ROI Major

Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Coker University

SC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 31.05

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health and Physical Education/Fitness degree from Coker University earn a median salary of $45,534 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,830. The degree typically pays for itself in 15.3 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

$34,840

Typical Career

$45,534

Top Performers

$59,353

Estimated break-even: 15.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$304

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,795. Most students can comfortably afford about a $304 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 22.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.1%
Public Administration 11.0%

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

$47,830

Nominal: $45,534 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 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).

15.3 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 $22,193 $28,536 $37,024
5 Years After Graduation $34,840 $45,534 $59,353
10 Years After Graduation $44,186 $56,877 $80,918

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 $45,534 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $45,534 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $47,830 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 Coker University can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median salary one year after graduation is $28,536, which rises to $45,534 after five years and reaches $56,877 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national average at approximately $47,829.83, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to their peers across the country.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (22.9%), Health Care & Social Assistance (15.1%), and Public Administration (11.0%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high school diploma is approximately 15.3 years, suggesting that while the initial investment in education may take time to recover, the long-term benefits in terms of career opportunities and salary growth can be significant. Overall, the return on investment for this degree appears favorable, particularly for those committed to careers in education and health-related fields.

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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.