BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 660 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$176,372 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
31.5 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−68%Estimated return after 10 years
$53,190Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$98,100
$8,000Annual price−$130,100
$16,000Annual price−$162,100
$20,000Current college-wide context−$178,100
$24,000Annual price−$194,100
$32,000Annual price−$226,100
$40,000Annual price−$258,100
Outcomes at a glance
$53,190Typical earnings four years after completion
$53,632Average earnings five years after completion
$25,946Typical federal student debt
32thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
241Degrees awarded in 2024–25
623College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 67 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
How much do Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $53,190 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $25,946. 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 $48,400 to $58,239 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.
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.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $36,241
- Federal debt
- $8,936
- Programs in the comparison
- 15
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $40,142
- Federal debt
- $12,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 38
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $53,190
- Federal debt
- $25,946
- Programs in the comparison
- 660
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $60,645
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 165
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $82,260
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $56,405
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
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$48,400National median$53,19075th percentile$58,239
623 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
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
Rice University
$87,404 four years after completionHouston, TX · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUniversity of Michigan-Ann Arbor
$19,135 among completer borrowersAnn Arbor, MI · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classRutgers University-New Brunswick
322 reported awards in 2024–25New Brunswick, NJ · 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.
$81,110Observed year-4 earnings$70,919
Rice University$13,370 price · $87,404 earningsEmory University$22,585 price · $87,254 earningsUniversity of Virginia-Main Campus$21,565 price · $81,110 earningsUniversity of Scranton$32,568 price · $79,700 earningsWake Forest University$28,719 price · $79,599 earningsUniversity of Michigan-Ann Arbor$13,138 price · $79,411 earningsManhattan University$27,256 price · $78,264 earningsSeton Hall University$31,446 price · $77,835 earningsCarroll University$15,193 price · $77,095 earningsSaint Louis University$24,398 price · $77,066 earningsSimmons University$25,265 price · $76,569 earningsUniversity of Delaware$17,799 price · $76,478 earningsChapman University$46,555 price · $75,108 earningsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison$17,354 price · $74,963 earningsLebanon Valley College$26,979 price · $74,429 earningsUniversity of Mississippi$13,314 price · $73,870 earningsChatham University$29,954 price · $73,633 earningsUniversity of Connecticut$25,097 price · $73,289 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus$10,875 price · $73,289 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Avery Point$13,807 price · $73,289 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Stamford$16,798 price · $73,289 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Hartford Campus$16,403 price · $73,289 earningsUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst$22,383 price · $73,238 earningsPurdue University-Main Campus$14,600 price · $72,724 earningsWittenberg University$18,649 price · $72,289 earningsRutgers University-New Brunswick$24,406 price · $71,844 earningsDePauw University$22,264 price · $71,696 earningsUniversity of Oklahoma-Norman Campus$15,300 price · $71,589 earningsMiami University-Oxford$28,384 price · $70,919 earningsCreighton University$31,568 price · $69,590 earnings
$13,138Annual college-wide average net price$31,568
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Rice University$87,4042Emory University$87,2543University of Virginia-Main Campus$81,1104University of Scranton$79,7005Wake Forest University$79,5996University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$79,4117Manhattan University$78,2648Seton Hall University$77,8359Carroll University$77,09510Saint Louis University$77,066Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
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
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →15%
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.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
TX47 programs$54,367 average earningsOH43 programs$53,826 average earningsCA33 programs$57,211 average earningsNC31 programs$49,646 average earningsPA28 programs$59,609 average earningsTN21 programs$48,318 average earningsMI21 programs$54,240 average earningsFL21 programs$52,220 average earningsIN20 programs$55,856 average earningsIL20 programs$53,750 average earningsNY19 programs$58,252 average earningsIA19 programs$53,044 average earnings
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.