Western Kentucky University Kinesiology and Exercise Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
- Public university
- Bowling Green, KY
- About 123 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Western Kentucky University kinesiology and exercise science graduates earn less than graduates of most kinesiology and exercise science programs nationally, $25,858 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $24,593 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,954. Several Kentucky programs report higher pay.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Kentucky and national columns are the medians across all kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs that report the figure.
Five years out, Western Kentucky University graduates earn less than the national figure and about the same as the Kentucky median.
Debt and first-year pay at every Kentucky kinesiology and exercise science program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Kentucky medians.
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 90% between the first and fifth year.
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 $3,047 less in their first year than other graduates. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $261 a month, or 12.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
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, 67 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $23,000.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
59% of graduates (37 of 63) were working in Kentucky one year after graduating. Prices in the Bowling Green area are about 10% below the national average, so a $25,858 salary here buys what about $28,674 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
$45,280Median pay in Kentucky. 1,990 people work in this job in Kentucky. 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.
Coaches and Scouts
$35,570Median pay in Kentucky. 2,800 people work in this job in Kentucky. 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.
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
$80,130Median pay in Kentucky. 300 people work in this job in Kentucky. 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.
Athletic Trainers
$60,680Median pay in Kentucky. 720 people work in this job in Kentucky. 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.
About Western Kentucky University
Kinesiology and Exercise Science ranks 40th of 45 bachelor's programs at Western Kentucky University by first-year earnings. The top three are Electrical Engineering ($74,205), Mechanical Engineering ($70,722), and Nursing ($68,294).
Other kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs near Bowling Green
Common questions
The median graduate earns $25,858 one year after graduating and $49,122 five years after. The median across kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs in Kentucky is $31,049.
The median federal loan balance is $24,593, which ranks 4th lowest of 8 kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs in Kentucky. That works out to about $261 a month over 10 years.
It depends on your other options. Debt equals 95% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 80%. Compare the cost with other Kentucky programs before deciding.
Most do. 59% (37 of 63) were working in Kentucky one year after graduating.
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 Kentucky 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