College students are at an increased risk of low levels of fitness. Factors associated with college students' fitness levels need to be examined. This study examined the relation between exercise identity and individual fitness levels. Data were collected from a college undergraduate population. The sample consisted of 87 students (N=87), 51 males (n=51) and 36 females (n=36) enrolled in physical education classes at an urban university. Descriptive statistics revealed a mean age of 23.24 ± 4.04 years for males and a mean age of 24.22 ± 5.48 years for females. The ethnic distribution was 50.6% Anglo, 23.0% African-American, 18.4% Hispanic, 6.9% Asian, and 1.1% other. Exercise identity was measured using the nine Likert-scaled items of the Anderson Exercise Identity Scale (E.I.S.). Fitness levels were assessed using the Gallagher et al., 1996 formula to estimate Percent Body Fat (BF%) from Body Mass Index (BMI). Height and weight was assessed using the TANITA Corporation weight system. The University of Houston Non-Exercise Test (Jackson et al., 1990) assessed maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 Max). A factorial designed Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed no significant (p >.05) differences in the scores of the EIS between gender, ethnic groups and no interaction between gender and ethnicity was found. VO2 Max demonstrated no significant (p >.05) differences among ethnic groups; however, a significant gender difference was found, F (1, 86)=32.54, p < .05 (observed power=1.00), where males had a higher VO2 Max (=44.91 ml/kg/min) than females (=34.58 ml/kg/min), no significant (p >.05) interaction was found between gender and ethnicity. No significant (p >.05) differences were found in BF% among ethnic groups, although females had a significantly greater, F (1, 86)=9.89, p <.05 (observed power=.87), BF% (=28.82) than their male counterparts (=19.28). Data also indicated that exercise identity was positively correlated with fitness levels among college students (r=.25, p <.05). These results revealed a significant relation between the perceived exercise identity and actual fitness levels in a diverse ethnic population.Keyword(s): exercise/fitness, gender issues, multiculturalism/cultural diversity