It’s not a stretch to say the doctoral program of the University of Maryland’s Department of Kinesiology is among the nation’s best. In fact, the new 2026 rankings – out this week – from the National Academy of Kinesiology have awarded the department the No. 10 ranking in the nation, per the organization’s Doctoral Program Evaluation. The new ranking represents a significant leap: The department was No. 22 in the last rankings, conducted in 2023.
“We are incredibly proud of this recognition, which reflects the relentless dedication of our faculty, staff, and students,” said Prof. Michael Brown, chair of the Department of Kinesiology.
The ranking determination looks across programs that study physical activity and examines factors including faculty research productivity and external funding along with, for students, graduate assistant support and initial job placements, among other measures. The UMD Department of Kinesiology was No. 10 in the adjusted rankings, which adjust for faculty size and other variables.
At UMD, kinesiology is within the School of Public Health – one of few with this structure in the country – and the position enables a wide breadth of cross-disciplinary research on topics including improving resilience in aging, designing community-based health interventions and investigating social and structural determinants of health.
Kinesiology doctoral students study topics including cognitive motor neuroscience, exercise physiology and physical cultural studies. The department also offers a master’s and an undergraduate major. In July 2026, the website Kinesiology Degree Programs ranked the undergraduate program #2 in the country.
“We appreciate the recognition from the National Academy of Kinesiology for what we’ve long known: Our kinesiology faculty are stellar practitioners, researchers and educators and the students who graduate in kinesiology at UMD are equipped to lead the field, across the field,” said SPH Dean Boris Lushniak.