Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 1,233 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods pays
Career outlook for Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods graduates
The job market for the occupations Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary school teachers, except special education | 1,422,700 | -2.0% | $62,340 | Bachelor's degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | 1,094,500 | -1.6% | $64,580 | Bachelor's degree |
| Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education | 633,700 | -2.0% | $62,970 | Bachelor's degree |
| Preschool teachers, except special education | 555,100 | +4.1% | $37,120 | Associate's degree |
| Training and development specialists | 452,300 | +10.8% | $65,850 | Bachelor's degree |
| Self-enrichment teachers | 417,500 | +3.7% | $45,590 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods vs similar majors
How Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods stacks up against the closest fields in Education on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Education · this major | Educational Administration and Supervision | Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | International and Comparative Education | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 24 F | 77 B | 70 B | 72 B |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $48,389 | $80,022 | $77,056 | $75,621 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $43,595 | $68,314 | $54,749 | $57,925 |
| ROI vs cost | -58% | +310% | +254% | +255% |
| Typical debt | $24,624 | $36,853 | $50,612 | $39,156 |
| Colleges offering it | 1,233 | 559 | 6 | 5 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY York College Jamaica, NY | Associate's | $69,456 | — | +2,644% | Strong return |
| 2 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | Associate's | $72,805 | $13,920 | +2,418% | Strong return |
| 3 | Turtle Mountain College Belcourt, ND | Associate's | $58,926 | — | +1,931% | Strong return |
| 4 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Associate's | $69,522 | $11,000 | +1,878% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | Master's | $97,476 | — | +1,680% | Strong return |
| 6 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Associate's | $64,326 | $9,558 | +1,651% | Strong return |
| 7 | Texas A & M International University Laredo, TX | Associate's | $57,631 | — | +1,637% | Strong return |
| 8 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | Associate's | $61,345 | $10,315 | +1,540% | Strong return |
| 9 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | Certificate | $81,371 | $27,668 | +1,517% | Strong return |
| 10 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Professional | $70,636 | — | +1,428% | Strong return |
| 11 | College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY | Associate's | $72,209 | $20,340 | +1,365% | Strong return |
| 12 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | Certificate | $75,470 | $25,523 | +1,335% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of Georgia Athens, GA | Master's | $84,298 | — | +1,310% | Strong return |
| 14 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Certificate | $79,155 | $27,301 | +1,263% | Strong return |
| 15 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | Certificate | $91,622 | $20,500 | +1,211% | Strong return |
| 16 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Certificate | $75,888 | $19,033 | +1,202% | Strong return |
| 17 | Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX | Certificate | $54,777 | $9,750 | +1,139% | Strong return |
| 18 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY | Certificate | $71,720 | $25,825 | +1,114% | Strong return |
| 19 | Frederick Community College Frederick, MD | Certificate | $55,315 | — | +990% | Strong return |
| 20 | Houston City College Houston, TX | Certificate | $56,145 | $13,365 | +951% | Strong return |
| 21 | San Antonio College San Antonio, TX | Certificate | $49,695 | — | +924% | Strong return |
| 22 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | Certificate | $78,465 | $20,500 | +893% | Strong return |
| 23 | SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY | Associate's | $69,650 | $17,862 | +748% | Strong return |
| 24 | Capella University Minneapolis, MN | Master's | $100,634 | $83,873 | +737% | Strong return |
| 25 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX | Certificate | $60,824 | — | +719% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.