Indiana·Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations·SOC 27-2022

Best Coach programs in Indiana, ranked by enrollment

Instruct or coach groups or individuals in the fundamentals of sports for the primary purpose of competition. Demonstrate techniques and methods of participation.

23 schools in Indiana run programs that feed this job, graduating 471 people a year. The job pays a median of $44,480 in Indiana across about 5,960 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledCoachFootball CoachBasketball CoachTrack and Field CoachSki CoachGolf CoachSwim CoachTrack Coach
Graduates / yr
471
in Indiana
Median pay · Indiana
$44,480
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
5,960
people employed
Schools
23
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
59%
across those schools
Median net price
$19,676
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Indiana that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

3 programs in Indiana that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Indiana (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Indiana page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 31.0504In Indiana
327
69.4%
16$30,426$25,643
2
CIP 31.0501In Indiana
76
16.1%
8$30,426$25,643
3
CIP 13.1314In Indiana
68
14.4%
7$43,033$26,044

Top 23 schools in Indiana

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 14 of the 23 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Ball State University
Muncie, IN Public · 2 feeder programs
83Sport and Fitness Administration/Management$35,50062%85%
2Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN Public · 2 feeder programs
65Sport and Fitness Administration/Management$28,97543%81%
3University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, IN Public · 1 feeder programs
46Sport and Fitness Administration/Management$35,58748%96%
4University of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
40Sport and Fitness Administration/Management$38,36456%$18,93066%
5Grace College and Theological Seminary
Winona Lake, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
32Sport and Fitness Administration/Management$32,54969%$16,21682%
6DePauw University
Greencastle, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
22Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General75%$20,87457%
7Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, IN Public · 1 feeder programs
21Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General$35,87380%78%
8Oakland City University
Oakland City, IN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
20Physical Education Teaching and Coaching66%$13,79183%
9Trine University
Angola, IN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
17Sport and Fitness Administration/Management$25,81264%$22,26985%
10Indiana Wesleyan University - Marion
Marion, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
16Sport and Fitness Administration/Management$36,73967%$21,35189%
11Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
14Sport and Fitness Administration/Management$44,93770%$20,15589%
12Saint Mary - of - the - Woods College
Saint Mary of the Woods, IN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
12Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General47%$43,85772%
13Taylor University
Upland, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
12Sport and Fitness Administration/Management74%$20,83674%
14Hanover College
Hanover, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
10Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General$35,08567%$20,44284%
15Huntington University
Huntington, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
10Sport and Fitness Administration/Management64%$13,05676%
16Manchester University
North Manchester, IN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
10Sport and Fitness Administration/Management$29,93646%$17,98071%
17Goshen College
Goshen, IN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
9Physical Education Teaching and Coaching65%$15,43084%
18Indiana University - Kokomo
Kokomo, IN Public · 1 feeder programs
9Sport and Fitness Administration/Management46%86%
19Bethel University
Mishawaka, IN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
7Sport and Fitness Administration/Management$26,79953%$19,67698%
20Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global
Marion, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
7Sport and Fitness Administration/Management35%$18,316
21Vincennes University
Vincennes, IN Public · 1 feeder programs
6Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General39%
22University of Evansville
Evansville, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
2Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General$34,80964%$19,59378%
23Marian University
Indianapolis, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General$33,56467%$23,37195%

All 23 schools in Indiana

Every school in Indiana with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Indiana that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Ball State UniversityMunciePublic832
Indiana State UniversityTerre HautePublic652
University of Southern IndianaEvansvillePublic461
University of IndianapolisIndianapolisPrivate not-for-profit401
Grace College and Theological SeminaryWinona LakePrivate not-for-profit321
DePauw UniversityGreencastlePrivate not-for-profit221
Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomingtonPublic211
Oakland City UniversityOakland CityPrivate not-for-profit202
Trine UniversityAngolaPrivate not-for-profit172
Indiana Wesleyan University - MarionMarionPrivate not-for-profit161
Valparaiso UniversityValparaisoPrivate not-for-profit141
Saint Mary - of - the - Woods CollegeSaint Mary of the WoodsPrivate not-for-profit122
Taylor UniversityUplandPrivate not-for-profit121
Hanover CollegeHanoverPrivate not-for-profit101
Huntington UniversityHuntingtonPrivate not-for-profit101

What coaches and scouts earn in Indiana

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Indiana
$44,480
Mean annual
$55,630
Jobs in state
5,960
What the range looks like
10th pct$25,270Median$44,48090th pct$100,180
Versus the national median
-6.0%

U.S. median $47,320. Indiana pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
1.16×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Indiana

Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
$66,250median
150 jobs
Bloomington, IN
$52,900median
270 jobs
Muncie, IN
$59,640median
80 jobs
Terre Haute, IN
$48,180median
120 jobs
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
$45,410median
2,280 jobs
Evansville, IN
$41,470median
230 jobs
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
$47,280median
490 jobs
Elkhart-Goshen, IN
$40,880median
150 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+6.4%
Faster than average
Openings per year
41,800
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
19,500
306,500 → 326,000
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Coaches and Scouts page.

How to become a Coach

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

SpeakingLearning StrategiesMonitoringReading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical Thinking

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Indiana

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 4 majors mapped to Coaches and Scouts4 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 13.1314Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
  • 31.0501Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General
  • 31.0504Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
  • 42.2815Performance and Sport Psychology

Common questions

Answers for people weighing coaches and scouts programs in Indiana.

What degree do you need to become a Coach?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Sport and Fitness Administration/Management, which awarded 327 degrees in Indiana in 2024-25, 69.4% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Coach?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Sports, Teacher Education and Professional Development. Together they graduate about 471 people a year in Indiana.

How much do coaches and scouts earn in Indiana?+

The median is $44,480 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 6.0% below the U.S. median of $47,320. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for coaches and scouts growing?+

BLS projects a +6.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 41,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Indiana?+

23 institutions in Indiana reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do coaches and scouts work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Coach, Football Coach, Basketball Coach, Track and Field Coach among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-2022.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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