2026 Best Value Exercise Physiology Schools in Illinois
[Exercise Physiology](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/physiology-and-pathology-sciences/exercise-physiology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value exercise physiology schools.
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2026 Best Value Exercise Physiology Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in exercise physiology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Exercise Physiology Schools
For return on investment in exercise physiology, no school beat Augustana College Illinois this year. Located in the city of Rock Island, Augustana College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $51,598. Students borrow a median of $26,764 to complete the exercise physiology program here. Exercise Physiology graduates of Augustana College Illinois earn a median of $39,096 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 63%.
Students looking for strong value in exercise physiology will find it at Illinois College, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Jacksonville, Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,676. Exercise Physiology graduates carry a median of $26,922 in student loans. Early-career exercise physiology graduates make about $41,184. Set against $26,922 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Students looking for strong value in exercise physiology will find it at Benedictine University, which ranked #3. Located in the suburb of Lisle, Benedictine University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $32,648 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for exercise physiology graduates is $25,338. Early-career exercise physiology graduates make about $54,212. Set against $25,338 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 95%.
More Exercise Physiology Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
