Sport and Fitness Management: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Designed for aspiring leaders in the dynamic world of athletics and wellness, this program equips students with the strategic, operational, and managerial expertise needed to thrive in competitive sport and fitness environments. It integrates core principles from business, coaching, and physical education to prepare professionals for leadership roles across athletic organizations, fitness centers, rehabilitation facilities, and recreational services.
- Program Planning and Development: Learn how to design, implement, and evaluate sport and fitness initiatives tailored to diverse populations and organizational goals.
- Business and Financial Management: Master budgeting, financial forecasting, revenue generation, and cost control strategies essential for sustainable operations in sport and wellness enterprises.
- Sales, Marketing, and Recruitment: Develop skills in brand positioning, customer engagement, digital marketing, and talent acquisition to grow membership and support programs effectively.
- Event Promotion, Scheduling, and Management: Gain hands-on experience in organizing and executing sporting events, from logistics and vendor coordination to crowd management and post-event analysis.
- Facilities Management: Understand the design, maintenance, safety compliance, and operational efficiency of athletic and fitness facilities.
- Public Relations and Community Engagement: Build strategies to enhance organizational reputation, foster stakeholder relationships, and promote positive community impact.
- Legal Aspects of Sports: Explore liability, contracts, athlete rights, compliance with regulations, and risk mitigation in sport and recreation settings.
- Health and Safety Standards: Apply industry-specific protocols to ensure safe environments, prevent injuries, and meet accreditation requirements across sport and fitness operations.
Sport and Fitness Management Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Sport and Fitness Management Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Sport and Fitness Management degrees, including Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling, Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary and Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 603,940 professionals.
National Average Salaries
Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling 11-9072 | $77,180 | $45,320 - $134,680 | 36,700 | $37.11 |
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1193 | $75,890 | $44,150 - $158,240 | 12,680 | N/A |
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors 39-9031 | $46,180 | $27,580 - $82,050 | 303,620 | $22.20 |
Coaches and Scouts 27-2022 | $45,920 | $27,490 - $93,980 | 250,940 | N/A |
Sport and Fitness Management Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $43,385 in Delaware to $77,953 in California—a 80% difference. The highest-paying states include California, District of Columbia, and Massachusetts. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 603,940 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Sport and Fitness Management by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Sport and Fitness Management programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Sport and Fitness Management is found at University of Florida (UF) (367 graduates), University of South Carolina (USC), Columbia (299 graduates), Florida State University (FSU) (286 graduates), Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU) (274 graduates), and Texas A & M University, College Station (255 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 10,026 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Florida (UF) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Residency
|
367 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufl.edu |
University of South Carolina (USC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
299 | Columbia, South Carolina | Public | sc.edu |
Florida State University (FSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
286 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
274 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Public | lsu.edu |
Texas A & M University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
255 | College Station, Texas | Public | tamu.edu |
Concordia University (CUI) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
247 | Irvine, California | Private | cui.edu |
Liberty University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
222 | Lynchburg, Virginia | Private | liberty.edu |
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
212 | Manchester, New Hampshire | Private | snhu.edu |
American Public University System (APUS) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
197 | Charles Town, West Virginia | Private | apus.edu |
University of Michigan (U‑M) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
195 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Public | umich.edu |
James Madison University (JMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
188 | Harrisonburg, Virginia | Public | jmu.edu |
University of Cincinnati (UC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
185 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Public | uc.edu |
Southeastern Oklahoma State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
178 | Durant, Oklahoma | Public | se.edu |
The University of Tennessee |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
165 | Knoxville, Tennessee | Public | utk.edu |
University of Massachusetts |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
164 | Amherst, Massachusetts | Public | umass.edu |
