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DOCTORAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1310

Special Education and Teaching: is this doctoral degree worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$98,012 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.

$98,012Median year-4 earnings

$15,846Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$98,012Median reported earnings · year 4

Not availableAverage reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

43thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

1Reporting programs

1With 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 →OPEN PROFILE

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 →CURRENT VIEW

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$98,012National median$98,01275th percentile$98,012

1 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Vanderbilt University$98,012

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. 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	Vanderbilt UniversityDoctoral Degree	Nashville, TN	$98,012	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,846

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.