ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas at Indiana University - Northwest

IN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.13

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas degree from Indiana University - Northwest earn a median salary of $54,632 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $60,434. The degree typically pays for itself in 10 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

$45,277

Typical Career

$54,632

Top Performers

$67,283

Estimated break-even: 10 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$364

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,553. Most students can comfortably afford about a $364 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 Indiana buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 33.3%
Educational Services 14.9%
Public Administration 8.1%

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

$60,434

Nominal: $54,632 in Indiana (COL 90.4% of national avg) · 10.6% 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).

10 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 $37,132 $44,796 $53,202
5 Years After Graduation $45,277 $54,632 $67,283
10 Years After Graduation $50,975 $61,566 $75,224

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 $54,632 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IN, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.4% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $54,632 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040) = $60,434 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 Subject Areas program at Indiana University - Northwest experience a steady increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $44,796, which rises to $54,632 after five years and reaches $61,566 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to approximately $60,433.63 nationally, indicating that while initial salaries may be modest, the long-term financial outlook is favorable, especially when considering the cost of living in Indiana.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (33.3%), Educational Services (14.9%), and Public Administration (8.1%), suggesting a diverse range of career opportunities. The estimated break-even point for choosing this educational path over a high-school-only route is approximately ten years, which indicates that while the initial investment in education may take time to pay off, the long-term return on investment can be significant. Overall, the career trajectory for graduates appears promising, particularly in sectors that are essential to community well-being and development.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas degree at Indiana University - Northwest 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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