undergradly.
Major · Kinesiology

A catchall code housing specialized fitness and sports tracks

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other (CIP 31.0599) is the catchall code for specialized programs in this concentration not fitting a named CIP. About 836 students complete it across 67 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $53,902.

Schools offering
67
Annual completions
836
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$53k

About this major

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other (CIP 31.0599) is the catchall code universities use for specialized programs in this concentration that don’t fit a named CIP sub-discipline. The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in sports, kinesiology, and physical education/fitness not listed above. In practice, this code houses programs that don’t map cleanly to Exercise Science and Kinesiology (31.0505, 28,901 completions), Sport and Fitness Administration/Management (31.0504, 12,019), Sports/Kin/PE General (31.0501, 11,042), Physical Fitness Technician (31.0507), or Sports Studies (31.0508). Examples include health-and-human-performance integrated programs, athletic-coaching specializations, and applied-fitness programs that fall between the named CIPs. Specific program content varies considerably by institution.

The major fits students drawn to the science of movement and the practice of fitness, sport, or physical education — comfortable with anatomy, physiology, and exercise-science fundamentals, and considering careers in fitness, coaching, school PE, or graduate study toward physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, or kinesiology research. It rewards interest in human performance, comfort with both lab and field components of training, and the patience to plan a credentialing path that often extends beyond the bachelor’s.

One grounded observation about scale, school mix, and credential ceiling: 836 students complete this CIP across 67 institutions, with University of North Georgia producing 154 graduates (18% of national output) through its Health and Physical Education programs. Wisconsin-Madison (88), La Verne (68), and Arizona State Campus Immersion (59) round out the top tier. Bachelor’s graduates earn $53,902 in five-year tracked wages — close to BLS exercise-physiologist medians and consistent with bachelor’s-tier fitness-industry pay. The data packet doesn’t list specific BLS destinations, common with catchall codes. The named labor-market destinations from related fields (athletic trainer, physical therapist, occupational therapist, school PE teacher) all sit behind credential gates — master’s for athletic training, doctorate for PT/OT, state certification for K-12 PE — making the bachelor’s preparatory rather than terminal for those tracks.

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.

No federal crosswalk data available for this major yet.

Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

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

Median 5-year earnings

$53k

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

Associate's

$41k

Bachelor's

$54k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you’re drawn to the science of movement and fitness or sport practice, comfortable with anatomy, physiology, and exercise-science coursework, you’re considering graduate study toward physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, or kinesiology research and using the bachelor’s as preparation, you’ve checked your specific program’s curriculum for the prerequisites your target graduate program requires (DPT/OTD: anatomy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, statistics, psychology), and the $42,000 associate’s or $54,000 bachelor’s wage range matches your expectations.

Think twice if a named CIP is available at your school — Exercise Science and Kinesiology (CIP 31.0505, 28,901 completions), Sport and Fitness Administration (31.0504, 12,019), or Sports/Kinesiology/PE General (31.0501, 11,042) all offer larger, more standardized credentials with clearer employer recognition for the bachelor’s-tier roles in this concentration. Reconsider if your goal is athletic training; the BOC credential now requires a CAATE-accredited master’s, so verify your program articulates cleanly to a master’s program. Also pause if your eventual goal is K-12 physical-education teaching — that path uses Physical Education Teaching and Coaching (CIP 13.1314, 4,787 completions) with state-licensure preparation, a different credential.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA 0 154 154
University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 0 88 88
University of La Verne La Verne, CA 0 68 68
Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ 0 59 59
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA 0 49 49
Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN 0 33 33
University of Evansville Evansville, IN 0 29 29
Benedictine College Atchison, KS 0 25 25
Mount Marty University Yankton, SD 0 25 25
Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 0 23 23
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Exercise Science and Kinesiology

28,901 completions/yr

Sport and Fitness Administration/Management

12,019 completions/yr

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General

11,042 completions/yr

Physical Fitness Technician

404 completions/yr

Sports Studies

356 completions/yr

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other

308 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this catchall CIP actually cover?
The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in sports, kinesiology, and physical education/fitness not listed above. In practice, this code houses programs that don’t map cleanly to Exercise Science and Kinesiology (31.0505), Sport and Fitness Administration/Management (31.0504), Sports Studies (31.0508), Physical Fitness Technician (31.0507), or the general 31.0501 catchall. Examples include health and human performance integrated programs, athletic-coaching specializations, and applied-fitness programs that don’t fit named CIPs. Specific program content varies considerably by institution.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
The packet doesn’t list specific BLS occupations, common with catchall codes. Realistic destinations follow program focus: athletic trainer (typically requires master’s for certification now), exercise physiologist, fitness director, strength-and-conditioning coach (CSCS certification driven), corporate wellness coordinator, recreation programs coordinator, and continued study toward DPT, OTD, or kinesiology graduate work. Bachelor’s graduates earn $53,902 in five-year tracked wages — close to BLS exercise-physiologist medians ($55,310) and consistent with bachelor’s-tier fitness-industry pay.
How does this compare to named CIPs in the concentration?
Named CIPs are dramatically larger. Exercise Science and Kinesiology (CIP 31.0505) at 28,901 completions is the dominant pre-PT and exercise-physiology credential. Sport and Fitness Administration/Management (31.0504) at 12,019 is the named sport-business track. Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General (31.0501) at 11,042 is the broad named catchall. The 31.0599 catchall sits at 836 — a small fraction. If your target career is exercise science, sport management, or general kinesiology, the named CIPs offer larger, more standardized credentials with clearer employer recognition.
Why does University of North Georgia dominate the school list?
University of North Georgia produces 154 graduates — roughly 18% of national completions in this CIP — through its Health and Physical Education programs that slot under 31.0599 rather than under a more specific named CIP. Wisconsin-Madison (88), La Verne (68), Arizona State Campus Immersion (59), Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (49), Gustavus Adolphus (33), and Evansville (29) round out the top tier. The credential signal differs sharply by school. Most top producers are bachelor’s-degree-granting universities with established kinesiology or HPE programs.
Is this the right path for athletic training?
Probably not directly. The Athletic Trainer credential (BOC certification, required to practice in most states) now requires a master’s degree from a CAATE-accredited Athletic Training program — a 2020 transition that closed the bachelor’s-only path. Most students aiming at athletic training complete a related bachelor’s (Exercise Science, Kinesiology, or this catchall) and then a CAATE master’s. If your school’s 31.0599 program doesn’t articulate to a CAATE master’s, the path is longer and less clear. Verify articulation explicitly.
Is this the right path for pre-PT or pre-OT?
Possibly, depending on program-specific prerequisites. DPT and OTD programs require specific bachelor’s prerequisites (anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, exercise physiology, statistics, psychology). If your 31.0599 program covers those, it’s a viable pre-PT or pre-OT path. Exercise Science and Kinesiology (CIP 31.0505) is the more widely-recognized pre-PT credential and is offered at far more schools. Rehabilitation Science (CIP 51.2314) is a more focused alternative if your school offers it. Check the catalog for specific DPT/OTD prerequisite coverage at your target program.