Health & Physical Education Degree

529 schools compared · Average earnings $31,057/yr

Students study exercise science, health promotion, physical education pedagogy, fitness assessment, and the design of wellness programs for diverse populations. Graduates typically pursue careers as physical education teachers, fitness directors, corporate wellness coordinators, strength and conditioning coaches, and health educators. The growing emphasis on preventive health and workplace wellness programs is expanding career opportunities in this field.

What Health & Physical Education Graduates Do

Your career will be active, hands-on, and centered on people. Forget the cubicle; you’ll spend your days on the gym floor designing custom workout plans as an exercise trainer, leading a high-energy group fitness class, or working on the sidelines as a coach, developing plays and motivating your team. Many graduates start as personal trainers or assistant coaches, building direct experience with clients and athletes. With a few years of success, you can advance to managing an entire recreation center—overseeing budgets, staff, and programming—or become a head coach.

The job market is expanding rapidly for roles like exercise trainers and athletic trainers, creating a steady stream of openings. In contrast, academic positions in fitness studies are growing much more slowly. A major advantage of this field is its low exposure to AI. Technology can help you with administrative tasks like scheduling, but it can't physically demonstrate proper form, tape a sprained ankle, or provide the in-person motivation that is core to your work. This makes your skills uniquely human and durable in an automated world.

Schools Offering
529
Avg Grad Earnings
$31,057/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
38/100
AI Automation Risk
Moderate
28% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Health & Physical Education graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 128,800 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling
$77,180
$58K$102K
5,500 +7.7% 35%
Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary
$75,890
$57K$101K
1,100 +2.4% 56%
Athletes and sports competitors
$62,360
$37K$131K
2,100 +5.5% 0%
Athletic trainers
$60,250
$52K$71K
2,400 +11.1% 28%
Exercise physiologists
$58,160
$49K$65K
1,700 +9.5% 26%
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
$46,180
$34K$61K
74,200 +11.9% 1%
Coaches and scouts
$45,920
$34K$62K
41,800 +6.4% 30%
Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling
$77,180
$58K $102K
5,500 openings/yr +7.7% growth 35% AI risk
Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary
$75,890
$57K $101K
1,100 openings/yr +2.4% growth 56% AI risk
Athletes and sports competitors
$62,360
$37K $131K
2,100 openings/yr +5.5% growth 0% AI risk
Athletic trainers
$60,250
$52K $71K
2,400 openings/yr +11.1% growth 28% AI risk
Exercise physiologists
$58,160
$49K $65K
1,700 openings/yr +9.5% growth 26% AI risk
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
$46,180
$34K $61K
74,200 openings/yr +11.9% growth 1% AI risk
Coaches and scouts
$45,920
$34K $62K
41,800 openings/yr +6.4% growth 30% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Health & Physical Education

Top 20 of 529 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 American Public University System
Charles Town, WV
60
56–60
$51,381/yr 15.4x
2 Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston, SC
59
56–59
$43,727/yr 13.0x
3 University of Florida-Online
Gainesville, FL
59
57–60
$39,717/yr 35.9x
4 University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
58
55–58
$39,717/yr 21.4x
5 University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
58
55–58
$37,920/yr 17.3x
6 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
56
53–57
$43,506/yr 9.6x
7 Ohio University-Eastern Campus
Saint Clairsville, OH
56
54–56
$35,165/yr 23.6x
8 Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus
Chillicothe, OH
56
54–56
$35,165/yr 23.6x
9 Ohio University-Southern Campus
Ironton, OH
56
54–56
$35,165/yr 23.6x
10 Ohio University-Lancaster Campus
Lancaster, OH
56
54–56
$35,165/yr 23.6x
11 Ohio University-Zanesville Campus
Zanesville, OH
56
54–56
$35,165/yr 23.6x
12 North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC
56
55–57
$33,717/yr 19.6x
13 Winona State University
Winona, MN
55
52–55
$41,742/yr 12.9x
14 University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC
55
52–55
$40,702/yr 11.6x
15 Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg, MA
55
53–56
$37,218/yr 14.3x
16 Utah Valley University
Orem, UT
55
54–56
$31,905/yr 26.2x
17 Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
54
51–54
$42,725/yr 12.0x
18 West Texas A & M University
Canyon, TX
54
51–54
$40,313/yr 13.9x
19 Northern State University
Aberdeen, SD
54
51–54
$40,123/yr 14.2x
20 University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
54
52–55
$33,891/yr 14.7x

Highest Earning Health & Physical Education Programs

Schools where Health & Physical Education graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score
American Public University System $51,381/yr 60
Rice University $51,110/yr 47
Simmons University $48,876/yr 53
Lubbock Christian University $46,359/yr 42
University of Wisconsin-Platteville $46,027/yr 53
Southern Methodist University $45,519/yr 48
Valparaiso University $44,937/yr 41
Ashford University $44,513/yr 48
Citadel Military College of South Carolina $43,727/yr 59
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor $43,506/yr 56

Best ROI for Health & Physical Education

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Health & Physical Education.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
University of Florida-Online 35.9x $39,717/yr 59
University of North Carolina at Pembroke 29.6x $25,623/yr 42
Florida Atlantic University 26.4x $30,412/yr 49
Utah Valley University 26.2x $31,905/yr 55
Elizabeth City State University 24.5x $26,821/yr 39
Georgia Southern University 23.6x $29,320/yr 50
Ohio University-Eastern Campus 23.6x $35,165/yr 56
Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus 23.6x $35,165/yr 56
Ohio University-Southern Campus 23.6x $35,165/yr 56
Ohio University-Lancaster Campus 23.6x $35,165/yr 56
Want to compare two Health & Physical Education programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Health & Physical Education offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Health & Physical Education graduates earn?
Across 529 schools, Health & Physical Education graduates earn an average of $31,057 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $16,067 to $51,381 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Health & Physical Education?
Health & Physical Education is rated "Moderate" for AI automation risk, with an average of 28% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means relatively few career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Health & Physical Education program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), American Public University System ranks #1 for Health & Physical Education with a score of 60/100 and graduate earnings of $51,381/yr.
What's the outlook for a Health & Physical Education degree?
On average, Health & Physical Education graduates earn 7.9x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →