Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Thomas College

Thomas College's health and physical education program posts impressive national numbers—95th percentile for earnings—but context matters here. While $38,348 beats the national median by nearly $8,000, it's actually middle-of-the-pack among Maine's handful of programs. In a state where Husson leads at $38,000 and Saint Joseph's comes in at $35,341, Thomas edges ahead but doesn't dominate locally the way its national ranking might suggest.

The $27,000 debt load equals the state median and sits well below the national figure, creating a manageable 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio. For health and physical education graduates, who often start in teaching or coaching roles with modest initial salaries, this kind of debt burden is workable. The real question is whether the 97% admission rate and relatively low Pell grant enrollment (15%) signal a program that's selective about who succeeds versus one that's simply accessible.

Here's the catch: fewer than 30 students in this dataset means these numbers could swing considerably with just a few graduates landing particularly good or poor positions. If your child is committed to health and PE education in Maine, Thomas performs competitively with its in-state peers and won't saddle them with outsized debt. Just recognize you're paying for results that are solid but not exceptional within the state job market.