Penn State University is No. 1 among large public universities on the 2016 National Collegiate Fitness Index (NCFI).
The NCFI was developed by the National Academy of Kinesiology, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Kinesiology Association to rank various U.S. colleges and universities for their physical and programmatic resources that promote active living and healthy lifestyles.
The NCFI survey, conducted in 2014, identified three main factors that affected physical activity on college campuses: transportation, recreation infrastructure, and recreation and educational policies and services. The 107 institutions that responded to the survey were subdivided into 39 private universities, 29 small public universities and 39 large public universities.
iClubs: Three-Peat: Washington, DC Fittest Metro Area Again
Following Penn State on the large public universities NCFI list are Kansas State, Tennessee, Northern Illinois and South Carolina.
Lyndon State (Vt.) is No. 1 on the small public universities list, followed by Henderson State (Ark.), Western State Colorado, Wyoming and Bemidji State (Minn.).
The top five private universities on the NCFI list are Southern Adventist University (Tenn.), Northwestern College (Iowa), Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio), Westminster College (Mo.) and Barton College (N.C.).
The NCFI is modeled after the American Fitness Index (AFI), which assesses the health and wellness of the 50 largest cities in the United States. The AFI also was established by the ACSM, with the support and funding of the WellPoint Foundation.