University of Louisville (UofL) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
157 | Louisville, Kentucky | Public | louisville.edu |
Ohio State University |
Bachelor's
|
149 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
University of Georgia (UGA) |
Bachelor's
|
146 | Athens, Georgia | Public | uga.edu |
Southern Methodist University (SMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
142 | Dallas, Texas | Private | smu.edu |
Miami University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
141 | Oxford, Ohio | Public | miamioh.edu |
Georgetown University (GU) |
Master's
|
139 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | georgetown.edu |
University of Iowa |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
139 | Iowa City, Iowa | Public | uiowa.edu |
Temple University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
138 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Public | temple.edu |
State University of New York |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
137 | Cortland, New York | Public | www2.cortland.edu |
Coastal Carolina University (CCU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
134 | Conway, South Carolina | Public | coastal.edu |
University of Miami (UM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
132 | Coral Gables, Florida | Private | miami.edu |
Grand Canyon University (GCU) |
Bachelor's
|
128 | Phoenix, Arizona | Private | gcu.edu |
Texas Tech University (TTU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
128 | Lubbock, Texas | Public | ttu.edu |
Arkansas State University (A-State) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
127 | Jonesboro, Arkansas | Public | astate.edu |
University of Minnesota (UMN) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
117 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Public | twin-cities.umn.edu |
North Carolina State University (NC State) |
Bachelor's
|
115 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Public | ncsu.edu |
Ohio University (OHIO) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
|
113 | Athens, Ohio | Public | ohio.edu |
Kennesaw State University (KSU) |
Bachelor's
|
113 | Kennesaw, Georgia | Public | kennesaw.edu |
Towson University (TU) |
Bachelor's
|
109 | Towson, Maryland | Public | towson.edu |
North Carolina A & T State University (NC A&T) |
Bachelor's
|
105 | Greensboro, North Carolina | Public | ncat.edu |
Monroe College |
Associate's
Bachelor's
|
102 | Bronx, New York | Private | monroecollege.edu |
University of Kansas (KU) |
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
101 | Lawrence, Kansas | Public | ku.edu |
Rutgers University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
99 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
Syracuse University |
Bachelor's
|
96 | Syracuse, New York | Private | syracuse.edu |
The University of Tampa (UTampa) |
Bachelor's
|
82 | Tampa, Florida | Private | ut.edu |
Georgia Southern University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
81 | Statesboro, Georgia | Public | georgiasouthern.edu |
University of San Francisco (USF) |
Master's
|
79 | San Francisco, California | Private | usfca.edu |
St. John's University (SJU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
79 | Queens, New York | Private | stjohns.edu |
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) |
Bachelor's
|
79 | Bowling Green, Ohio | Public | bgsu.edu |
The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
|
78 | Austin, Texas | Public | utexas.edu |
Wingate University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
77 | Wingate, North Carolina | Private | wingate.edu |
University of North Florida (UNF) |
Bachelor's
|
76 | Jacksonville, Florida | Public | unf.edu |
University of Florida (UF Online) |
Bachelor's
|
73 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufonline.ufl.edu |
Endicott College |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
71 | Beverly, Massachusetts | Private | endicott.edu |
University of Houston (UH) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
71 | Houston, Texas | Public | uh.edu |
Central Michigan University (CMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
69 | Mount Pleasant, Michigan | Public | cmich.edu |
University of Memphis (UofM) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
69 | Memphis, Tennessee | Public | memphis.edu |
Western Michigan University (WMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
68 | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Public | wmich.edu |
Western Carolina University (WCU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
67 | Cullowhee, North Carolina | Public | wcu.edu |
University of Southern Mississippi (USM) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
66 | Hattiesburg, Mississippi | Public | usm.edu |
East Tennessee State University (ETSU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
66 | Johnson City, Tennessee | Public | etsu.edu |
Washington State University (WSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
66 | Pullman, Washington | Public | wsu.edu |
Minnesota State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
65 | Mankato, Minnesota | Public | mnsu.edu |
Kent State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
65 | Kent, Ohio | Public | kent.edu |
Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Professional)
|
65 | California, Pennsylvania | Public | pennwest.edu |
Columbia University in the City of New York |
Master's
|
64 | New York, New York | Private | columbia.edu |
Concordia University (CUC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
63 | River Forest, Illinois | Private | cuchicago.edu |
Northern Illinois University (NIU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
