ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at University of Maine at Presque Isle

ME · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree from University of Maine at Presque Isle earn a median salary of $41,666 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in ME, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $36,613. The degree typically pays for itself in 27.1 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

$34,412

Typical Career

$41,666

Top Performers

$48,525

Estimated break-even: 27.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$278

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,472. Most students can comfortably afford about a $278 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Maine buys what costs $1.14 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 22.8%
Educational Services 22.0%
Retail Trade 7.8%

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

$36,613

Nominal: $41,666 in Maine (COL 113.8% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).

27.1 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 $25,127 $33,144 $41,405
5 Years After Graduation $34,412 $41,666 $48,525
10 Years After Graduation $37,853 $46,580 $56,106

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 $41,666 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in ME, which has a cost-of-living index of 113.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $41,666 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1380) = $36,613 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 the University of Maine at Presque Isle can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,144, rising to $41,666 after five years and reaching $46,580 after ten years. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $36,613.36, reflecting the cost of living in Maine, which has a COL index of 1.138 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (22.8%), Educational Services (22.0%), and Retail Trade (7.8%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high school diploma is approximately 27.1 years, indicating a long-term investment in education. Overall, while the earnings potential is modest, the career path offers stability within essential sectors, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for those committed to the field.

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 University of Maine at Presque Isle 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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