ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 184 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$175,545 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−161%Estimated return after 10 years
$38,349Observed 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−$156,510
$8,000Annual price−$172,510
$10,000Current college-wide context−$176,510
$16,000Annual price−$188,510
$24,000Annual price−$204,510
$32,000Annual price−$220,510
$40,000Annual price−$236,510
Outcomes at a glance
$38,349Typical earnings four years after completion
$34,490Average earnings five years after completion
$13,568Typical federal student debt
18thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
172College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
How much do Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $38,349 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $13,568. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $34,197 to $41,621 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 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
- $35,034
- Federal debt
- $15,500
- Programs in the comparison
- 46
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $38,349
- Federal debt
- $13,568
- Programs in the comparison
- 184
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $47,730
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 742
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $58,135
- Federal debt
- $20,089
- Programs in the comparison
- 7
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $58,916
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 385
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $87,754
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 7
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,670
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,842
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 7
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,617
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 9
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$34,197National median$38,34975th percentile$41,621
172 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
Houston City College
$58,451 four years after completionHouston, TX · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtLone Star College System
$8,479 among completer borrowersThe Woodlands, TX · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classDallas College
270 reported awards in 2024–25Dallas, TX · 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.
$57,290Observed year-4 earnings$44,547
Houston City College$5,737 price · $58,451 earningsRaritan Valley Community College$6,778 price · $58,335 earningsHagerstown Community College$6,835 price · $57,290 earningsTarrant County College District$4,337 price · $55,136 earningsSan Jacinto Community College$12,143 price · $54,018 earningsAnne Arundel Community College$14,915 price · $53,984 earningsLone Star College System$11,252 price · $53,830 earningsCasper College$9,593 price · $53,470 earningsCollege of Southern Nevada$6,615 price · $52,719 earningsCollin County Community College District$8,969 price · $52,314 earningsAustin Community College District$6,390 price · $51,880 earningsGrayson College$5,880 price · $51,745 earningsDallas College$3,214 price · $51,714 earningsSt Philip's College$4,273 price · $51,631 earningsRoxbury Community College$12,244 price · $51,516 earningsSouth Plains College$6,791 price · $50,149 earningsOdessa College$6,368 price · $49,754 earningsKalamazoo Valley Community College$2,979 price · $49,614 earningsCamden County College$5,996 price · $48,628 earningsNormandale Community College$12,972 price · $48,468 earningsNorthwest Vista College$4,525 price · $48,330 earningsArizona Western College$8,983 price · $48,250 earningsLeeward Community College$5,137 price · $48,181 earningsNavarro College$14,820 price · $47,911 earningsLake Washington Institute of Technology$6,817 price · $46,096 earningsNorth Central Texas College$6,587 price · $45,900 earningsSalt Lake Community College$9,804 price · $45,017 earningsOklahoma City Community College$4,739 price · $44,727 earningsNorthern Essex Community College$6,046 price · $44,547 earningsEastern Arizona College$9,197 price · $44,015 earnings
$3,214Annual college-wide average net price$12,972
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.
1Houston City College$58,4512Raritan Valley Community College$58,3353Hagerstown Community College$57,2904Tarrant County College District$55,1365San Jacinto Community College$54,0186Anne Arundel Community College$53,9847Lone Star College System$53,8308Casper College$53,4709College of Southern Nevada$52,71910Collin County Community College District$52,314Observed 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 ↑
-16%Projected employment growth →13%
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 rangeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 median wage1,065,210 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 63,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,780–$107,600 typical wage rangeElementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970 median wage1,388,390 jobs nationwide-0.4% projected growth through 2035 · 87,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$47,960–$104,340 typical wage rangeMiddle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370 median wage620,090 jobs nationwide-0.4% projected growth through 2035 · 38,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,080–$102,540 typical wage rangeKindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680 median wage108,870 jobs nationwide-0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 11,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$46,990–$101,830 typical wage rangePreschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140 median wage478,780 jobs nationwide+4.5% projected growth through 2035 · 66,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$28,990–$61,390 typical wage rangeTeachers and Instructors, All Other$66,140 median wage113,790 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 15,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$37,010–$118,020 typical wage rangeSelf-Enrichment Teachers$46,800 median wage332,110 jobs nationwide+3.5% projected growth through 2035 · 50,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$30,050–$92,840 typical wage rangePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$77,640 median wage149,840 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$44,300–$160,700 typical wage rangeTraining and Development Specialists$69,280 median wage458,300 jobs nationwide+10.8% projected growth through 2035 · 46,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$38,760–$123,250 typical wage rangeAdult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540 median wage37,310 jobs nationwide-13.9% projected growth through 2035 · 3,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$41,810–$98,030 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported 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.
TX25 programs$44,804 average earningsNC19 programs$31,920 average earningsOH13 programs$36,587 average earningsMA9 programs$40,230 average earningsWI8 programs$35,694 average earningsPA7 programs$39,166 average earningsMS6 programs$35,499 average earningsGA6 programs$32,075 average earningsOK5 programs$35,895 average earningsNM5 programs$37,455 average earningsAZ5 programs$41,941 average earningsAR5 programs$32,382 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.