Online Sports Management Degrees: California

The most populous state in the union also has perhaps the most to offer in terms of its range of outdoor, sporting, and adventure tourism offerings. With five plus months of snow sports in the Eldorado National Forest and around Lake Tahoe, year-around water sports to the south, and more pro sports teams than anywhere in the nation, California is in many ways a sporting paradise. Pockets of California also offer unique opportunities through large markets for life coaching, lifestyle enhancement, dietetics, and personal trainers. For most well-established outdoor sports, California’a relatively mild climate throughout most of the year makes it a favorite year-around training location for sports like tennis, soccer, football, baseball, golf, cycling, water sports, and many more. As a population center, many large high schools boast impressive facilities, and two of the nation’s most prestigious college campus systems call the state home. If that’s not enough to convince you that California is a great state to move into a sporting field, perhaps some more details below will help. Check out our favorite locations, universities, and degree programs for sports management below!

Planning Your Education


Currently there are 13 universities in the state of California offering online programming in sports management degree fields located throughout the state. while this level of choice and convenience is great, potential students should be counseled to know that there are many potential ways to enter into sports management fields. Many degree types can give students a variety of unique edges on competition, but it’s for students to choose which degree type is the best for entering into a sports management field or role of their choice. For an in-depth treatment of this subject, check out our degrees page. Or if you already know what degree types your interested in, check out our directory of sports management degrees in California.

Types of Degrees Surveyed:

  • Sports Management
  • Coaching Education
  • Nutrition
  • Recreation Management
  • Kinesiology
  • Communications and Public Relations
  • Physical Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Sports Psychology
  • Business Administration: Sports Management

Degree Levels Surveyed:

  • Associates
  • Bachelors
  • Masters
  • Doctoral Degrees
  • Graduate and Undergraduate Certifications

Career Opportunities

Number of Jobs

California is potentially the largest single market for sports management jobs in the nation, with over one in ten sports management jobs nationwide located in the state. While some positions are likely to remain filled by those already climbing various sports management-related career ladders, many new opportunities in the field also exist in California. According to Indeed.com, there are currently over 7,000 job openings related to sports management keywords in California. These jobs are located throughout the state, but most prominently in the Bay Area and in Los Angeles, where a large number of the jobs are available through local sports organizations as well as the sports manufacturing, lifestyle, and media brands that call the state home.

Earning Percentiles for Sports Management Professionals in California

Across all segments of the working population, California yields the third highest average wages in the nation (by state). Accordingly, sports management jobs in California are much the same, commanding great rates even at mid-levels of management. For leadership positions, the mean salary for management positions in spectator sports is $117,000 nationwide, a figure close to the 50th earning percentile for all sports management-related careers in California. This points to either a high number of upper-level sports management positions available in the state, wages that are generally higher than average for most sports management-related fields, or both. Together with the wealth of educational opportunities that can lead students into lucrative and rewarding California-based careers, the state is a great bet for aspiring sports management workers.

Need more inspiration to start pursuing sports management-related opportunities in California today? Check out the range of job openings across the state below!

California Sports Management Jobs from Indeed

Top Sports Management Degree Programs: CA

While there are a variety of top schools offering a range of sports management-related degrees online in California, students will first and foremost want to consider the exact degree type they're interested in pursuing. We've chosen out our three "recommended" schools for California below, but aspiring students should keep in mind that not each of these universities will necessarily have a program of study that can lead directly to the particular sports management career of your choice. If you're already set on pursuing sports management-related schooling in the state of California, we advise you to not only consult out ranking of top schools below, but also peruse our database of all sports management-related programs in California below. While there are additional benefits of pursuing an online degree in your own state (in-state tuition, and the ability to take classes or intensives in person), future students should also note that there are many online programs available nationwide, and consult our wide-ranging rankings for the top online sports management schools in the nation.

