Bachelor's · Allendale, Michigan

Is Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness at Grand Valley State University worth it?

High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 6.1 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $41,001; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $57,116; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $22,500; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $70k (likely $70k – $95k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $20k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in MI; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 6.1 years (likely 5.3–7.3); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$56k (likely −$123k – −$13k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $201k (likely $92k – $321k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 65%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in: not reported / ≤ 10%; NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20

Change income, residency or loans Compare Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness at other schools

🏃 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward sports, fitness & wellness majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

AP Biology
AP Psychology
AP Statistics

IB Higher Level

Sports, Exercise and Health Science HL
Biology HL

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.