Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Texas A & M International University

Can you really justify borrowing nearly $20,000 to start at $25,000 a year? That's the uncomfortable question facing families looking at this Health and Physical Education program. While graduates do see impressive 45% earnings growth by year four—reaching $36,156—they're starting from the bottom 5th percentile nationally. Even after that growth, they're still earning $4,000 less than the typical first-year graduate in this field elsewhere. Among Texas programs, this ranks in just the 25th percentile, trailing schools like West Texas A&M ($40,313) and even the state median ($32,429) by significant margins.

The program serves a predominantly low-income student body (63% receive Pell grants) in Laredo's unique border economy, which may partially explain the earnings gap. However, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78 is reasonable compared to many education-focused programs, and the relatively modest debt load of $19,327 won't trap graduates in the same way six-figure borrowing would.

If your child is committed to teaching or coaching in the Laredo area and understands they'll need to live frugally for several years, this could work. But if they have the credentials to attend programs higher up Texas's rankings—or if relocating after graduation is an option—the $10,000+ earnings difference would compound significantly over a career. The strong growth trajectory suggests graduates who stay the course do improve their situation, but they're playing catch-up from day one.