Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Central College

Central College's Health and Physical Education program lands squarely in the middle of Iowa's competitive landscape—60th percentile statewide—while still outperforming 86% of similar programs nationally. First-year graduates earn $35,914, which beats the national median by $5,300 but trails Iowa's top programs by roughly $2,500. The $27,000 debt load matches Iowa's state median precisely and sits below the national average, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75.

The earnings trajectory here is modest but positive, with graduates seeing roughly 8% growth to $38,860 by year four. That's steady rather than spectacular, typical for education and fitness careers where advancement depends more on additional certifications or moving into administrative roles than on pure experience. Within Iowa, this puts Central College graduates behind larger programs like Buena Vista or Simpson, but comfortably ahead of the national baseline for this field.

The key limitation: we're working with a small sample size here, so these numbers could shift meaningfully year to year. For families comfortable with that uncertainty, this represents a reasonable path into a stable field with debt that won't overwhelm entry-level salaries. Just recognize you're choosing middle-of-the-pack for Iowa at a similar price point to programs that place slightly higher.