ROI Major

Health and Physical Education/Fitness at Wright State University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 31.05

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health and Physical Education/Fitness degree from Wright State University earn a median salary of $51,665 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,342. The degree typically pays for itself in 12 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

$38,967

Typical Career

$51,665

Top Performers

$63,902

Estimated break-even: 12 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$344

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,305. Most students can comfortably afford about a $344 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 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 22.4%
Educational Services 17.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.4%

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

$57,342

Nominal: $51,665 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

12 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 $23,419 $30,796 $39,249
5 Years After Graduation $38,967 $51,665 $63,902
10 Years After Graduation $50,276 $62,132 $80,101

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 $51,665 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $51,665 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $57,342 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Health and Physical Education/Fitness from Wright State University shows a steady increase over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $30,796.00, which rises to $51,665.00 after five years and reaches $62,132.00 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to $57,341.84 nationally, indicating that graduates can expect a competitive salary relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living in Ohio.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance (22.4%), Educational Services (17.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.4%) sectors. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 12 years, suggesting that while the initial investment in education may take time to recoup, the long-term benefits in terms of career opportunities and salary potential are significant. Overall, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable, particularly given the strong demand in key industries.

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 Wright State University 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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