Health and Physical Education/Fitness at St. John Fisher University

At $36,273 in first-year earnings, St. John Fisher's Health and Physical Education program significantly outperforms most alternatives in New York, landing in the 80th percentile statewide. Graduates here earn about $9,000 more than the typical New York program in this field and roughly $6,000 above the national median. The program essentially ties with SUNY Oneonta for top earnings among New York schools—a notable achievement for a private institution competing against public universities with lower tuition.

The debt picture reinforces this value proposition. At $23,364, graduates carry about $2,300 less debt than both state and national medians for this program, despite attending a private university. The 0.64 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe roughly eight months of their first-year salary—manageable for a field that doesn't traditionally command high starting salaries. Health and PE teaching positions often include benefits packages that first-year salary figures don't capture, and many graduates enter relatively stable public school systems.

For families weighing this program, the comparison to SUNY alternatives is instructive: Fisher graduates earn slightly more than SUNY Oneonta grads while carrying less debt than they'd likely accumulate at most SUNY schools in this field. The combination of strong placement outcomes and below-average debt makes this a practical choice for students committed to physical education careers, particularly those planning to teach in New York's school districts.