Best colleges for Sports in Ohio
Ranked by graduate earnings
Miami University - Oxford, Ohio Dominican University and University of Dayton are the top bachelor's Sports programs in Ohio by graduate earnings. Miami University - Oxford leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $40,486, College Scorecard. Miami University - Oxford, Ohio State University and University of Cincinnati award the most Sports degrees in Ohio: 404, 290 and 249 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 59 Ohio colleges offer Sports and award 2,698 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…
Top 10 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.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami University - Oxford Oxford Public · Bachelor's degree | $40,486 | 404 | 80% | — | $25,000 |
| 2 | Ohio Dominican University Columbus Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $40,467 | 32 | 41% | $19,408 | $27,000 |
| 3 | University of Dayton Dayton Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $38,011 | 29 | 80% | $28,560 | $26,000 |
| 4 | Ohio State University Columbus Public · Bachelor's degree | $36,592 | 290 | 88% | — | $23,000 |
| 5 | Baldwin Wallace University Berea Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $36,528 | 46 | 67% | $25,104 | $27,000 |
| 6 | Wright State University Dayton Public · Bachelor's degree | $35,640 | 40 | 42% | — | $28,250 |
| 7 | Ohio University Athens Public · Bachelor's degree | $35,165 | 194 | 65% | — | $25,000 |
| 8 | University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Public · Bachelor's degree | $34,268 | 249 | 75% | — | $23,250 |
| 9 | Kent State University at Kent Kent Public · Bachelor's degree | $34,147 | 132 | 64% | — | $25,000 |
| 10 | University of Mount Union Alliance Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $33,631 | 61 | 59% | $21,121 | $27,000 |
Colleges awarding the most Sports degrees in Ohio
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.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami University - Oxford Oxford Public | 404 | $40,486 |
| 2 | Ohio State University Columbus Public | 290 | $36,592 |
| 3 | University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Public | 249 | $34,268 |
| 4 | Ohio University Athens Public | 194 | $35,165 |
| 5 | Kent State University at Kent Kent Public | 132 | $34,147 |
| 6 | Bowling Green State University Bowling Green Public | 121 | $31,919 |
| 7 | Xavier University Cincinnati Private not-for-profit | 102 | $33,003 |
| 8 | John Carroll University University Heights Private not-for-profit | 64 | $27,971 |
| 9 | University of Mount Union Alliance Private not-for-profit | 61 | $33,631 |
| 10 | Youngstown State University Youngstown Public | 52 | $30,661 |
ShowHide the other 49 Ohio colleges offering Sports
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiffin University | Tiffin | Private not-for-profit | 50 |
| Baldwin Wallace University | Berea | Private not-for-profit | 46 |
| Wittenberg University | Springfield | Private not-for-profit | 45 |
| University of Akron Main Campus | Akron | Public | 40 |
| Franklin University (Online) | Columbus | Private not-for-profit | 40 |
| Wright State University | Dayton | Public | 40 |
| Wilmington College | Wilmington | Private not-for-profit | 37 |
| Walsh University | North Canton | Private not-for-profit | 36 |
| Ohio Northern University | Ada | Private not-for-profit | 35 |
| Columbus State Community College | Columbus | Public | 34 |
| Heidelberg University | Tiffin | Private not-for-profit | 34 |
| Ohio Dominican University | Columbus | Private not-for-profit | 32 |
| University of Dayton | Dayton | Private not-for-profit | 29 |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | Delaware | Private not-for-profit | 29 |
| Shawnee State University | Portsmouth | Public | 29 |
| Otterbein University | Westerville | Private not-for-profit | 28 |
| Capital University | Columbus | Private not-for-profit | 27 |
| Denison University | Granville | Private not-for-profit | 27 |
| University of Northwestern Ohio | Lima | Private not-for-profit | 26 |
| Malone University | Canton | Private not-for-profit | 25 |
| Central State University | Wilberforce | Public | 24 |
| University of Rio Grande | Rio Grande | Private not-for-profit | 22 |
| Hiram College | Hiram | Private not-for-profit | 19 |
| Muskingum University | New Concord | Private not-for-profit | 19 |
| University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College | Blue Ash | Public | 18 |
| Cedarville University | Cedarville | Private not-for-profit | 17 |
| Bluffton University | Bluffton | Private not-for-profit | 16 |
| Defiance College | Defiance | Private not-for-profit | 16 |
| Hocking College | Nelsonville | Public | 16 |
| Sinclair Community College | Dayton | Public | 16 |
| Lourdes University | Sylvania | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| University of Cincinnati-Clermont College | Batavia | Public | 13 |
| Lorain County Community College | Elyria | Public | 13 |
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University | Mount Vernon | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Ursuline College | Pepper Pike | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Lake Erie College | Painesville | Private not-for-profit | 11 |
| Mount St. Joseph University | Cincinnati | Private not-for-profit | 11 |
| Cleveland State University | Cleveland | Public | 10 |
| Cuyahoga Community College District | Cleveland | Public | 10 |
| Marietta College | Marietta | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| Ashland University | Ashland | Private not-for-profit | 9 |
| Owens Community College | Perrysburg | Public | 9 |
| Ohio Christian University | Circleville | Private not-for-profit | 8 |
| The University of Findlay | Findlay | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| Stark State College | North Canton | Public | 4 |
| University of Akron Wayne College | Orrville | Public | 1 |
| Marion Technical College | Marion | Public | 1 |
| Ohio University - Chillicothe Campus | Chillicothe | Public | 1 |
| Ohio University - Zanesville Campus | Zanesville | Public | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Exercise Physiologists (SOC 29-1128).
Top skills
What Exercise Physiologists earn in Ohio
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Sports programs in Ohio.
Which Ohio colleges award the most Sports degrees?+
Miami University - Oxford (404 graduates a year), Ohio State University (290 graduates a year) and University of Cincinnati (249 graduates a year) award the most Sports degrees in Ohio, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 59 Ohio colleges offer Sports.
What is the best college for Sports in Ohio?+
By graduate earnings, Miami University - Oxford leads among bachelor's Sports programs in Ohio, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $40,486, College Scorecard. Ohio Dominican University and University of Dayton follow. By degrees awarded, Miami University - Oxford is the largest, with 404 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Sports program in Ohio has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Miami University - Oxford tops the list at $40,486. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Exercise Physiologists earn in Ohio?+
The average annual wage for Exercise Physiologists in Ohio is $57,030 (median $51,660), across about 340 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).
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.
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