With that said, there are many top California-based programs available entirely online. We've selected our top three through equally weighting two metrics: the number of sports-management related degrees available online through the institution, and the academic prestige of the given institution.

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CA Sports Management Degree Database

California Baptist University Riverside, CA Online SM Degrees: 7


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(877) 236-1617
8432 Magnolia Ave
Riverside, CA 92504



UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

  • Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies – Kinesiology
  • Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology
  • Bachelor of Art in Sport, Recreation, and Fitness Management
  • Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies

GRADUATE DEGREES

  • Master of Science in Kinesiology
  • Master of Arts in Communication
  • Master of Arts in Public Relations

Designed for working professionals. A top ranked online provider.

National University San Diego, CA Online SM Degrees: 5


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(800) 628-8648
9388 Lightwave Ave
San Diego, CA 92123



UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

  • Bachelor of Science in Allied Health
  • Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communications
  • Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications
  • Bachelor of Arts in Sport Psychology

GRADUATE DEGREES

  • Master of Science in Health & Life Science Analytics

Prominant sports management provider. Wide range of offerings available nationwide

Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA Online SM Degrees: 4


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(626) 969-3434
901 E Alosta Ave
Azusa, CA 91702



UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

  • Associates of Science in Health Science
  • Bachelors of Science Health Science Bachelors of Science Physical Education

GRADUATE DEGREES

  • Masters of Science in Sport Management and Integrated Leadership
  • Master of Science in Physical Education

A Top Christian University 37 Fully Online Degrees

California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA Online SM Degrees: 4


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(510) 885-3000
25800 Carlos Bee Blvd
Hayward, CA 94542



UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

  • Bachelor of Science in Recreation – Recreation Therapy Option
  • Bachelor of Science in Recreation
  • Bachelor of Science in Recreation – Recreation Management Option

GRADUATE DEGREES

  • Master of Science in Recreation And Tourism

A "Best in the West" University Low in-state tuition

Golden Gate University San Francisco, CA Online SM Degrees: 2


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(800) GGU-4YOU
536 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94105


GRADUATE DEGREES

  • Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications – General Integrated Marketing Communications
  • Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications – Public Relations

Limited size, seminar style classes Wide ranging, practical career-centered offerings

Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA Online SM Degrees: 1


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(909) 558-1000
11139 Anderson St
Loma Linda, CA 92350


GRADUATE DEGREES

  • Master of Science in Nutrition Care Management

Available in most states in the union Mission-Focused Education

Mount St. Mary's University Los Angeles, CA Online SM Degrees: 1


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(844) GO4-MSMU
12001 Chalon Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90049



UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

  • Associate of Science in Pre-Health Science

Adult and high school student options. Regionally ranked, not-for-profit university

The Chicago School of Professional Psychiatry Multiple Locations, CA Online SM Degrees: 1


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(800) 721-8072
Office of Technology Alliances
4199 Campus Dr
Irvine, CA 92612


GRADUATE DEGREES

  • Master of Arts in Psychology - Sport And Exercise Psychology

Top online psychology school Multiple locations in California

Touro University California Vallejo, CA Online SM Degrees: 1


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(707) 638-5270
1310 Club Dr
Vallejo, CA 94592



UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

  • Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences – Health Education

Military-friendly school Associates through Doctoral Programs Online

University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Online SM Degrees: 1


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(213) 740-2311
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089


GRADUATE DEGREES

  • Master of Arts in Psychology - Sport And Exercise Psychology

A top ranked national university World class support and California-based alumni network

San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA Online SM Degrees: 1


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(415) 338-1111
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco . CA 94132


GRADUATE DEGREES

  • Master of Science in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism - General

A California State University System Campus Low in-state tuition

Concordia University in Irvine Irvine, CA Online SM Degrees: 1


ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO

(800) 229-1200
1530 Concordia
Irvine, CA 92612


GRADUATE DEGREES

  • Masters in Coaching And Athletic Administration

One of the fastest growing private nonprofits in the nation Wide range of online offerings