Nebraska · Sports

Best colleges for Sports in Nebraska

Ranked by graduate earnings

University of Nebraska at Omaha, Wayne State College and University of Nebraska at Kearney are the top bachelor's Sports programs in Nebraska by graduate earnings. University of Nebraska at Omaha leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $40,683, College Scorecard. University of Nebraska at Omaha, Midland University and Nebraska Wesleyan University award the most Sports degrees in Nebraska: 67, 61 and 39 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 15 Nebraska colleges offer Sports and award 399 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
15
offering CIP 31.05
States & territories
53
with a program page
Degrees / yr
399
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$33,229
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
6
College Scorecard
Median net price
$22,390
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
53%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Exercise Physiologists
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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
1University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha Public · Bachelor's degree
$40,6836747%—$25,661
2Wayne State College
Wayne Public · Bachelor's degree
$35,3433352%—$25,043
3University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney Public · Bachelor's degree
$34,3852558%—$26,500
4Midland University
Fremont Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$31,4756142%$23,162$27,000
5Nebraska Wesleyan University
Lincoln Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$28,7913966%$22,225$27,000
6Bellevue University
Bellevue Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Online
$33,2294833%$29,230—

Colleges awarding the most Sports degrees in Nebraska

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 Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha Public
67$40,683
2Midland University
Fremont Private not-for-profit
61$31,475
3Nebraska Wesleyan University
Lincoln Private not-for-profit
39$28,791
4Wayne State College
Wayne Public
33$35,343
5Concordia University - Nebraska
Seward Private not-for-profit
31Not reported
6Doane University
Crete Private not-for-profit
25Not reported
7University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney Public
25$34,385
8Hastings College
Hastings Private not-for-profit
21Not reported
9College of Saint Mary
Omaha Private not-for-profit
15Not reported
10Northeast Community College
Norfolk Public
11Not reported
Show the other 5 Nebraska colleges offering Sports
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Bellevue University (Online)BellevuePrivate not-for-profit48
Peru State CollegePeruPublic11
Creighton UniversityOmahaPrivate not-for-profit7
Western Nebraska Community CollegeScottsbluffPublic4
Union Adventist UniversityLincolnPrivate not-for-profit1

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 Nebraska

Jobs in Nebraska
—
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
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annual
Best-paying metro
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Related careers

Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
$37,940 avg · 2,410 jobs
Coaches and Scouts
$59,640 avg · 1,180 jobs
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
$71,650 avg · 310 jobs
Athletic Trainers
$62,140 avg · 270 jobs
Athletes and Sports Competitors
—
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
—

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Sports programs in Nebraska.

Which Nebraska colleges award the most Sports degrees?+

University of Nebraska at Omaha (67 graduates a year), Midland University (61 graduates a year) and Nebraska Wesleyan University (39 graduates a year) award the most Sports degrees in Nebraska, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 15 Nebraska colleges offer Sports.

What is the best college for Sports in Nebraska?+

By graduate earnings, University of Nebraska at Omaha leads among bachelor's Sports programs in Nebraska, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $40,683, College Scorecard. Wayne State College and University of Nebraska at Kearney follow. By degrees awarded, University of Nebraska at Omaha is the largest, with 67 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

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

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, University of Nebraska at Omaha tops the list at $40,683. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

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).

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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.

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