Health and Physical Education/Fitness at John Carroll University

At nearly $28,000 in first-year earnings, John Carroll's Health and Physical Education program falls short of what other Ohio schools deliver. Your child would earn about $5,000 less than the state median and roughly $8,000-$12,000 less than what graduates from Miami, Ohio Dominican, or Dayton earn in similar programs. Among Ohio's 52 schools offering this degree, John Carroll ranks in just the 25th percentile—meaning three-quarters of comparable programs produce better-earning graduates.

The debt picture offers modest relief: at $27,000, it matches both the state and national medians, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.97 means your child would owe roughly what they'd earn in their first year. That's manageable on paper, but the real challenge is the low starting salary itself. Even nearby competitors like Baldwin Wallace and Ohio State launch graduates into careers paying $8,000-$9,000 more annually, which compounds significantly over time.

If your child is committed to this field and set on John Carroll for other reasons (perhaps campus culture or location), understand you're accepting below-average earnings outcomes for what amounts to typical college debt. The moderate sample size suggests stable data, not an anomaly. For families prioritizing return on investment, Ohio offers demonstrably stronger options in this same major at similar or lower price points.