ROI Major

Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Augusta University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 31.05

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health and Physical Education/Fitness degree from Augusta University earn a median salary of $50,220 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,492. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.9 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$37,483

Typical Career

$50,220

Top Performers

$65,780

Estimated break-even: 13.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$335

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,185. Most students can comfortably afford about a $335 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 39.2%
Educational Services 20.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$55,492

Nominal: $50,220 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

13.9 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $20,731 $28,013 $37,511
5 Years After Graduation $37,483 $50,220 $65,780
10 Years After Graduation $43,798 $57,867 $94,689

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $50,220 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $50,220 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $55,492 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Health and Physical Education/Fitness program at Augusta University experience a notable earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $28,013, which increases to $50,220 after five years and reaches $57,867 a decade post-graduation. When adjusting for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $55,491.71, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive income relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living in Georgia.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (39.2%), Educational Services (20.5%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (7.4%). This distribution suggests a strong alignment with sectors that prioritize health and education, providing stable employment opportunities. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 13.9 years, indicating a reasonable return on investment for students pursuing this degree, especially given the potential for growth in earnings over time.

Compare with Another School

See how the Health and Physical Education/Fitness degree at Augusta University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Augusta University.

Apply to Augusta University

Explore More

Other Degrees at Augusta University

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.