Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Park University

Park University's health and physical education program comes with an unusual bright spot: graduates carry notably less debt than their peers, with $27,576 at graduation placing them in the 5th percentile nationally for debt burden. However, first-year earnings of $28,945 fall short of both Missouri's state median ($33,892) and the national average ($30,554), ranking in only the 40th percentile among Missouri programs. The nearly 1:1 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't alarming, but when other state universities consistently produce graduates earning $5,000-$8,000 more annually, the gap compounds quickly.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could shift significantly year to year, making them less reliable for planning purposes. For context, Missouri Baptist and Missouri Western graduates in this field start their careers earning over $8,000 more annually than Park graduates—a meaningful difference when you're entering a traditionally modest-paying field like health and physical education.

If keeping debt low is the priority and Park offers other compelling advantages (location, program features, institutional fit), the manageable debt load provides some cushion. But parents should recognize their child would likely start behind peers from other Missouri programs, with comparable debt but meaningfully lower earning potential in those critical first years after graduation.