Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Bethany College

Bethany College's Health and Physical Education program lands squarely in the middle of Kansas options, but that middle ground still means starting salaries below $29,000—roughly $7,500 less than what graduates earn at Pittsburg State or Kansas. At the 40th percentile statewide, this program trails most major state universities while carrying debt levels comparable to the state median.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.87 is manageable on paper, but $28,881 translates to about $2,400 monthly before taxes—tight margins for someone juggling $25,000 in loans alongside rent and living expenses. Many physical education graduates eventually pursue teaching positions with structured pay scales, but this first-year number suggests graduates may need additional time or credentials before reaching stable income levels. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty—this cohort's experience may not predict future outcomes reliably.

For families considering this program, the question comes down to whether the Bethany experience justifies earning $4,000-$5,000 less than you'd likely make graduating from larger Kansas universities. That gap compounds over time. If your student is committed to physical education or fitness careers and values a small-college environment, understand they're trading some earning potential for that experience. If maximizing early career earnings matters, the data points toward larger state programs.