Best Gyms for Students 2024: Top 7 Best and Cheapest Gyms

Planet Fitness—Best Overall

• Key amenities: Cardio and strength equipment, 30-minute circuit station, small group fitness training
• Starting price: $10/month

Planet Fitness is a global gym chain with 2,300 locations worldwide—including all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Mexico.

Everything about Planet Fitness is designed to make fitness feel fun and accessible to everyone, regardless of their shape, size, or experience level.

With its signature purple and yellow color scheme and relaxed atmosphere (branded as a “judgment-free zone”), Planet Fitness is an excellent choice for students who are new to working out or feel intimidated by the traditional gym environment.

Members can also download the free Planet Fitness app, which provides workout videos, exercise and equipment tutorials, and an in-club crowd meter so users can check occupancy before they step inside.

Memberships at one of the cheapest gyms start at $10 per month for a basic, no-commitment plan—which includes unlimited access to your home club, free fitness training, and free wi-fi—making it an excellent choice for students on tight budgets.

One potential downside of Planet Fitness, despite being one of the cheapest gyms, is that its equipment may feel a bit limited for students with more fitness experience. For example, if you regularly perform exercises with barbells—such as deadlifts or back squats—you might struggle to find the equipment you need here.

24-Hour Fitness—Best for Novelty-Seekers

• Key amenities: Cardio and strength equipment, turf zone, suspension training, pool, sauna, steam room, whirlpool, basketball courts, group fitness classes, personal training
• Starting price: $9.99/month (promotional)

24-Hour Fitness is a United States-based gym chain with over 280 locations in 11 states, including Texas, Florida, Colorado, California, and Hawaii.

Despite what the name would suggest, not all 24-Hour Fitness locations are open 24 hours. However, most open around 5 am and close at 10 pm, leaving plenty of time for the average student to squeeze in a workout.

Most 24-Hour Fitness facilities are expansive, encompassing thousands of square feet and offering a wide range of equipment—from traditional cardio equipment and free weights to more sophisticated options like suspension trainers, sleds, and battle ropes. These areas of the gym are open to all members.

Those who upgrade from the basic Silver membership (which starts at $9.99) to a pricier Gold or Platinum membership can also participate in numerous group fitness classes. Many facilities also have pools and saunas that Gold and Platinum members can utilize.

With so much to choose from, 24-Hour Fitness is a great fit for students who like variety in their workouts and want to sample a bit of everything.

Anytime Fitness—Best for Beginners

• Key amenities: Cardio and strength equipment, functional fitness equipment, personal training, group training, group fitness classes, cardio TVs
• Starting price: $41/month

Anytime Fitness is another global fitness chain with hundreds of locations across all 50 states and gyms in countries like Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Australia, Spain, and South Korea!

For those who want to exercise at any time, Anytime Fitness is an excellent fit (no pun intended). All locations are open 24 hours (and have 24-hour security).

Students who join Anytime Fitness will have access to a variety of cardio and strength training equipment, as well as group fitness classes and group and personal training options for students who need more guidance.

Anytime Fitness is an excellent choice for students who are new to working out. Every member receives a free, personalized Get Started Plan upon joining, so they don’t have to wander in and try to figure things out as they go.

One of the biggest downsides for students considering an Anytime Fitness membership is the price tag.

Memberships in the United States average $41 per month (but vary by location), which is a bit steep for the typical student. Most gyms require you to sign a contract, too, and don’t offer a month-to-month option.

On the bright side, if you’re serious about leveling up your fitness and creating healthy habits, the higher cost and contract might motivate you to stick with your training.

Vasa Fitness—Best for Experienced Gym-Goers

• Key amenities: Cardio deck, free weights, Olympic lifting area, strength training machines, turf area, group fitness classes, pool, sauna, steam room, basketball court, fitness cinema
• Starting price: $9.99/month (promotional)

Vasa Fitness is a relatively new gym chain with locations in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. Despite being a new player on the scene, Vasa has still made a name for itself as one of the country’s top 20 largest health club operators.

This gym’s Basic Membership (starting at $9.99/month with no contract) includes access to all cardio and weight training equipment, as well as the turf area.

Compared to some other gyms on this list, the Basic Membership provides access to a wider range of equipment. It includes many options for intermediate and advanced gym-goers, those who enjoy Olympic lifting, and those who prefer training with less conventional equipment like kettlebells and suspension trainers.

Although the Basic Membership still provides access to a lot of equipment, a downside to the Vasa Fitness franchise is that, to access all equipment—including the fitness cinema and pool, and group classes—you must upgrade to the Fitness Membership (starting at $24.99/month).

You can also upgrade to the Studio Membership (starting at $39.99/month), which includes boutique-style High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) classes.

EōS Fitness—Best for Busy Students

• Key amenities: Cardio and strength equipment, turf yard, swimming pool, sauna, steam room, basketball court, group cycling and fitness classes, personal training
• Starting price: $9.99/month

EōS Fitness is a genuine 24-hour fitness chain with memberships that start at just $9.99/month. Currently, over 100 locations are open in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Florida, and Texas, and the brand is rapidly expanding.

Because it is open 24 hours, EōS Fitness is an excellent choice for students with packed schedules who struggle to fit in workouts during regular gym hours (as well as those who just like to exercise when fewer people are around).

EōS Fitness also offers members a wide range of exercise options.

In addition to standard offerings like cardio equipment, free weights, and strength training machines (all of which are included in the basic Grey membership), members can also upgrade to the Blue or Black memberships to access group fitness classes, and the swimming pool.

You will have to pay extra for these amenities, but the Blue and Black memberships are still relatively affordable ($21.99 and $26.99, respectively).

Crunch Fitness—Best for Global Gym-Goers

• Key amenities: Cardio and strength equipment, functional fitness equipment, group fitness classes, live video classes, personal training
• Starting price: $9.95/month

The Crunch Fitness brand started in 1989 in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Since then, it’s grown into a global gym chain with locations throughout the United States, as well as Canada, Costa Rica, Spain, Portugal, and Australia.

Crunch has a unique branding structure with two different facilities: Crunch Fitness, with over 400 locations worldwide, and Crunch Signature, with 28 locations in the U.S.

This format might be confusing at first, but we’ll break it down for you.

Crunch Fitness offers affordable memberships starting at just $9.95/month. This option is similar to many of the other gyms on this list.

Those who exercise at Crunch Fitness facilities can access cardio and strength training equipment with a basic membership or upgrade to a pricier membership that includes group fitness classes, online video workouts, multi-club access, and guest privileges.

Crunch Signature comes with a higher price tag and provides a more boutique-like experience, including classes with live DJs.

Memberships for these facilities might be outside of many students’ budgets. However, for those with extra cash to spare and a love for a party-like workout experience, it might be worthwhile.