Health and Physical Education/Fitness at University of Iowa

With only a handful of graduates in this certificate program, the most telling figure here is the debt load: $23,375 puts University of Iowa at the 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of comparable programs leave students with less debt. For a credential that leads to $24,195 in first-year earnings, that's essentially a dollar of debt for every dollar earned, an unusually heavy burden for what's typically a quick-turnaround certificate.

Among Iowa's limited options for this credential (just 4 schools offer it statewide), this program sits at the state median for both earnings and debt. But that state context matters less than the national picture: most health and fitness certificates elsewhere cost far less to obtain while producing similar earnings. The small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates—means these numbers could swing dramatically year to year, but the debt figure is hard to ignore.

For parents, the question is whether a certificate from a flagship university justifies borrowing nearly $24,000. If your child can access this program with minimal loans—through savings, work-study, or grants—it might make sense as a stepping stone. But at this debt level for these earnings, most families would be better served exploring lower-cost alternatives, whether that's a similar certificate at a community college or a different pathway into fitness and wellness careers altogether.