BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Special Education and Teaching worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 205 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$187,305 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
39.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−75%Estimated return after 10 years
$51,258Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$117,420
$8,000Annual price−$149,420
$16,000Annual price−$181,420
$17,000Current college-wide context−$185,420
$24,000Annual price−$213,420
$32,000Annual price−$245,420
$40,000Annual price−$277,420
Outcomes at a glance
$51,258Typical earnings four years after completion
$50,782Average earnings five years after completion
$26,717Typical federal student debt
25thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
1,586Degrees awarded in 2024–25
185College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 76 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Special Education and Teaching
How much do Special Education and Teaching bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $51,258 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $26,717. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Special Education and Teaching?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $47,239 to $55,665 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Special Education and Teaching?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 10 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,835
- Federal debt
- $25,620
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,141
- Federal debt
- $16,669
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $51,258
- Federal debt
- $26,717
- Programs in the comparison
- 205
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $67,859
- Federal debt
- $23,274
- Programs in the comparison
- 9
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $62,770
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 288
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $98,012
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $70,411
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 17
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,956
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$47,239National median$51,25875th percentile$55,665
185 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Manhattan University
$83,932 four years after completionRiverdale, NY · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtCUNY Medgar Evers College
$5,500 among completer borrowersBrooklyn, NY · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classWestern Washington University
102 reported awards in 2024–25Bellingham, WA · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$74,079Observed year-4 earnings$58,953
Manhattan University$27,256 price · $83,932 earningsUtah State University$14,936 price · $74,535 earningsState University of New York at Cortland$22,345 price · $74,079 earningsSeton Hall University$31,446 price · $72,067 earningsMolloy University$24,347 price · $71,781 earningsThe College of New Jersey$27,646 price · $66,767 earningsCUNY Medgar Evers College$5,718 price · $66,377 earningsSaint Joseph's University - Philadelphia$29,689 price · $64,827 earningsWestern Washington University$21,193 price · $64,780 earningsNevada State University$14,068 price · $64,201 earningsLa Salle University$19,409 price · $63,434 earningsSyracuse University$38,793 price · $62,864 earningsSUNY Old Westbury$11,282 price · $62,389 earningsUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa$15,664 price · $62,087 earningsKean University$12,447 price · $61,158 earningsUniversity of Connecticut$25,097 price · $61,066 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus$10,875 price · $61,066 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Avery Point$13,807 price · $61,066 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Stamford$16,798 price · $61,066 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Hartford Campus$16,403 price · $61,066 earningsUniversity of Nevada-Las Vegas$10,359 price · $60,958 earningsUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$14,355 price · $60,685 earningsEast Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania$18,134 price · $60,391 earningsSouthern Connecticut State University$20,857 price · $60,365 earningsUniversity of North Florida$10,154 price · $59,429 earningsBroward College$14,506 price · $59,330 earningsUniversity of Hartford$30,282 price · $59,185 earningsMiami Dade College$5,463 price · $59,174 earningsNew Mexico State University-Main Campus$8,889 price · $58,953 earningsGonzaga University$35,119 price · $58,772 earnings
$5,718Annual college-wide average net price$31,446
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Manhattan University$83,9322Utah State University$74,5353State University of New York at Cortland$74,0794Seton Hall University$72,0675Molloy University$71,7816The College of New Jersey$66,7677CUNY Medgar Evers College$66,3778Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia$64,8279Western Washington University$64,78010Nevada State University$64,201Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Education Teachers, Postsecondary$75,350 median wage60,830 jobs nationwide+2.5% projected growth through 2035 · 5,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$39,530–$126,860 typical wage rangeSpecial Education Teachers, All Other$76,580 median wage33,930 jobs nationwide+1.9% projected growth through 2035 · 2,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,440–$120,080 typical wage rangeSpecial Education Teachers, Secondary School$74,260 median wage163,930 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 10,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$49,800–$109,100 typical wage rangeSpecial Education Teachers, Middle School$66,810 median wage95,200 jobs nationwide-0.4% projected growth through 2035 · 6,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$49,420–$102,510 typical wage rangeSpecial Education Teachers, Preschool$64,830 median wage29,510 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 2,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$45,620–$130,040 typical wage rangeSpecial Education Teachers, Elementary SchoolUnreported jobs nationwideSpecial Education Teachers, KindergartenUnreported jobs nationwideInterpreters and Translators$60,170 median wage52,060 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 6,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$37,070–$103,660 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwideTeaching Assistants, Special EducationUnreported jobs nationwide
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
OH19 programs$47,553 average earningsNY15 programs$60,443 average earningsPA13 programs$54,342 average earningsWI9 programs$49,428 average earningsMI9 programs$51,509 average earningsIL8 programs$51,353 average earningsFL8 programs$55,637 average earningsIN7 programs$48,957 average earningsCT7 programs$60,697 average earningsPR6 programs$33,380 average earningsNC6 programs$49,275 average earningsMO6 programs$42,814 average earnings
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.