ROI Major

Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Truman State University

MO · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 31.05

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health and Physical Education/Fitness degree from Truman State University earn a median salary of $59,562 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $66,774. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.4 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

$44,414

Typical Career

$59,562

Top Performers

$75,948

Estimated break-even: 9.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$397

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,964. Most students can comfortably afford about a $397 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Missouri buys what costs $0.89 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 21.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 20.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 14.1%

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

$66,774

Nominal: $59,562 in Missouri (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).

9.4 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 $20,619 $28,008 $38,857
5 Years After Graduation $44,414 $59,562 $75,948
10 Years After Graduation $56,999 $75,698 $109,488

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 $59,562 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MO, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $59,562 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $66,774 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 Truman State University experience a notable earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $28,008, which increases to $59,562 after five years and further to $75,698 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $66,773.54, reflecting the impact of the cost of living in Missouri, where the COL index is 0.892 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The primary industries for graduates include Educational Services (21.3%), Health Care & Social Assistance (20.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (14.1%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 9.4 years, suggesting a significant return on investment over time. Overall, the career prospects in this field appear promising, with a solid potential for growth and stability in earnings.

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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.