Health and Physical Education/Fitness at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A year-one salary of $31,000 might alarm you, but UNC-Chapel Hill graduates in this program see substantial earnings momentum—jumping to nearly $48,000 by year four, a 53% increase that significantly outpaces typical wage growth. Within North Carolina's health and physical education programs, this places UNC in the 60th percentile, performing above the state median of $27,624 but trailing schools like Meredith College and UNC Charlotte. The robust sample size of 100+ graduates makes these figures reliable.

The real advantage here is debt management. At $16,575, graduates carry roughly 40% less debt than both the national and state medians (around $26,000), resulting in a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.53—manageable even during the modest starting year. This is crucial for a field where many graduates pursue teaching positions or fitness industry roles that don't command premium starting salaries. The low debt burden provides graduates flexibility to pursue lower-paying opportunities early in their careers while building experience.

For a selective institution with a 19% admission rate, this program delivers solid fundamentals rather than exceptional outcomes. Your child would graduate with minimal debt from a prestigious university, positioned slightly above average among North Carolina peers. If they're considering graduate school in physical therapy, athletic training, or related fields—common paths for these majors—the low undergraduate debt becomes particularly valuable.