ROI Major

Health and Physical Education/Fitness at University of Texas at Austin

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 31.05

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health and Physical Education/Fitness degree from University of Texas at Austin earn a median salary of $71,987 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $78,162. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.6 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

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

$54,850

Typical Career

$71,987

Top Performers

$93,069

Estimated break-even: 6.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$480

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,999. Most students can comfortably afford about a $480 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 22.8%
Educational Services 15.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 12.2%

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

$78,162

Nominal: $71,987 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

6.6 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 $30,451 $43,972 $62,167
5 Years After Graduation $54,850 $71,987 $93,069
10 Years After Graduation $64,571 $86,814 $122,358

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 $71,987 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $71,987 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $78,162 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 the University of Texas at Austin can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $43,972.00, which increases significantly to $71,987.00 five years post-graduation and reaches $86,814.00 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $78,161.78, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to the national average despite the lower cost of living index in Texas (0.921).

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (22.8%), Educational Services (15.3%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (12.2%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 6.6 years, suggesting that the investment in a degree offers a reasonable return on investment over time. Overall, the career prospects in these fields appear solid, providing a favorable outlook for graduates entering the workforce.

Compare with Another School

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

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Health and Physical Education/Fitness at University of Texas at Austin.

Apply to University of Texas at Austin

Explore More

Other Degrees at University of Texas at Austin

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.