Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in California
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in kinesiology and exercise science, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in California49 schools
49 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in California.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade B · Top 46%
- 2
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · PublicHonor RollTop 4% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 3
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade C+
- 4
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 5
Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA · Private nonprofitTop 7% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade C+
- 6
Chapman University
Orange, CA · Private nonprofitTop 9% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade C+
- 7
University of the Pacific
Stockton, CA · Private nonprofitTop 9% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade B+ · Top 25%
- 8
California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA · PublicExcellent: Compass grade A-
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 9
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofitTop 5% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade C+
- 10
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, CA · Private nonprofitExcellent: Compass grade A-
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade B-
- 11
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, CA · Private nonprofitTop 12% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade C+
- 12
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA · Private nonprofitTop 16% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade B
- 13
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · PublicTop 13% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 14
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA · PublicTop 8% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 15
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA · PublicTop 7% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 16
Biola University
La Mirada, CA · Private nonprofitTop 24% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade C+
- 17
Saint Mary's College of California
Moraga, CA · Private nonprofitTop 8% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade B
- 18
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, CA · Private nonprofitTop 18% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade B · Top 36%
- 19
Pacific Union College
Angwin, CA · Private nonprofitTop 14% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade C+
- 20
San Diego Christian College
Santee, CA · Private nonprofitTop 1% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 21
California State University-Chico
Chico, CA · PublicTop 20% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 22Tie
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA · PublicTop 8% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A+ · Top 3%
- 22Tie
California State University-Stanislaus
Turlock, CA · PublicTop 6% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 24
California State University-Monterey Bay
Seaside, CA · PublicTop 14% for low debt
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A · Top 4%
- 25
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA · PublicTop 18% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in kinesiology and exercise science
- Value grade A · Top 4%
Compare cost and outcomes
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 14
- Arizona 4
- Arkansas 16
- Colorado 12
- Connecticut 16
- Delaware 4
- Florida 29
- Georgia 31
- Hawaii 3
- Idaho 5
- Illinois 34
- Indiana 27
- Iowa 24
- Kansas 21
- Kentucky 19
- Louisiana 11
- Maine 7
- Maryland 11
- Massachusetts 23
- Michigan 28
- Minnesota 24
- Mississippi 11
- Missouri 26
- Montana 8
- Nebraska 13
- New Hampshire 8
- New Jersey 17
- New Mexico 3
- New York 41
- North Carolina 42
- North Dakota 8
- Ohio 51
- Oklahoma 20
- Oregon 12
- Pennsylvania 56
- Puerto Rico 8
- Rhode Island 4
- South Carolina 22
- South Dakota 9
- Tennessee 30
- Texas 63
- Utah 8
- Vermont 3
- Virginia 24
- Washington 12
- West Virginia 11
- Wisconsin 21