ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at Arizona State University

AZ · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree from Arizona State University earn a median salary of $56,685 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in AZ, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $53,225. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.3 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$46,974

Typical Career

$56,685

Top Performers

$64,884

Estimated break-even: 9.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$378

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,724. Most students can comfortably afford about a $378 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Arizona buys what costs $1.07 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 14.8%
Health Care & Social Assistance 14.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 12.7%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$53,225

Nominal: $56,685 in Arizona (COL 106.5% of national avg) · 6.1% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

9.3 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $37,013 $47,744 $55,978
5 Years After Graduation $46,974 $56,685 $64,884
10 Years After Graduation $51,731 $61,465 $73,403

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $56,685 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in AZ, which has a cost-of-living index of 106.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $56,685 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0650) = $53,225 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods program at Arizona State University experience a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $47,744, increasing to $56,685 after five years and reaching $61,465 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $53,225.35, reflecting the cost of living in Arizona, which has a COL index of 1.065 compared to the national average of 1.0. This indicates that while initial earnings may be lower than some other fields, the long-term financial outlook improves significantly.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (14.8%), Health Care & Social Assistance (14.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (12.7%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing this educational path versus a high school diploma is approximately 9.3 years, suggesting that while the initial investment in education may take time to pay off, the long-term benefits in terms of career opportunities and earnings potential can be substantial. Overall, the return on investment for this degree is favorable, particularly for those committed to a career in education and related fields.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree at Arizona State University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

Explore More