Physics at Kenyon College

A debt load of $23,120 against first-year earnings around $47,670 creates manageable financial pressure for a Kenyon physics graduate—assuming these national estimates hold true for this selective liberal arts college. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49 means roughly half a year's salary in loans, which most financial advisors would consider reasonable territory.

The catch is that Ohio physics programs typically produce stronger starting salaries than the national median. Ohio State graduates, for instance, earn $53,504 in their first year—about $6,000 more than what comparable national programs suggest for Kenyon. Whether that gap reflects differences in career paths (liberal arts physics grads may pursue graduate school or diverse fields rather than immediate industry jobs) or simply the limitations of using national estimates for a small, distinctive program is impossible to know without actual outcomes data.

For a family paying premium tuition at a highly selective liberal arts college (31% admission rate, 1440 average SAT), the question becomes whether Kenyon's small classes and research opportunities offset the uncertainty around post-graduation outcomes. Physics is versatile—it opens doors to engineering, data science, finance, and graduate programs—but you're making this investment without clear evidence of where Kenyon's specific graduates land or what they earn. If your child is set on physics and values Kenyon's environment, the debt level won't crush them. Just know you're buying the experience more than guaranteed financial results.