ROI Major

Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Southeastern Louisiana University

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 31.05

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health and Physical Education/Fitness degree from Southeastern Louisiana University earn a median salary of $47,602 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $51,573. The degree typically pays for itself in 15.4 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

$36,903

Typical Career

$47,602

Top Performers

$64,100

Estimated break-even: 15.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$317

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,967. Most students can comfortably afford about a $317 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 Louisiana buys what costs $0.92 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 22.0%
Educational Services 20.8%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.2%

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

$51,573

Nominal: $47,602 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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).

15.4 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 $21,853 $28,815 $38,726
5 Years After Graduation $36,903 $47,602 $64,100
10 Years After Graduation $43,497 $55,464 $94,389

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 $47,602 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $47,602 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $51,573 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Health and Physical Education/Fitness from Southeastern Louisiana University can expect a steady earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $28,815, which increases to $47,602 five years post-graduation and reaches $55,464 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $51,573.13, indicating that graduates can expect a competitive salary relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living index in Louisiana.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance (22.0%), Educational Services (20.8%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (8.2%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 15.4 years, suggesting that while the initial financial return may be modest, the long-term benefits of a degree in this field can yield a favorable return on investment. Overall, students should weigh their career aspirations against these financial metrics when considering this educational path.

Compare with Another School

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

Ready to apply?

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

Apply to Southeastern Louisiana University

Explore More

Other Degrees at Southeastern Louisiana 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.