Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Concordia University-Irvine

Concordia-Irvine's health and physical education program shows dramatic earnings growth—from $24,522 to $46,498 over four years—but that trajectory comes with a critical caveat: the program's small graduate cohort (under 30 students) makes these figures less reliable than programs with larger sample sizes. The first-year earnings lag well behind California's state median of $28,094, placing graduates near the middle of the pack statewide but in the bottom 5% nationally. The $27,000 debt load is higher than California's typical $19,870 for this field, creating a challenging first year where debt nearly matches earnings.

The 90% earnings jump by year four transforms the picture considerably, with graduates ultimately earning above both national and state medians. This suggests the program may prepare students for roles that require experience to access—perhaps fitness management or specialized coaching positions rather than entry-level gym instruction. However, with such a small sample size, a few graduates landing high-paying jobs could skew the entire dataset.

For parents, this means accepting significant uncertainty. If your child enters this program, budget for that difficult first year financially, and recognize these numbers might not reflect what future graduates will actually earn. The limited cohort size means one year's data could look entirely different from the next. Consider whether your student has a specific career path in mind that justifies the early financial strain, rather than banking on that impressive four-year number holding true.