Field of study · CIP 13.10
Special Education and Teaching
Offered at 1,486 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 90 | $41,305 | — | $21,746 |
| Associate | 61 | — | — | — |
| Bachelor's | 481 | $46,718 | $51,906 | $25,000 |
| Post-bacc certificate | 15 | $61,938 | $69,297 | $24,947 |
| Master's | 565 | $59,166 | $64,729 | — |
| Doctoral | 56 | — | — | — |
| Professional | 1 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 217 | $61,705 | $69,400 | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
Our read
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $41,305, versus $46,718 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leeward Community College | HI | $67,046 | — | $26,000 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | WI | $46,589 | $42,953 | $20,500 |
| 3 | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | IN | $41,305 | — | $21,746 |
| 4 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | OH | $40,670 | — | $21,500 |
| 5 | University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College | OH | $40,670 | — | $21,500 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of Southern Nevada | NV | — | $46,137 | — |
| 2 | Chemeketa Community College | OR | $38,773 | $34,375 | $20,000 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattan University | NY | — | $80,792 | — |
| 2 | Gonzaga University | WA | — | $74,207 | — |
| 3 | SUNY Old Westbury | NY | $54,789 | $72,314 | $19,500 |
| 4 | State University of New York at Cortland | NY | — | $71,968 | $26,000 |
| 5 | Seton Hall University | NJ | — | $70,644 | — |
| 6 | CUNY Medgar Evers College | NY | $58,611 | $70,237 | — |
| 7 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | HI | $58,322 | $68,930 | $18,000 |
| 8 | Bridgewater State University | MA | — | $68,816 | $26,000 |
| 9 | Pace University | NY | $68,430 | — | — |
| 10 | Syracuse University | NY | $55,359 | $68,424 | $25,125 |
| 11 | Western Washington University | WA | $54,779 | $67,924 | $22,647 |
| 12 | St. Joseph's University-New York | NY | $40,955 | $66,698 | $23,750 |
| 13 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | PA | $54,709 | $66,469 | $27,000 |
| 14 | The College of New Jersey | NJ | — | $66,200 | $27,000 |
| 15 | Boston University | MA | — | $65,463 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | — | $93,053 | $19,764 |
| 2 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $74,344 | — | — |
| 3 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | — | $74,315 | $20,500 |
| 4 | Alliant International University-San Diego | CA | $73,040 | — | $26,424 |
| 5 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | OH | $59,425 | $70,508 | — |
| 6 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | HI | $66,837 | $69,297 | $31,125 |
| 7 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | PA | $58,812 | $66,501 | $27,000 |
| 8 | Augusta University | GA | $64,000 | — | $27,000 |
| 9 | William & Mary | VA | $63,904 | — | — |
| 10 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | $55,839 | $61,776 | $26,283 |
| 11 | University of Central Florida | FL | — | $61,721 | — |
| 12 | University of Arkansas | AR | $59,973 | — | — |
| 13 | Pima Community College | AZ | $55,052 | — | $20,018 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-Los Angeles | CA | $89,011 | $108,528 | — |
| 2 | CUNY City College | NY | $84,664 | $96,508 | — |
| 3 | Point Loma Nazarene University | CA | — | $96,348 | — |
| 4 | Relay Graduate School of Education | NY | — | $95,250 | — |
| 5 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $81,011 | $94,066 | — |
| 6 | CUNY Brooklyn College | NY | $82,060 | $93,731 | — |
| 7 | California State University-Dominguez Hills | CA | $82,484 | $93,372 | — |
| 8 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | $71,555 | $93,221 | — |
| 9 | Pace University | NY | $81,597 | $92,541 | — |
| 10 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | $80,432 | $91,027 | — |
| 11 | University of San Francisco | CA | — | $90,313 | — |
| 12 | National University | CA | $76,119 | $90,246 | — |
| 13 | Notre Dame de Namur University | CA | $82,202 | $90,115 | — |
| 14 | St. John's University-New York | NY | $75,830 | $89,902 | — |
| 15 | California State University-Northridge | CA | — | $89,708 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teachers College at Columbia University | NY | — | $105,273 | — |
| 2 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | PA | $87,176 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $96,954 | $96,808 | — |
| 2 | CUNY Lehman College | NY | $92,241 | — | — |
| 3 | University of Massachusetts-Boston | MA | $83,597 | — | — |
| 4 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | $83,134 | — | — |
| 5 | Relay Graduate School of Education | NY | $73,864 | $78,318 | — |
| 6 | Adelphi University | NY | $61,173 | $78,100 | — |
| 7 | George Mason University | VA | $66,870 | $75,784 | — |
| 8 | Towson University | MD | — | $73,086 | — |
| 9 | Ball State University | IN | $59,582 | $71,678 | — |
| 10 | Endicott College | MA | — | $69,400 | — |
| 11 | Lamar University | TX | $69,056 | — | — |
| 12 | University of Southern California | CA | $64,156 | $68,397 | — |
| 13 | Southern Connecticut State University | CT | — | $66,976 | — |
| 14 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | $64,802 | — | — |
| 15 | University of Kansas | KS | — | $63,947 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Education, GeneralBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $51,124Educational Administration and SupervisionBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $46,675Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $48,374Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $52,317Curriculum and InstructionBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings —Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and ResearchBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings —Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings —Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign LanguageBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $44,517
Quick answers
- How much do special education and teaching graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in special education and teaching reports median earnings of $46,718. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
