Objective To investigate the impact of physical exercise on adolescent educational attainment and the mediating mechanisms as well as the group differences.

Method Data from China Education Panel Survey and the hierarchical Logit model were employed to explore the influence of physical exercise on adolescent education. Mediating mechanisms were examined through stepwise tests, the KHB method, and SEM, while subgroup analysis was conducted to explore the heterogeneity of effects.

Result Physical exercise significantly increases the probability of (key) high school enrollment for junior high school students. The mediation mechanism is not the enhancement of cognitive abilities but the growth of four non-cognitive abilities: self-efficacy, collective integration, social skills and social behavior. The optimal duration is 65 minutes per day for senior high school enrollment and 85 minutes per day for key senior high school enrollment. The positive effect of physical exercise on educational attainment is particularly evident among male adolescents and those from middle-class families.

Conclusion Physical exercise has a positive impact on adolescents' educational attainment, with the enhancement of non-cognitive abilities being an important mechanism. The pathway of enhancing cognitive abilities remains unverified. Moderate exercise can maximize the probability of educational attainment. The positive effects of physical exercise interact with social structural positions.