20 Best Colleges for Fitness Fanatics

Written by
Stephanie Smith
When it comes to higher learning, choosing a school that reflects your interests is crucial. From innovative exercise facilities to programs that ease stress and promote well-being, we found some of the best universities for the fitness-minded.

Check out this roundup of 20 colleges that embrace all aspects of building a better you.
University of Missouri
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If you're looking for an all-inclusive college gym that has state-of-the art training equipment, look no further than the University of Missouri in Columbia.

From your classic free weights and machines, to group fitness classes, spin rooms and even squash courts, Mizzou proves that fitness isn't just a trend—it's a way of life.

The tigers also know the importance of rest. With both indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs and a lazy river—not to mention a full-service spa where you can indulge in everything from facials to manicures—this university has a strong recovery game, too.
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James Madison University
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At James Madison University, undergraduate programs are offered in everything from athletic training and dietetics to public health education and substance abuse prevention. For those looking to take their education further, the university also offers graduate programs in dietetics, nutrition and physical activity, occupational therapy and physicians' assistant studies.

But a focus on hands-on learning is what puts this school on the list. After all, what's the point of learning about health and fitness if you can't help others? Recently, a federal grant allowed the physicians assistant studies program to form an official partnership with the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Free Clinic to give students hands-on experience while serving residents of the area.
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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If you're looking to earn a Bachelor of Arts in athletic training, sports administration, exercise or sport science, UNC could be the school for you. This public research university in Chapel Hill, which is one of 17 UNC campuses, provides students with the education needed to pursue many opportunities in the health and fitness field.

If fitness is your calling, but you're business-minded, check out the university's sports administration program, which includes courses like communications, economics, panning, licensing and law.
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University of Michigan
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Looking to break into the global sports industry? Consider the University of Michigan. Founded in 1817, it's one of the oldest public universities in the country, and one of the school's top programs is its health and fitness major in the School of Kinesiology—a program that allows student to learn about wellness while gaining the practical skills needed to work towards a lasting career.

The University of Michigan's sport management program is another standout. Graduates often work for the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS, as well as with professional teams within those leagues and with industry-leading organizations like ESPN and Under Armour.
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Georgetown University
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In 2016, the nation's capital took the number one spot as the fittest U.S. city for the third year in a row. The city enjoys a lower percentage of residents who smoke, a high walk score and more farmers' markets per capita.

Attending Georgetown University means you can enroll in a world-class sports management program, while also enjoying the benefits of a health-conscious city.
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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This unversity's Activities and Recreation Center (also known as the ARC) is what snags it a spot on this list. At 340,000 square feet, the ARC is one of the biggest campus-based recreational facilities in the United States, housing two 50-meter pools, a dozen racquetball courts, a climbing wall and four (yes four!) gyms.

Since physical fitness is only part of the equation, the ARC also provides wellness services for students that address topics like stress, sexual health and smoking cessation.
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Drexel University
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Since opening in 2010, the Drexel University's rec center—all 85,900 square feet of it—has received numerous accolades, including a 2011 Outstanding Sports Facility Award from the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association. With professional-standard squash courts, a six-lane pool and state-of-the-art equipment, it's a fitness buff's paradise.
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Washington University
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How convenient would it be to have a doctor at your fingertips? Well, for students at Washington University in St. Louis, the Habif Health and Wellness Center located in the Nathan Dardick House dorm provides just that: top-quality healthcare and wellness facilities.

Services also include group and individual counseling and well-being workshops on everything from boosting self-esteem to dealing with depression and anxiety. Talk about holistic fitness!
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California State University, Northridge
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Another school that's a fitness fanatic's goldmine is California State University, Northridge. The school's 138,000-square-foot student recreation center cost $41 million to build and opened in 2012. Since then, it's been the recipient of an Athletic Business Facility of Merit Award and includes a 40-foot climbing wall, basketball and badminton courts and two outdoor pools.

Since you are what you eat, trained student nutritionists are also on hand to guide students with healthy eating tips.
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University of Colorado Boulder
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The University of Colorado Boulder offers something you can't find anywhere else on this list: an ice skating rink. The rec center, which was renovated in 2014, also includes four indoor and outdoor pools, six volleyball courts and indoor rock climbing.

