Lander University students monitor each other’s breathing rates while working out at the Physical Education and Exercise Science Center. Photo by Laura B. Wood
Lander University’s exercise science program is ranked 26th in Intelligent.com’s listing of the best sports medicine degree programs of 2023.
The online education research magazine also recognized Lander as having the best physical therapy concentration among awarded peers.
Intelligent.com compared more than 300 programs at 168 universities offering sports medicine—or the Lander equivalent, exercise science—and assigned grades to the top 45. The rankings take into account factors such as academic quality, faculty-to-student ratio, graduation rate and affordability. Among Lander’s peers in the 2023 rankings are larger research institutions, including the University of North Carolina, University of Georgia and The Ohio State University.
Students do well once they leave Lander, according to Assistant Professor of Physical Education and Exercise Science Dr. Jeff Barfield.
“There’s a lot of success stories about students being able to advance their careers,” he said.
Lander students benefit from “hands-on time in the classroom with their instructors,” he said.
Barfield said he finds Intelligent.com’s recognition of Lander’s exercise science program “exciting and encouraging.”