63 | Dekalb, Illinois | Public | niu.edu |
Wayne State University (WSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
63 | Detroit, Michigan | Public | wayne.edu |
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) |
Bachelor's
|
61 | Allendale, Michigan | Public | gvsu.edu |
Xavier University (XU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
61 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Private | xavier.edu |
Wichita State University (WSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
60 | Wichita, Kansas | Public | wichita.edu |
University of Wisconsin |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
58 | Kenosha, Wisconsin | Public | uwp.edu |
Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
57 | New Haven, Connecticut | Public | southernct.edu |
University of Delaware (UD) |
Bachelor's
|
57 | Newark, Delaware | Public | udel.edu |
Ball State University (BSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
57 | Muncie, Indiana | Public | bsu.edu |
University of Connecticut (UConn) |
Bachelor's
|
56 | Storrs, Connecticut | Public | uconn.edu |
Gonzaga University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
56 | Spokane, Washington | Private | gonzaga.edu |
Clemson University |
Master's
|
54 | Clemson, South Carolina | Public | clemson.edu |
Texas State University (TXST) |
Bachelor's
|
54 | San Marcos, Texas | Public | txst.edu |
California State University (CSULB) |
Master's
|
53 | Long Beach, California | Public | csulb.edu |
Farmingdale State College |
Bachelor's
|
53 | Farmingdale, New York | Public | farmingdale.edu |
Old Dominion University (ODU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
53 | Norfolk, Virginia | Public | odu.edu |
Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) |
Bachelor's
|
52 | Richmond, Kentucky | Public | eku.edu |
Canisius University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
52 | Buffalo, New York | Private | canisius.edu |
Indiana State University (ISU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
51 | Terre Haute, Indiana | Public | indstate.edu |
SUNY Oneonta |
Bachelor's
|
51 | Oneonta, New York | Public | suny.oneonta.edu |
Elon University |
Bachelor's
|
51 | Elon, North Carolina | Private | elon.edu |
Northwestern University |
Master's
Post-Master's
|
50 | Evanston, Illinois | Private | northwestern.edu |
Boston College (BC) |
Master's
|
50 | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | Private | bc.edu |
Tiffin University (TU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
50 | Tiffin, Ohio | Private | tiffin.edu |
Baldwin Wallace University (BW) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
47 | Berea, Ohio | Private | bw.edu |
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) |
Master's
|
47 | Richmond, Virginia | Public | vcu.edu |
Springfield College |
Bachelor's
|
46 | Springfield, Massachusetts | Private | springfield.edu |
Eastern Michigan University (EMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
46 | Ypsilanti, Michigan | Public | emich.edu |
University of Central Missouri (UCM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
46 | Warrensburg, Missouri | Public | ucmo.edu |
SUNY Brockport |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
45 | Brockport, New York | Public | brockport.edu |
Merrimack College |
Bachelor's
|
44 | North Andover, Massachusetts | Private | merrimack.edu |
Davenport University |
Bachelor's
|
44 | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Private | davenport.edu |
University of New Hampshire (UNH) |
Bachelor's
|
44 | Durham, New Hampshire | Public | unh.edu |
Benedict College |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
44 | Columbia, South Carolina | Private | benedict.edu |
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
43 | Grand Junction, Colorado | Public | coloradomesa.edu |
Drexel University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
43 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | drexel.edu |
University of Arizona |
Other Award
|
42 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
Bryan University |
Bachelor's
|
42 | Tempe, Arizona | Private | bryanuniversity.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Sport and Fitness Management programs
How much can I earn with a Sport and Fitness Management degree?
Salaries for Sport and Fitness Management graduates vary by role and location. Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling earn a median of $77,180 annually, while Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary earn around $75,890. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $77,953 compared to $43,385 in Delaware. Approximately 603,940 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Sport and Fitness Management programs?
Currently 655 accredited institutions offer Sport and Fitness Management degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of Florida (UF) (367 graduates), University of South Carolina (USC), Columbia (299 graduates), and Florida State University (FSU) (286 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Sport and Fitness Management growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 8,848 in 2010 to 17,472 in 2023-24. This represents a 97% increase overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Sport and Fitness Management degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling, Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary, and Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors. Related occupations employ approximately 603,940 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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