Academic Index Last updated: June 22, 2026

6 Best Universities in California for Sports / Exercise science

We ranked the top 6 universities for Sports / Exercise science in California based on strict academic metrics. Based on 1.74M scholarly articles and 93.48M peer-reviewed citations, we reveal the best research labs driving innovation in Sports / Exercise science. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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1

San Diego

San Diego State University

For Sports / Exercise science

#6 in United States #7 in North America

36% Acceptance

42,003 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1897 Founded

2

Stanford

Stanford University

For Sports / Exercise science

#8 in United States #11 in North America

4% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

3

San Diego

University of California-San Diego

For Sports / Exercise science

#14 in United States #21 in North America

27% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

4

San Francisco

University of California – San Francisco

For Sports / Exercise science

#29 in United States #37 in North America

13% Acceptance

2,942 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1864 Founded

5

Los Angeles

University of California – Los Angeles

For Sports / Exercise science

#31 in United States #39 in North America

9% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

6

Los Angeles

University of Southern California

For Sports / Exercise science

#33 in United States #42 in North America

10% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1880 Founded