ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas at University of Arizona (The)

AZ · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.13

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas degree from University of Arizona (The) earn a median salary of $53,312 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in AZ, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $50,058. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.4 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

$41,473

Typical Career

$53,312

Top Performers

$65,742

Estimated break-even: 10.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$355

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,443. Most students can comfortably afford about a $355 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 Arizona buys what costs $1.07 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 15.6%
Educational Services 15.5%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.4%

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

$50,058

Nominal: $53,312 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).

10.4 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 $29,994 $41,263 $52,047
5 Years After Graduation $41,473 $53,312 $65,742
10 Years After Graduation $49,369 $63,296 $84,018

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 $53,312 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)
= $53,312 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0650) = $50,058 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 the University of Arizona experience a steady earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings are reported at $41,263, which increases to $53,312 after five years and reaches $63,296 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $50,058.22, indicating that while initial earnings may be lower than the national average, the long-term financial outlook improves significantly.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (15.6%), Educational Services (15.5%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (15.4%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 10.4 years, suggesting that while the initial investment in education may take time to pay off, the long-term return on investment can be favorable. Overall, students should consider both the gradual earnings growth and the diverse career opportunities available in their decision-making process.

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 University of Arizona (The) 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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