ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at Erskine College

SC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree from Erskine College earn a median salary of $53,046 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,721. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.7 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

$47,260

Typical Career

$53,046

Top Performers

$61,121

Estimated break-even: 11.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$354

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,421. Most students can comfortably afford about a $354 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 18.0%
Educational Services 17.6%
Retail Trade 9.9%

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

$55,721

Nominal: $53,046 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 5% higher 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).

11.7 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 $37,216 $43,626 $48,628
5 Years After Graduation $47,260 $53,046 $61,121
10 Years After Graduation $49,731 $55,699 $61,926

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 $53,046 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $53,046 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $55,721 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 Erskine College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $43,626, rising to $53,046 after five years, and reaching $55,699 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national average at $55,720.59, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, they can stabilize and grow, reflecting a steady career trajectory in the field.

In terms of industry placement, graduates predominantly enter sectors such as Health Care & Social Assistance (18.0%), Educational Services (17.6%), and Retail Trade (9.9%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 11.7 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 salary potential can be significant. Overall, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable for those committed to the teaching profession.

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 Erskine College 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.

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