Regular participation in physical activity is widely accepted as a primary objective for preventing a broad array of acute and chronic health problems (USDHHS, 1991; 2000). Unfortunately, levels of participation in physical activity decline for most individuals, following high school (Calfas, Sallis, Lovato, & Campbell, 1994; Cullen et al., 1999). Over the past several years, interest has grown in understanding college students who have made a choice to enroll in elective physical education classes (Chen, 2000; Hildebrand & Johnson, 2001; Keating, Guan, Pinero, & Bridges, 2005; Nicole, Leenders, Sherman, & Ward, 2003). These students are, arguably, living a physically active lifestyle—a popular goal for many high school physical education programs and most public health advocates (e.g., the American Heart Association, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, the Surgeon General, etc.). The purpose of this study was to add to the knowledge base by establishing a profile of college students enrolled in elective physical activity courses. Insights to this group may facilitate efforts to engage the wider adult population. Participants (n=401) were enrolled in elective college physical activity courses at a large comprehensive university in the southeastern United States and completed paper and pencil surveys during one class session. Classes included dance, dual, fitness, individual and team sports. BMI calculated on self-reported height and weight indicates most participants fall into the normal range (65.4%), with 25.6% in the overweight range and 9% obese. BMI values were generally lower for those reporting being active beyond the class and for those with higher perceptions of personal fitness. Results indicate that 65.6% had not participated in the same physical activity of the current class during high school; those who had, identified the experience as positive. Believing the college physical activity would be fun, staying active and improving fitness were top motives for males and females, while addressing weight control issues were not major motives for either gender. Motives for enrollment were spread relatively uniformly across intrinsic and extrinsic explanations. While enjoyment and fitness are popular motives, the message in these data appears to support the notion that no single explanation can be identified as the single reason for college students choosing a physically active lifestyle.Keyword(s): college level issues, curriculum, exercise/fitness/physical activity