For those looking to shape up and get back on the path towards a healthier lifestyle, the Wellness Suite offers nutritional and musculoskeletal clinics.
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University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
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A wellness center that rivals even off-campus healthcare facilities puts UCLA on this list. Catering to those looking to improve their overall fitness (physical, mental and otherwise), the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center offers specialty clinics in everything from rheumatology and podiatry to neurology and gastroenterology. Another standout feature is the school's "24/7 Nurseline" phone service.

UCLA's FITWELL program also gives students access to a mobile unit of fitness instructors who can guide them through 15- or 30-minute workouts.
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Florida State University, Tallahassee
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Talk about state of the art—the Health and Wellness Center at Florida State University's Tallahassee campus is a hub for healthcare, fitness and research. An urgent care department, dental services and a radiology and X-ray laboratory only scratch the surface. With the health and wellness of students in mind, the university offers diabetes management, physical therapy programs and psychiatric services.
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University of California, Davis
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Physical fitness is nothing without a sound state of mind. The Student Health and Wellness Center at UC Davis keeps health and happiness at the forefront.

Psychiatric services and a "mind spa"—designed to lessen life and exam stress with massaging recliners and meditative audio programs—helps ease students' minds and allows them to recoup and recharge.
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University of San Francisco
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If your passion for fitness involves helping others with their rehabilitation, a degree from the University of San Francisco could be for you. The Department of Kinesiology offers both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in exercise and sports sciences.

Coursework in anatomy, physiology, biology and biomechanics can put you on the path towards being able to help others on their fitness journey.
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Stanford University
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At Stanford, fitness is broken down into easy, manageable steps with the BeWell program. Upon arriving on campus, students are first directed through the "Student Health Appraisal," where a free session with an advisor helps them create a personal wellness plan.

From there, students get to access to a pool, climbing wall, rec classes like tennis and golf and group fitness passes.
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Princeton University
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Ivy League students do more than just study. At Princeton, the 8,000-square-foot Stephen Fitness Center holds regular fitness challenges, testing strength and endurance. University Health Services also employs clinicians who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the academic year.
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Wake Forest University
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Located in Winston Salem, N.C., Wake Forest University should be among your choices if health-related research is your calling. The private school's motto "Preventing Chronic Disease and Disability" works to advance the understanding of health and the prevention and treatment of chronic disease and physical disability.

Recently, Wake Forest University researchers were part of a National Institutes of Health grant to study exercise and develop a comprehensive map of the molecular changes in the human body that occur in response to physical activity.
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University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
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The College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities is home to the School of Kinesiology which offers students a B.A. in kinesiology that focuses on human anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology, movement science, sociology and sport and exercise psychology.

The university also offers a Master of Science and Ph.D. that's recognized by the National Academy of Kinesiology. Looking to break into sport performance, athletic training or health promotion? A Master of Education in Sports and Exercise will allow you to do just that.
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University of Miami
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Designed to be one of the nation's finest recreational sports facilities, the University of Miami's Patti and Allan Herbert Wellness Center can't be missed. Classes include studio cycling, yoga, Pilates, martial arts and even cooking, as well as CPR and first aid.

If you're striving to improve your performance, you can take part in testing at the fitness lab, where your consultation with a certified exercise physiologist will provide you with data as well as serviceable tips on how to approach your training and exercise program (think VO2 max, resting metabolic rate and body composition).

Because every fitness journey is a life-long process, the university also offers a Living Independently Through Fitness and Exercise (L.I.F.E) program, a group strength and flexibility program for those 65 and older that's been named "a "Successful Active Aging Program" by the American College of Sports Medicine.
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University of Colorado Denver
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With the tag line "Research Drives Our Engine Of Wellness," the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado uses an integrated approach to help people improve their quality of life.

In addition to having access to the 94,000 square-foot facility that features advanced equipment, sports physiologists and licensed trainers, students can also follow expert-based fitness programs—from recreational sports and group exercise programs to research-based physical activity sessions that help cancer patients decrease fatigue and improve strength.
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