DOCTORAL DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a doctoral degree in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 2 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$82,260 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.
$82,260Median year-4 earnings
$17,521Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$82,260Typical earnings four years after completion
$85,250Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
20thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
31Degrees awarded in 2024–25
2College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 2 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 doctoral degree graduates earn?
The national median is $82,260 four years after completion across reportable doctoral degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $76,973 to $76,973 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$76,973National median$82,26075th percentile$76,973
2 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.
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
2 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 2 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1United States Sports University$87,5472University of North Carolina at Greensboro$76,973Observed 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.
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.