Is a kinesiology and exercise science degree from UConn worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 71% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 80%.

UConn Kinesiology and Exercise Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do UConn kinesiology and exercise science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $23,125, which ranks the lowest of 5 kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs in Connecticut. That works out to about $245 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do UConn kinesiology and exercise science graduates stay in Connecticut?

Most do. 52% (16 of 31) were working in Connecticut one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Public university
Storrs, CT
About 53 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UConn kinesiology and exercise science graduates earn about what kinesiology and exercise science graduates earn nationally, $32,586 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $23,125 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,954. Two other Connecticut programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$32,58665th percentile of 524 programs nationally

Median federal debt$23,125The lowest of 5 Connecticut programs

Debt-to-earnings71%Connecticut median 75%, national 80%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Connecticut and national columns are the medians across all kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	UConn	Connecticut	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$32,586	$31,089	$30,486
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,125	$26,000	$25,954
Debt as share of first-year pay	71%	75%	80%
Programs compared		6	524

Debt and first-year pay at every Connecticut kinesiology and exercise science program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Connecticut medians.

UConnOther Connecticut programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $245 a month, or 9.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

21 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $45,210.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

52% of graduates (16 of 31) were working in Connecticut one year after graduating. Prices in the Hartford area are about 3% above the national average, so a $32,586 salary here buys what about $31,715 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to kinesiology and exercise science, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors

$61,580

Median pay in Connecticut. 2,850 people work in this job in Connecticut. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 68,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $34,010Top 10%: $103,590

Coaches and Scouts

$54,790

Median pay in Connecticut. 4,070 people work in this job in Connecticut. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 36,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $34,010Top 10%: $105,170

Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling

$78,010

Median pay in Connecticut. 130 people work in this job in Connecticut. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $62,400Top 10%: $129,190

Athletic Trainers

$69,960

Median pay in Connecticut. 290 people work in this job in Connecticut. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

Bottom 10%: $50,900Top 10%: $112,140

About UConn

In-state tuition and fees	$21,044 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$43,712 / year
Average net price after aid	$25,097 / year
Admission rate	52%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	83%
Undergraduate students	19,835

Kinesiology and Exercise Science ranks 45th of 58 bachelor's programs at UConn by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($84,969), Computer Engineering ($82,924), and Computer Science ($79,605).

Other kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs near Storrs

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UConnStorrs, CT · public		$32,586	$23,125
Eastern Connecticut StateWillimantic, CT · public	6 mi	$34,132	$25,500
Nichols CollegeDudley, MA · private nonprofit	23 mi	$32,564	$27,000
Western New England UniversitySpringfield, MA · private nonprofit	25 mi	$26,544	$27,000
Springfield CollegeSpringfield, MA · private nonprofit	26 mi	$34,191	$27,000
Central Connecticut StateNew Britain, CT · public	28 mi	$35,701	$26,000
Westfield StateWestfield, MA · public	36 mi	$32,456	$27,000
UMass AmherstAmherst, MA · public	42 mi	$36,419	$26,227
Post UniversityWaterbury, CT · private for-profit	47 mi	$29,592	$31,250

Common questions

The median graduate earns $32,586 one year after graduating. The median across kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs in Connecticut is $31,089.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Connecticut comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the kinesiology and exercise science program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Kinesiology and Exercise Science bachelor's programs in Connecticut, ranked6 programs by pay and debt Kinesiology and Exercise Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked524 programs by pay and debt All UConn programs, ranked58 programs by pay and debt