Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Carthage College

Carthage graduates with health and physical education degrees earn $36,638 in their first year—substantially better than both the national median ($30,554) and Wisconsin average ($32,801) for this field. That 91st percentile national ranking is impressive and translates to real value: graduates start with nearly $6,000 more annually than typical PE/fitness majors nationwide. Within Wisconsin, though, the picture is more competitive. Carthage ranks around the 60th percentile, trailing programs like UW-Platteville ($46,027) and Lakeland University ($41,427).

The debt situation is favorable. At $27,000, borrowing matches the Wisconsin median but sits well below national levels, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.74—meaning graduates can theoretically pay off their loans in under a year if they dedicated every dollar earned. Strong earnings growth of 26% by year four ($46,158) suggests graduates build momentum in their careers, whether they're coaching, teaching, or moving into fitness management roles.

For families weighing Carthage against Wisconsin's public universities, this program delivers better-than-average starting salaries with manageable debt. You're not getting the absolute highest earnings in the state, but you're beating most competitors while keeping borrowing reasonable. That combination makes this a solid choice for students committed to careers in physical education or fitness programming.