Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Vermont State University

Vermont State's health and physical education program outperforms most similar programs across the country, with first-year earnings of $37,493 placing it in the 95th percentile nationally—well above the $30,554 typical for this bachelor's degree. While the estimated debt of $24,250 comes from national peer programs rather than this school's actual graduates, the resulting debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 suggests manageable repayment, particularly for a field where many grads pursue teaching positions with steady income and potential loan forgiveness benefits.

The earnings figure tells an encouraging story: graduates here earn about $7,000 more than the national median and roughly $3,700 above Vermont's average for this credential. That's a meaningful difference when you're making monthly loan payments. Comparable programs typically saddle students with similar debt loads, and at this ratio, a graduate earning the median could reasonably pay down their loans within a few years while building toward a stable career in education or fitness professions.

The limitation here is that we're comparing actual earnings from this program against estimated debt from similar schools nationwide. If Vermont State's actual debt runs higher—or if individual students borrow more than the median—the picture changes. Still, strong earnings relative to both state and national benchmarks suggest this program delivers solid preparation for entry-level positions that pay above typical outcomes for physical education degrees.