Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Marian University

Marian University's Health and Physical Education program sits in an awkward middle ground: it beats the national average but lags behind most Indiana competitors. While first-year earnings of $33,564 rank in the 70th percentile nationally, they fall to just the 40th percentile within Indiana, where the state median is about $1,100 higher. This matters because you're likely comparing this program to other in-state options where tuition makes more financial sense.

The debt picture looks manageable at first glance—$27,000 is relatively low, placing this program in the 5th percentile nationally for debt burden. The 0.80 debt-to-earnings ratio is reasonable, and graduates see decent 22% earnings growth over four years. However, even after four years, earnings of $41,060 still trail what graduates from Valparaiso, University of Indianapolis, and several other Indiana schools earn right out of the gate.

Given the small sample size (under 30 graduates), these numbers could swing significantly year to year. But the pattern is clear: if your child wants to work in fitness or physical education in Indiana, other state programs appear to offer better earning potential with similar or lower debt loads. The value here depends heavily on other factors like campus fit or specific career goals that might justify accepting lower earnings than peers at competitor schools.