In 2012, the Promoting Physical Activity at College and Universities Committee was formed. Their mission was to examine ways to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity on college campuses. To do so, they started by developing the National Collegiate Fitness Index (NCFI) survey, which accesses the quantity and quality of on-campus physical activity opportunities for students, faculty and staff.
The survey gathered data from each school regarding the campus physical environment, recreation facilities, physical education, health and wellness classes, intramural and club sport offerings, fitness classes and campus wellness. In 2013 the survey was distributed to 800 colleges and universities. Of the 800, 107 responded. They were broken down into three categories — private, small public and large public.
Here are the schools ranking in the top five of each category:
Large Public Universities
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
- The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
- Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
- University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Small Public Universities
- Lyndon State University, Lyndonville, VT
- Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, AR
- Western Colorado University, Gunnison, CO
- University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
- Bemidji State University, Bemidji, MN
Private Universities
- Southern Adventist University, Collegedale, TN
- Northwestern College, Orange City, IA
- Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH
- Westminster College, Fulton, MO
- Barton College, Wilson, NC
