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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1310

Special Education and Teaching: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 2 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$143,405 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.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

—Modeled economic break-even

−137%Modeled 10-year ROI

$41,141Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$41,141Median reported earnings · year 4

$41,200Average reported earnings · year 5

$16,669Median federal debt

27thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

2Reporting programs

2With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $49,835
Federal debt: $25,620
Reporting programs: 4

2 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $41,141
Federal debt: $16,669
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $51,258
Federal debt: $26,717
Reporting programs: 205

185 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $67,859
Federal debt: $23,274
Reporting programs: 9

8 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $62,770
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 288

288 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $98,012
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $70,411
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 17

17 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $79,956
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 5

5 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$39,996National median$41,14175th percentile$39,996

2 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Chemeketa Community College$42,286 2College of Southern Nevada$39,996

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Education Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1081 · 15 crosswalk linksSpecial Education Teachers, All OtherSOC 25-2059 · 13 crosswalk linksSpecial Education Teachers, Elementary SchoolSOC 25-2056 · 13 crosswalk linksSpecial Education Teachers, KindergartenSOC 25-2055 · 13 crosswalk linksSpecial Education Teachers, Middle SchoolSOC 25-2057 · 13 crosswalk linksSpecial Education Teachers, PreschoolSOC 25-2051 · 13 crosswalk linksSpecial Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolSOC 25-2058 · 13 crosswalk linksInterpreters and TranslatorsSOC 27-3091 · 1 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk linksTeaching Assistants, Special EducationSOC 25-9043 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND TEACHING

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	10-year ROI	Verdict
1	Chemeketa Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Salem, OR	$42,286	$24,087	-126%	Negative payoff
2	College of Southern NevadaAssociate's Degree	Las Vegas, NV	$39,996	$9,250	-148%	Negative payoff

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.