Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies at University of Nebraska at Kearney

The story here is less about where graduates start and more about where they end up. That first-year salary of $28,000 looks rough—landing in just the 15th percentile nationally—but by year four, earnings surge 68% to $47,372. That's a trajectory worth watching, though it means weathering some lean early years.

Within Nebraska, this program actually performs at the median, but that's partly because there are only two schools offering this degree in-state. The broader concern is the national comparison: most similar programs elsewhere start graduates at $34,000, nearly $6,000 more than UNK. The debt load of $23,500 is fairly typical for the field, but when paired with that low initial salary, you're looking at a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.83—manageable but not comfortable in those first couple years.

The real question is whether your student can handle three to four years of modest income before that growth kicks in. If they're passionate about recreation management and willing to live frugally early on, the trajectory improves significantly. But if they need financial stability right out of college, this path requires patience that not every graduate can afford.