Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Johnson C Smith University

Johnson C Smith's health and physical education program lands right in the middle of North Carolina's offerings, outperforming about 60% of similar programs in the state. With first-year earnings of $29,678, graduates actually earn slightly above the state median of $27,624, though they trail the top programs like Meredith College ($38,525) and UNC Charlotte ($34,219) by a significant margin. The program serves a predominantly Pell-eligible student body (68%), and notably, graduates carry only $34,078 in debt—substantially lower than what students accumulate at many competitor schools.

The debt picture here is actually encouraging: at 1.15 times first-year earnings, graduates face manageable repayment compared to national norms for this field. While earnings growth is modest (reaching $31,843 by year four), it's steady rather than declining—not spectacular, but sustainable for someone committed to education or fitness careers, which typically don't offer explosive salary growth.

The real caveat is the small sample size, which means a few outliers could shift these numbers significantly. For a family committed to keeping their student near Charlotte while pursuing teaching or athletic training, this program delivers middle-of-the-pack outcomes at below-average debt levels. Just understand you're not getting UNC Charlotte results at a similar price point—but you're also not mortgaging the future for a degree in a modestly-paying field.