Bachelor's · Fairfax, Virginia

Is Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness at George Mason University worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 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 4.3 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $42,292; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $68,391; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $18,875; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $62k (likely $62k – $84k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $29k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in VA; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 4.3 years (likely 3.4–5.5); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: $22k (likely −$61k – $103k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $386k (likely $211k – $572k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 66%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in: ≤ 20% / ≤ 20%; 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.

Other majors at George Mason University

Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Master's)$167,363
Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's)$162,691
Computer Engineering (Master's)$158,029
Homeland Security (Master's)$154,158
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral)$148,171
Homeland Security (Bachelor's)$143,972
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$142,690
Law (First professional)$135,661
Systems Engineering (Master's)$135,210
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$134,691
Psychology, General (Doctoral)$128,100
Data Analytics (Graduate certificate)$126,988

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness at other schools in Virginia

University of Virginia-Main Campus$81,110
William & Mary$68,992
Roanoke College$65,112
Shenandoah University$64,373
James Madison University$63,065
Bridgewater College$55,288
University of Lynchburg$53,009
Old Dominion University$52,482
Liberty University$51,061
Longwood University$50,990