Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Keene State College

Starting salaries around $30,000 make financial independence challenging right out of college, and Keene State's Health and Physical Education program falls below what you'd expect for New Hampshire. At $29,990 first-year earnings, graduates here earn about $2,600 less than the state median and trail the top program (Southern New Hampshire University) by roughly $9,000. Among the eight schools offering this program in New Hampshire, Keene State sits in the 40th percentile—meaning six out of ten alternatives deliver better outcomes.

The debt load of $26,892 isn't catastrophic, but paired with sub-$30,000 earnings, it creates a tight first-year budget. The bright spot is that debt here roughly matches state and national norms, so you're not taking on outsized loans. Still, that 0.90 debt-to-earnings ratio means nearly a full year's salary owed, which limits flexibility for young graduates trying to establish themselves.

The small sample size here is important—fewer than 30 recent graduates means one or two outliers could skew the picture significantly. However, the pattern of underperformance relative to other New Hampshire programs suggests caution. If your child is committed to health and physical education in New Hampshire, Plymouth State or UNH appear to offer better returns for similar public school tuition. If Keene State is the only option that works geographically or fits other needs, go in understanding that financial runway will be tight initially.