected to contract slightly over the forecast period. This reflects broader enrollment and school funding trends rather than a collapse in demand — PE teachers do retire and positions do open, but competition for openings is real. The picture varies meaningfully by region: states with growing student populations will have more openings than states with declining enrollment. Being willing to be geographically flexible or to teach additional subjects — health education is the most common pairing with physical education — improves hiring prospects considerably. The coaching track tells a different story: coaches and scouts show +6.4% projected growth, and fitness instructor roles show +11.9%, both above average.
Is a PE degree the right fit if I want to coach, not teach?
It depends on what level and setting you're targeting. For coaching in a K–12 school, many states require you to also hold a teaching license — so a PE teaching degree is the practical path even if your primary motivation is coaching. For college-level coaching, a degree in a sport-related field is useful background but the actual hiring driver is playing experience, connections, and demonstrated coaching results. For club sports, recreational programs, or personal training, the degree requirement is lower and competition comes from candidates with shorter certification pathways. The $45,920 median wage for coaches and scouts is substantially below what a licensed teacher earns, and coaches at the K–12 level often work as teachers first and coaches as an add-on duty. Understanding that structure before you commit matters.
What related majors should I compare before deciding?
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management (CIP 31.0504, about 12,019 completions per year) is a strong comparison if you're more interested in the business and administrative side of athletics programs. Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General (CIP 31.0501, about 11,042 completions) is a broader-scope alternative that overlaps heavily with PE Teaching but doesn't lock you into the K–12 teaching track. Secondary Education and Teaching (about 4,057 completions) is worth examining if you want to teach a specific academic subject at the secondary level rather than PE specifically. Exercise science and kinesiology programs increasingly position themselves as pre-professional tracks toward physical therapy, athletic training, or strength and conditioning — different career trajectories than K–12 teaching if that's where your interest actually points.