ROI Major

Health and Physical Education/Fitness at University of Oklahoma

OK · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 31.05

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health and Physical Education/Fitness degree from University of Oklahoma earn a median salary of $68,802 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OK, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $79,817. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.1 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$50,415

Typical Career

$68,802

Top Performers

$86,167

Estimated break-even: 8.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$459

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,734. Most students can comfortably afford about a $459 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Oklahoma buys what costs $0.86 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 18.7%
Educational Services 14.4%
Health Care & Social Assistance 12.4%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$79,817

Nominal: $68,802 in Oklahoma (COL 86.2% of national avg) · 16% 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).

8.1 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 $21,639 $28,926 $41,895
5 Years After Graduation $50,415 $68,802 $86,167
10 Years After Graduation $58,956 $78,415 $113,369

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 $68,802 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OK, which has a cost-of-living index of 86.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $68,802 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8620) = $79,817 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 the University of Oklahoma experience a notable earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $28,926, which increases to $68,802 five years post-graduation and reaches $78,415 ten years later. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to approximately $79,816.71 nationally, indicating that graduates can expect their income to maintain a competitive value over time, particularly in a state with a cost-of-living index of 0.862 compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (18.7%), Educational Services (14.4%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (12.4%). This distribution suggests a diverse range of career opportunities that can leverage the skills acquired during the program. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 8.1 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable, particularly given the potential for growth in earnings and the variety of sectors available for employment.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

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

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.

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