As a college student, it can be difficult to keep up with your physical health on a budget. I’m all about finding college student discounts whenever you can – and the good news is, there are many options for gyms that won’t break the budget.
I’ve searched the Internet for the best gym memberships for students – including which ones might offer you an additional discount for being a student. I hope this is helpful to support college students who frequently deal with money being tight.
1. 24 Hour Fitness
This may vary depending on location. You can start by signing up for a free three-day pass and talk with your gym when you go in. After visiting and seeing if it’s a good fit, you can talk with them about any possible student memberships they have available.
2. Planet Fitness
This isn’t exactly a discount, but Planet Fitness offers $10 memberships, which are month-to-month and include personal fitness training. Starting at $24.99, you get everything with the base membership plus a ton of extra goodies like massage chair visits, discounted drinks, unlimited guest privileges, and more.
These gyms tend to pop up near many college campuses because they are affordable. My brother currently uses Planet Fitness as a student and loves that they have clean and modern equipment at an affordable price.
3. Vasa Fitness
Again, depending on the location, there may be discounts available. When I was in college, we had a Gold’s Gym close by (which was bought out by Vasa). They offered student discounts that weren’t available at other locations.
4. Crunch Fitness
Crunch Fitness is a popular gym chain that has locations across the country. It is available near many college towns. Its popularity is due to its “no judgment” policy, which seems to appeal to a lot of college students!
Their base membership starts at just $9.99, and according to this article on their website, they DO offer student discounts with a valid student ID. I’m not entirely sure what this exactly entails, but definitely see if you have a location near you!
5. Pure Gym
This one is for our friends across the pond in the U.K. Pure Gyms offer a fantastic student discount for the first six months of your membership. You will get 30% off. There is no contract, and there are over 380 gyms nationwide in the U.K.
6. Anytime Gym
Anytime Fitness does offer student discounts, but the amount will vary depending on the location. It is also up to the individual locations to decide if they want to offer a discount or not. Most gyms seem to have a starting membership at around $49. They are good facilities, but you may be able to find a less expensive gym even with the student discount. It’s worth looking into!
7. Orange Theory
Orange Theory is very popular amongst college students. They do not advertise a student discount, but upon researching on Reddit, it looks like many individual gyms offer discounts. It looks like it is usually $10 off per membership, though one person mentioned as much as $50 off.
8. YouFit
YouFit is a trendy gym with great memberships starting at just $9.99 a month. During the summer, they offer a student membership for 3 months, for which you get unlimited YouFit for $45. This is available for anyone 13 and older.
9. SnapFitness
SnapFitness is a 24/7 gym with locations all over the United States. Their memberships are more expensive than some, but I saw several gyms offering a student discount of some kind.
10. Aaptiv
This isn’t a gym membership, but it’s just as good. We LOVE Aaptiv (you can read our review here), and you can get 50% off as a student for both monthly and annual prices.
11. Local Gyms
There’s no way I can research every single gym across the country (or world!). There are likely some great local gyms near different schools that offer discounted memberships, so be sure to reach out.
For instance, here in Denver, I saw that Crossfit South Denver offers student discounts for CU students.
12. University Gym
Never underestimate what your university may offer for free. Many colleges have great fitness facilities – from tracks to weights and other exercise machines to a pool. Typically you get free access as a student.
What is the cheapest gym to join?
There are a lot of gyms, and the prices and options may vary depending on where you live. Locally owned gyms may offer discounts, so it’s worth checking those out. That said, here are some of the cheapest chain gyms to join – perfect for college students.
Most of these offer a discount for committing to just one gym, but you can pay more to have the flexibility to attend the gym at different locations.
- YouFit Gyms – These start at $10 a month
- Planet Fitness – These start at $10 a month
- Crunch Fitness – These start at $9.99 a month
- YMCA Gyms
- Chuze Fitness – These start at $9.99 a month
Do most colleges have free gyms?
Many colleges prioritize student wellness. Because of this priority, the vast majority of colleges across the United States offer free gym access to their students.
The quality of these gyms can vary greatly. Because not all college gyms have the latest or nicest equipment, many students still choose t
What gym do you go to as a student? Let me know in the comments!
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