UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 15 college programs with reportable data.

Personal baseline needed

$36,241 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$36,241Median year-4 earnings
$15,783Average institution net-price context
$8,936Median federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$36,241Typical earnings four years after completion
$29,616Average earnings five years after completion
$8,936Typical federal student debt
23thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
1,082Degrees awarded in 2024–25
13College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 8 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

How much do Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?

The national median is $36,241 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $8,936. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $31,900 to $39,693 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 8 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

CURRENT VIEW

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$36,241
Federal debt
$8,936
Programs in the comparison
15
13 report earnings →
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Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$40,142
Federal debt
$12,000
Programs in the comparison
38
36 report earnings →
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Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$53,190
Federal debt
$25,946
Programs in the comparison
660
623 report earnings →
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Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$60,645
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
165
165 report earnings →
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Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$82,260
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →
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Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$56,405
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$31,900National median$36,24175th percentile$39,693
13 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$39,69375th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$8,936Median federal debt across programs that report it
1Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

Indiana University-Indianapolis

$57,940 four years after completionIndianapolis, IN · inspect the full program →
Lowest reported federal debt

Focus Personal Training Institute

$6,333 among completer borrowersNew York, NY · inspect the full program →
Largest recent graduating class

University of Iowa

544 reported awards in 2024–25Iowa City, IA · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
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Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

14 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 14 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Indiana University-Indianapolis$57,9402Cabrillo College$55,7193University of Iowa$50,1544Bryan University$39,6935Focus Personal Training Institute$38,3186Bryan University$38,1727Advanced Training Institute$36,2418Pima Community College$32,0719Southern California Health Institute$31,90010National Personal Training Institute$24,910

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$77,270 median wage12,630 jobs nationwide+2.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$44,900–$134,890 typical wage rangeExercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors$47,160 median wage322,930 jobs nationwide+7.3% projected growth through 2035 · 68,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$28,800–$83,100 typical wage rangeCoaches and Scouts$47,320 median wage248,950 jobs nationwide+6.1% projected growth through 2035 · 36,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$28,790–$98,860 typical wage rangeEntertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling$79,520 median wage37,980 jobs nationwide+6.0% projected growth through 2035 · 5,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$46,270–$139,110 typical wage rangeAthletes and Sports Competitors$66,710 median wage15,070 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 2,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$26,500–$742,310 typical wage rangeAthletic Trainers$62,520 median wage30,500 jobs nationwide+12.7% projected growth through 2035 · 2,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$48,180–$88,760 typical wage rangeExercise Physiologists$59,460 median wage8,560 jobs nationwide+12.8% projected growth through 2035 · 1,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$42,760–$80,560 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.