Connecticut · Sports

Best colleges for Sports in Connecticut

Ranked by graduate earnings

Central Connecticut State University, University of Connecticut and Southern Connecticut State University are the top bachelor's Sports programs in Connecticut by graduate earnings. Central Connecticut State University leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $35,701, College Scorecard. University of Connecticut, University of Hartford and Central Connecticut State University award the most Sports degrees in Connecticut: 96, 41 and 37 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 14 Connecticut colleges offer Sports and award 342 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Sports program, officially titled Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, focuses on the study of physical activity, fitness, and recreation. This program is designed for individuals interested in promoting health and…

Related programs you can study
Institutions
14
offering CIP 31.05
States & territories
53
with a program page
Degrees / yr
342
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$29,592
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
6
College Scorecard
Median net price
$30,734
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
54%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Exercise Physiologists
$63,140
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 6 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Central Connecticut State University
New Britain Public · Bachelor's degree
$35,7013748%—$26,000
2University of Connecticut
Storrs Public · Bachelor's degree
$32,5869683%—$23,125
3Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven Public · Bachelor's degree
$24,0293150%—$26,000
4Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic Public · Bachelor's degree Small program
$34,132958%—$25,500
5Post University
Waterbury Private for-profit · Bachelor's degree Online
$29,5923225%$14,659$31,250
6Mitchell College
New London Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Small program
$27,0071942%$30,734—

Colleges awarding the most Sports degrees in Connecticut

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of Connecticut
Storrs Public
96$32,586
2University of Hartford
West Hartford Private not-for-profit
41Not reported
3Central Connecticut State University
New Britain Public
37$35,701
4Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven Public
31$24,029
5Mitchell College
New London Private not-for-profit
19$27,007
6University of Bridgeport
Bridgeport Private not-for-profit
13Not reported
7Albertus Magnus College
New Haven Private not-for-profit
11Not reported
8University of Saint Joseph
West Hartford Private not-for-profit
10Not reported
9Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic Public
9$34,132
10University of New Haven
West Haven Private not-for-profit
8Not reported
Show the other 4 Connecticut colleges offering Sports
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Post University (Online)WaterburyPrivate for-profit32
Connecticut State Community CollegeNew BritainPublic25
Quinnipiac UniversityHamdenPrivate not-for-profit6
Fairfield UniversityFairfieldPrivate not-for-profit4

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Exercise Physiologists (SOC 29-1128).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+9.5%
Much faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~1,700
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$58,160
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Critical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionWritingMonitoring

What Exercise Physiologists earn in Connecticut

Jobs in Connecticut
100
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$63,140
median $62,510
Best-paying metro
$65,490
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

Related careers

Coaches and Scouts
$67,480 avg · 4,070 jobs
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
$66,870 avg · 2,850 jobs
Athletic Trainers
$74,680 avg · 290 jobs
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
$81,480 avg · 190 jobs
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
$84,560 avg · 130 jobs
Exercise Physiologists
$63,140 avg · 100 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Sports programs in Connecticut.

Which Connecticut colleges award the most Sports degrees?+

University of Connecticut (96 graduates a year), University of Hartford (41 graduates a year) and Central Connecticut State University (37 graduates a year) award the most Sports degrees in Connecticut, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 14 Connecticut colleges offer Sports.

What is the best college for Sports in Connecticut?+

By graduate earnings, Central Connecticut State University leads among bachelor's Sports programs in Connecticut, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $35,701, College Scorecard. University of Connecticut and Southern Connecticut State University follow. By degrees awarded, University of Connecticut is the largest, with 96 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Sports program in Connecticut has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Central Connecticut State University tops the list at $35,701. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Exercise Physiologists earn in Connecticut?+

The average annual wage for Exercise Physiologists in Connecticut is $63,140 (median $62,510), across about 100 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Sports program?+

The Sports program, officially titled Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, focuses on the study of physical activity, fitness, and recreation. This program is designed for individuals interested in promoting health and…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop critical thinking, active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Exercise Physiologists?+

The national job outlook is about +9.5% growth with around 1,700 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Related programs in ConnecticutParksParksOutdoor EducationParks

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card