Is a kinesiology and exercise science degree from University of Minnesota worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 64% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 80%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 10% or less. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Minnesota programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

University of Minnesota Kinesiology and Exercise Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do University of Minnesota kinesiology and exercise science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $23,000, which ranks 2nd lowest of 14 kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs in Minnesota. That works out to about $244 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do University of Minnesota kinesiology and exercise science graduates stay in Minnesota?

Most do. 65% (64 of 98) were working in Minnesota one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Public university
Minneapolis, MN
About 86 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Minnesota kinesiology and exercise science graduates earn more than graduates of most kinesiology and exercise science programs nationally, $36,050 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $23,000 in federal loans, less than at 76% of kinesiology and exercise science programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying kinesiology and exercise science degrees in Minnesota.

First-year earnings$36,05084th percentile of 524 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$62,21373% more than year one

Median federal debt$23,0002nd lowest of 14 Minnesota programs

Debt-to-earnings64%Minnesota median 74%, national 80%

How it compares

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

	University of Minnesota	Minnesota	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$36,050	$33,316	$30,486
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$62,213	$56,481	$52,393
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,000	$25,000	$25,954
Debt as share of first-year pay	64%	74%	80%
Programs compared		14	524

Five years out, University of Minnesota graduates earn more than the national figure and about $5,732 more than the Minnesota median.

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

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

University of MinnesotaOther Minnesota programs

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

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 73% between the first and fifth year.

University of Minnesota grads, year 1$36,050

University of Minnesota grads, year 5$62,213

All Minnesota kinesiology and exercise science grads, year 5$56,481

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned more in their first year than other graduates. They also borrowed less. At this program, the outcome does not look worse for students with less money.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$37,572Median debt $19,500

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$34,047Median debt $23,250

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $244 a month, or 8.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (179 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10–19%
Paying down the balance	30–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	10–19%
In default	10% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 37 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $38,436.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

65% of graduates (64 of 98) were working in Minnesota one year after graduating. Prices in the Minneapolis area are about 5% above the national average, so a $36,050 salary here buys what about $34,392 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

$43,620

Median pay in Minnesota. 7,010 people work in this job in Minnesota. 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%: $29,660Top 10%: $66,650

Coaches and Scouts

$48,050

Median pay in Minnesota. 4,680 people work in this job in Minnesota. 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%: $29,480Top 10%: $87,910

Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling

$107,660

Median pay in Minnesota. 480 people work in this job in Minnesota. 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%: $75,070Top 10%: $157,060

Athletic Trainers

$65,390

Median pay in Minnesota. 820 people work in this job in Minnesota. 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%: $57,910Top 10%: $78,430

About University of Minnesota

In-state tuition and fees	$17,214 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$38,362 / year
Average net price after aid	$16,778 / year
Admission rate	80%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	85%
Undergraduate students	31,855

Kinesiology and Exercise Science ranks 60th of 88 bachelor's programs at University of Minnesota by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($85,672), Computer Science ($82,861), and Electrical Engineering ($79,808).

Other kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs near Minneapolis

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public		$36,050	$23,000
Augsburg UniversityMinneapolis, MN · private nonprofit	Under 1 mi	$37,473	$27,000
Concordia University-Saint PaulSaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	4 mi	$33,744	$29,156
University of Northwestern-St PaulSaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	5 mi	$30,176	$23,562
Bethel University (Minnesota)Saint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	7 mi	$31,919	$24,500
St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN · private nonprofit	35 mi	$33,577	$25,000
Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, MN · private nonprofit	58 mi	$38,796	$27,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $36,050 one year after graduating and $62,213 five years after. The median across kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs in Minnesota is $33,316.

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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota, ranked14 programs by pay and debt Kinesiology and Exercise Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked524 programs by pay and debt All University of Minnesota programs, ranked91 programs by pay and debt