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DOCTORAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1312

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods: is this doctoral degree worth it?

National picture across 7 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$87,754 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.

$87,754Median year-4 earnings

$15,407Average 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

$87,754Median reported earnings · year 4

$87,819Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

31thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

7Reporting programs

7With 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: $35,034
Federal debt: $15,500
Reporting programs: 46

40 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $38,349
Federal debt: $13,568
Reporting programs: 184

172 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $47,730
Federal debt: $26,000
Reporting programs: 742

701 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $58,135
Federal debt: $20,089
Reporting programs: 7

5 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $58,916
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 385

385 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $87,754
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 7

7 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $59,670
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $54,842
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 7

7 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $54,617
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 9

9 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$67,876National median$87,75475th percentile$98,046

7 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of California, Davis$104,113 2New Jersey City University$103,042 3Kennesaw State University$98,046 4Capella University$87,754 5University of Georgia$81,990 6Grand Canyon University$67,876 7Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus$52,763

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 · 11 crosswalk linksElementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationSOC 25-2021 · 8 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 8 crosswalk linksMiddle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2022 · 7 crosswalk linksKindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationSOC 25-2012 · 6 crosswalk linksPreschool Teachers, Except Special EducationSOC 25-2011 · 6 crosswalk linksTeachers and Instructors, All OtherSOC 25-3099 · 3 crosswalk linksSelf-Enrichment TeachersSOC 25-3021 · 2 crosswalk linksAdult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language InstructorsSOC 25-3011 · 1 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk linksPostsecondary Teachers, All OtherSOC 25-1199 · 1 crosswalk linksTeaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special EducationSOC 25-9042 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SPECIFIC LEVELS AND METHODS

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 California, DavisDoctoral Degree	Davis, CA	$104,113	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,741
2	New Jersey City UniversityDoctoral Degree	Jersey City, NJ	$103,042	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,053
3	Kennesaw State UniversityDoctoral Degree	Kennesaw, GA	$98,046	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,048
4	Capella UniversityDoctoral Degree	Minneapolis, MN	$87,754	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,956
5	University of GeorgiaDoctoral Degree	Athens, GA	$81,990	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,936
6	Grand Canyon UniversityDoctoral Degree	Phoenix, AZ	$67,876	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,472
7	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey CampusDoctoral Degree	San Juan, PR	$52,763	Not available	Baseline needed	$7,646

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.