Health and Physical Education/Fitness at University of Virginia-Main Campus

At one of the nation's most selective universities, $27,810 starting earnings for health and physical education graduates tells an uncomfortable story—and it's not just a data quirk from a small sample. This sits 40% below what even Virginia's median program produces, and roughly $12,000 behind what graduates from Longwood or Shenandoah earn in the same field.

The debt situation adds another layer of concern. While $23,250 isn't catastrophic, it places in the 74th percentile nationally for this major—meaning most comparable programs saddle students with less debt. For a UVA credential, which typically carries significant earning power across other fields, this combination of below-median outcomes and above-median debt is striking. The 0.84 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates are borrowing nearly a full year's salary, making those first few years financially tight even with UVA's relatively moderate borrowing levels.

If your child is passionate about health education or coaching, understand that this path typically leads to teaching or recreation roles with compressed salary scales regardless of where you studied. UVA's prestige doesn't translate into meaningfully higher pay in this field. The small sample size does warrant caution, but even accounting for volatility, these numbers suggest families should carefully consider whether UVA's price tag makes sense when state schools produce stronger earning outcomes for this particular career path.