Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Livingstone College

Livingstone College's Health and Physical Education program graduates students with substantial debt—$35,000, well above both state and national medians—while producing earnings that trail far behind peers. First-year graduates earn $21,427, ranking in just the 5th percentile nationally and 25th percentile in North Carolina. That places them roughly $6,000 below the state median and $9,000 below the national benchmark. Even graduates at top NC programs like Meredith College and UNC Charlotte earn 60-80% more straight out of school.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.63 means graduates carry debt equivalent to more than 18 months of their first-year salary. While earnings do grow 26% by year four to reach $27,080, this still lags behind what most Health and PE graduates earn in their first year at peer programs. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty to these figures, but the pattern is troubling: high debt combined with persistently low earnings creates real financial stress for young teachers or fitness professionals starting their careers.

For families considering this program, the numbers suggest looking elsewhere in North Carolina. With 44 programs to choose from statewide—many at public universities with lower costs and substantially better earnings outcomes—this represents a difficult financial proposition unless there are compelling non-financial reasons to attend Livingstone specifically.