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

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 94% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 80%. Compare the cost with other North Carolina programs before deciding.

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

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

The median federal loan balance is $25,820, which ranks 11th lowest of 29 kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $274 a month over 10 years.

Bachelor's in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Private nonprofit university
Mount Olive, NC
About 21 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Mount Olive kinesiology and exercise science graduates earn less than graduates of most kinesiology and exercise science programs nationally, $27,413 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $25,820 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,954. Several North Carolina programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$27,41324th percentile of 524 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$39,79045% more than year one

Median federal debt$25,82011th lowest of 29 North Carolina programs

Debt-to-earnings94%North Carolina median 98%, national 80%

How it compares

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

	University of Mount Olive	North Carolina	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$27,413	$27,519	$30,486
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$39,790	$45,632	$52,393
Median federal debt at graduation	$25,820	$26,703	$25,954
Debt as share of first-year pay	94%	98%	80%
Programs compared		30	524

Five years out, University of Mount Olive graduates earn less than the national figure and about $5,842 less than the North Carolina median. Several North Carolina programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

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

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

University of Mount OliveOther North Carolina 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 45% between the first and fifth year.

University of Mount Olive grads, year 1$27,413

University of Mount Olive grads, year 5$39,790

All North Carolina kinesiology and exercise science grads, year 5$45,632

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

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $274 a month, or 12.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the Goldsboro area are about 12% below the national average, so a $27,413 salary here buys what about $30,988 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

$46,450

Median pay in North Carolina. 10,670 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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%: $24,910Top 10%: $74,210

Coaches and Scouts

$43,840

Median pay in North Carolina. 8,530 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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%: $25,130Top 10%: $87,060

Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling

$77,990

Median pay in North Carolina. 1,200 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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%: $47,660Top 10%: $136,160

Athletic Trainers

$56,540

Median pay in North Carolina. 990 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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%: $46,740Top 10%: $77,000

About University of Mount Olive

Tuition and fees	$27,366 / year
Average net price after aid	$18,853 / year
Admission rate	76%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	52%
Undergraduate students	1,796

Kinesiology and Exercise Science ranks 11th of 12 bachelor's programs at University of Mount Olive by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($81,493), Business Administration ($48,751), and Subject-Area Teacher Education ($45,316).

Other kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs near Mount Olive

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of Mount OliveMount Olive, NC · private nonprofit		$27,413	$25,820
Barton CollegeWilson, NC · private nonprofit	37 mi	$29,374	$27,000
Campbell UniversityBuies Creek, NC · private nonprofit	40 mi	$32,167	$25,250
Methodist UniversityFayetteville, NC · private nonprofit	46 mi	$28,270	$30,124
East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC · public	48 mi	$29,797	$27,000
Shaw UniversityRaleigh, NC · private nonprofit	50 mi	$18,987	$30,500
NC StateRaleigh, NC · public	52 mi	$33,717	$21,500
Meredith CollegeRaleigh, NC · private nonprofit	54 mi	$38,525	$26,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $27,413 one year after graduating and $39,790 five years after. The median across kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs in North Carolina is $27,519.

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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina, ranked30 programs by pay and debt Kinesiology and Exercise Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked524 programs by pay and debt All University of Mount Olive programs, ranked14 programs by pay and debt