Special Education and Teaching: is this post-baccalaureate certificate worth it?
National picture across 9 reporting college programs.
$67,859 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
Observed national outcomes
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.
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,835
- Federal debt
- $25,620
- Reporting programs
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,141
- Federal debt
- $16,669
- Reporting programs
- 2
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $51,258
- Federal debt
- $26,717
- Reporting programs
- 205
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $67,859
- Federal debt
- $23,274
- Reporting programs
- 9
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $62,770
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 288
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $98,012
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $70,411
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 17
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,956
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 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.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Minnesota-Twin Cities$73,8512University of Cincinnati-Main Campus$70,7173Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$69,1064University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$68,6425University of Hawaii at Manoa$67,0766University of Central Florida$62,4707Bowling Green State University-Main Campus$57,9758Pima Community College$52,3279University of GeorgiaNot availableObserved year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | ROI status | Cost context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesPost-baccalaureate Certificate | Minneapolis, MN | $73,851 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,778 |
| 2 | University of Cincinnati-Main CampusPost-baccalaureate Certificate | Cincinnati, OH | $70,717 | $23,941 | Baseline needed | $25,648 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusPost-baccalaureate Certificate | University Park, PA | $69,106 | $22,607 | Baseline needed | $32,875 |
| 4 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPost-baccalaureate Certificate | Pittsburgh, PA | $68,642 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,434 |
| 5 | University of Hawaii at ManoaPost-baccalaureate Certificate | Honolulu, HI | $67,076 | $28,000 | Baseline needed | $15,664 |
| 6 | University of Central FloridaPost-baccalaureate Certificate | Orlando, FL | $62,470 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,411 |
| 7 | Bowling Green State University-Main CampusPost-baccalaureate Certificate | Bowling Green, OH | $57,975 | $25,625 | Baseline needed | $24,022 |
| 8 | Pima Community CollegePost-baccalaureate Certificate | Tucson, AZ | $52,327 | $15,200 | Baseline needed | $3,405 |
| 9 | University of GeorgiaPost-baccalaureate Certificate | Athens, GA | Not available | $19,500 | Baseline needed | $13,936 |
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.