Special Education and Teaching doctoral degree at Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit
What this page covers
Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.
The short version
Reported earnings are close to similar programs.
$7,273 above the national median for the same field and degree level.
Debt as a share of earnings
Not available
Highest price with a positive payoff
$87,530 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff
Withheld by data safeguards
Available price data
College-wide context only
OUTCOME SIGNALS
Graduate outcomes from several angles.
Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.
Not availableEarnings growth, year 1 → 5$84,996 → Not availableNot availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohortNot availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohortNot availableYear-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 medianNot availableBorrowers representedCohort behind the debt medianNot availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential6Recent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT
Size, aid and an earnings floor.
The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.
15Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollmentNot reportedFederal-aid completers2024–25 program completersNot reportedPell Grant recipients2024–25 program countNot reportedFederal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$46,391Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$98,012$51,621 above the preliminary benchmark
Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.
GRADUATE-DEGREE BASELINE
$98,012 vs. $50,499
$47,513 above the national bachelor’s median in the same field.
Comparison basis185 bachelor’s program records
This is a cross-cohort benchmark, not the salary increase caused by earning this graduate credential. Your current earnings remain the correct baseline for personal ROI.
01 · PRICE CONTEXT$15,846
Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.
02 · BORROWINGNot available
Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.
03 · EARNINGS$98,012
Observed median earnings four full years after completion.
04 · REPAYMENTNot available
Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.
WHAT WILL IT COST?
Published college costs provide the starting point.
Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.
Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.
$84,996Year 1
$98,012Year 4
Not availableYear 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?
Repayment pressure is not available
Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.
Gross monthly earnings$8,168
Estimated loan paymentNot available
Not availableborrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
$98,012 vs. $90,739
$7,273 above the national median for the same field and credential.
Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?
Related occupations, wages and outlook.
Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.
BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Education Teachers, Postsecondary$72,390 median wageTN estimate · 950 jobs · 25-1081$57,760–$83,350 middle 50% of TN wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 5,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSpecial Education Teachers, All Other$63,300 median wageTN estimate · 180 jobs · 25-2059$61,030–$76,670 middle 50% of TN wages+1.9% projected U.S. growth · 2,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSpecial Education Teachers, Secondary School$61,360 median wageTN estimate · 2,010 jobs · 25-2058$52,540–$65,770 middle 50% of TN wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 10,400 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSpecial Education Teachers, Middle School$60,000 median wageTN estimate · 1,310 jobs · 25-2057$51,440–$66,560 middle 50% of TN wages-0.4% projected U.S. growth · 6,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSpecial Education Teachers, Preschool$59,550 median wageTN estimate · 330 jobs · 25-2051$49,070–$66,140 middle 50% of TN wages+2.4% projected U.S. growth · 2,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSpecial Education Teachers, Elementary SchoolNot available median wageU.S. estimate · Unreported jobs · 25-2056Special Education Teachers, KindergartenNot available median wageU.S. estimate · Unreported jobs · 25-2055Interpreters and Translators$51,080 median wageTN estimate · 710 jobs · 27-3091$39,080–$64,770 middle 50% of TN wages+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 6,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeNO MATCHNot available median wageU.S. estimate · Unreported jobs · 99-9999Teaching Assistants, Special EducationNot available median wageU.S. estimate · Unreported jobs · 25-9043
Possible alternatives
Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.
Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.
DATA QUALITY
Check the evidence behind the estimate.
Not reported observations in the earnings cohort
June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release
Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page
IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?
Your price and current earnings determine the result.
Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.