Best Exercise Physiologist programs in Minnesota, ranked by enrollment
Assess, plan, or implement fitness programs that include exercise or physical activities such as those designed to improve cardiorespiratory function, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, or.
33 schools in Minnesota run programs that feed this job, graduating 855 people a year. The job pays a median of $67,230 in Minnesota across about 250 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Minnesota that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
2 programs in Minnesota that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Minnesota (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 Minnesota page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exercise Science and Kinesiologymain feeder CIP 31.0505In Minnesota → | 556 | 65.0% | 27 | $30,426 | $25,643 |
| 2 | Exercise Physiology and Kinesiologymain feeder CIP 26.0908In Minnesota → | 299 | 35.0% | 6 | $31,146 | $23,384 |
Top 25 schools in Minnesota
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 33 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 190 | Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology | $31,613 | 85% | — | 80% |
| 2 | Concordia University - Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 114 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | $33,744 | 46% | $17,328 | 79% |
| 3 | University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 75 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | $33,055 | 65% | — | 89% |
| 4 | The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 49 | Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology | — | 71% | $21,150 | 93% |
| 5 | Winona State University Winona, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 42 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | $41,742 | 57% | — | 75% |
| 6 | University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 39 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | — | 76% | $28,888 | 85% |
| 7 | Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 37 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | $32,802 | 45% | — | 62% |
| 8 | Bethel University Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 36 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | $31,919 | 71% | $25,225 | 88% |
| 9 | St Olaf College Northfield, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 32 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | $33,577 | 84% | $18,124 | 48% |
| 10 | University of Northwestern - St Paul Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 29 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | $30,176 | 68% | $23,114 | 93% |
| 11 | College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 27 | Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology | — | 77% | $22,583 | 92% |
| 12 | Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 24 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | $32,388 | 48% | — | 56% |
| 13 | Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | $38,088 | 57% | — | 59% |
| 14 | Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 22 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | — | 40% | — | 95% |
| 15 | Hamline University Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | — | 60% | $20,981 | 88% |
| 16 | Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | $37,473 | 52% | $23,585 | 82% |
| 17 | Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology | — | 75% | $19,900 | 91% |
| 18 | Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | — | 61% | $23,425 | 63% |
| 19 | Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology | — | 54% | — | 88% |
| 20 | Anoka - Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | — | 30% | — | — |
| 21 | Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology | — | 55% | $16,550 | 39% |
| 22 | Crown College Saint Bonifacius, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | — | 45% | $26,706 | 23% |
| 23 | Century College White Bear Lake, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | — | 31% | — | — |
| 24 | Minnesota North College Hibbing, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | — | 42% | — | — |
| 25 | Normandale Community College Bloomington, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Exercise Science and Kinesiology | — | 27% | — | — |
All 33 schools in Minnesota
Every school in Minnesota 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.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis | Public | 190 | 1 |
| Concordia University - Saint Paul | Saint Paul | Private not-for-profit | 114 | 1 |
| University of Minnesota - Duluth | Duluth | Public | 75 | 1 |
| The College of Saint Scholastica | Duluth | Private not-for-profit | 49 | 1 |
| Winona State University | Winona | Public | 42 | 1 |
| University of St Thomas | Saint Paul | Private not-for-profit | 39 | 1 |
| Southwest Minnesota State University | Marshall | Public | 37 | 1 |
| Bethel University | Saint Paul | Private not-for-profit | 36 | 1 |
| St Olaf College | Northfield | Private not-for-profit | 32 | 1 |
| University of Northwestern - St Paul | Saint Paul | Private not-for-profit | 29 | 1 |
| College of Saint Benedict | Saint Joseph | Private not-for-profit | 27 | 1 |
| Bemidji State University | Bemidji | Public | 24 | 1 |
| Minnesota State University Moorhead | Moorhead | Public | 23 | 1 |
| Saint Cloud State University | Saint Cloud | Public | 22 | 1 |
| Hamline University | Saint Paul | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 1 |
What exercise physiologists earn in Minnesota
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $59,460. Minnesota pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Minnesota employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Minnesota
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
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 Exercise Physiologists page.
How to become a Exercise Physiologist
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
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Minnesota
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Exercise Physiologists3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 26.0908Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology
- 31.0505Exercise Science and Kinesiology
- 51.2311Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist
Common questions
Answers for people weighing exercise physiologists programs in Minnesota.
What degree do you need to become an Exercise Physiologist?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Exercise Science and Kinesiology, which awarded 556 degrees in Minnesota in 2024-25, 65.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Exercise Physiologist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this occupation. The largest are Sports, Physiology. Together they graduate about 855 people a year in Minnesota.
How much do exercise physiologists earn in Minnesota?+
The median is $67,230 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 13.1% above the U.S. median of $59,460. 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 exercise physiologists growing?+
BLS projects a +9.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 1,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Minnesota?+
33 institutions in Minnesota reported graduates from at least one of the 2 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 exercise physiologists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Exercise Specialist, Exercise Physiologist, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1128.
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 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected 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 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, 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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