Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Washburn University

Washburn's health and physical education program starts graduates at just $25,679—about $5,000 below both state and national medians for this field. While the 58% earnings jump to $40,649 by year four shows meaningful growth, that initial year presents real financial challenges, especially when managing nearly $28,000 in debt. Within Kansas, this ranks squarely in the middle (40th percentile), but it trails state leaders like Pittsburg State ($36,393) and KU ($33,891) by substantial margins.

The debt burden here is actually relatively light—5th percentile nationally means 95% of similar programs saddle graduates with more debt. That's the silver lining. However, when your first-year salary barely covers living expenses in Topeka, even manageable debt feels heavy. The 1.08 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't alarming, but the absolute dollar amounts tell the harder story: graduates are likely living paycheck-to-paycheck initially.

One major caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances heavily influence these numbers. A few teacher's aides or substitute teachers in the sample would drag down the average. If your child is committed to this field and staying in Kansas, Washburn's lower debt load could ultimately matter more than the starting salary gap. Just ensure they understand that first year or two will require serious budgeting—or family support—to make ends meet.