Health and Physical Education/Fitness at North Greenville University

North Greenville's physical education program starts graduates at nearly $3,000 below the already-modest state median of $27,728. While that initial earnings gap is concerning, the trajectory tells a more complete story: by year four, graduates reach $41,812—a 52% jump that puts them solidly ahead of comparable South Carolina programs. That said, the school sits at just the 40th percentile statewide, meaning more than half of SC programs deliver stronger outcomes. The $28,000 debt load, while slightly above state median, remains manageable given the earnings growth.

The real question is opportunity cost. Your child could attend USC-Columbia or The Citadel and start their career earning $13,000-$16,000 more annually in this same field. Even accounting for North Greenville's strong year-four earnings, that's a significant head start competitors provide. The program does two things reasonably well: it keeps debt from spiraling out of control, and it shows graduates can advance their careers meaningfully after that difficult first year.

If your child has compelling reasons to attend North Greenville specifically—faith-based environment, smaller campus, particular coaching opportunities—the numbers aren't prohibitive. But purely as a financial decision for a PE or fitness career, stronger options exist within South Carolina that would put your child on firmer financial footing from day one.