Is a kinesiology and exercise science degree from Western Washington University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 67% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 80%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Washington programs report higher pay.

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

Q: How much debt do Western Washington University kinesiology and exercise science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $19,487, which ranks 3rd lowest of 7 kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs in Washington. That works out to about $207 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Western Washington University kinesiology and exercise science graduates stay in Washington?

Most do. 84% (37 of 44) were working in Washington one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Public university
Bellingham, WA
About 40 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Western Washington University kinesiology and exercise science graduates earn about what kinesiology and exercise science graduates earn nationally, $29,268 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $19,487 in federal loans, less than at 92% of kinesiology and exercise science programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying kinesiology and exercise science degrees in Washington.

First-year earnings$29,26837th percentile of 524 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$44,14451% more than year one

Median federal debt$19,4873rd lowest of 7 Washington programs

Debt-to-earnings67%Washington median 68%, national 80%

How it compares

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

	Western Washington University	Washington	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$29,268	$30,815	$30,486
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$44,144	$54,308	$52,393
Median federal debt at graduation	$19,487	$21,314	$25,954
Debt as share of first-year pay	67%	68%	80%
Programs compared		7	524

Five years out, Western Washington University graduates earn less than the national figure and about $10,164 less than the Washington median. Several Washington programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

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

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

Western Washington UniversityOther Washington 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 51% between the first and fifth year.

Western Washington University grads, year 1$29,268

Western Washington University grads, year 5$44,144

All Washington kinesiology and exercise science grads, year 5$54,308

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$31,820Median debt $19,487

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$27,325Median debt $20,500

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $207 a month, or 8.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (45 borrowers)	Share
Paying down the balance	20–39%

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, 21 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $15,801.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

84% of graduates (37 of 44) were working in Washington one year after graduating. Prices in the Bellingham area are about 3% above the national average, so a $29,268 salary here buys what about $28,324 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

$50,830

Median pay in Washington. 9,270 people work in this job in Washington. 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%: $38,960Top 10%: $93,450

Coaches and Scouts

$48,030

Median pay in Washington. 11,790 people work in this job in Washington. 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%: $37,180Top 10%: $85,590

Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling

$96,790

Median pay in Washington. 630 people work in this job in Washington. 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%: $71,590Top 10%: $183,100

Athletic Trainers

$63,750

Median pay in Washington. 240 people work in this job in Washington. 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%: $49,290Top 10%: $88,610

About Western Washington University

In-state tuition and fees	$9,582 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$28,707 / year
Average net price after aid	$21,193 / year
Admission rate	93%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	65%
Undergraduate students	13,544

Kinesiology and Exercise Science ranks 37th of 52 bachelor's programs at Western Washington University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($80,808), Electrical Engineering ($77,516), and Information Technology ($72,675).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $29,268 one year after graduating and $44,144 five years after. The median across kinesiology and exercise science bachelor's programs in Washington is $30,815.

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 Washington 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 Washington, ranked7 programs by pay and debt Kinesiology and Exercise Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked524 programs by pay and debt All Western Washington University programs, ranked53 programs by pay and debt