ROI Major

Teaching English or French as a Second Language at Bethel University

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.14

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teaching English or French as a Second Language degree from Bethel University earn a median salary of $55,150 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $58,608. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.6 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

$46,549

Typical Career

$55,150

Top Performers

$65,035

Estimated break-even: 8.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$368

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,596. Most students can comfortably afford about a $368 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 Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 29.8%
Educational Services 18.4%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.6%

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

$58,608

Nominal: $55,150 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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).

8.6 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 $38,467 $49,351 $55,784
5 Years After Graduation $46,549 $55,150 $65,035
10 Years After Graduation $56,170 $73,157 $89,880

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 $55,150 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $55,150 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $58,608 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Bethel University who pursue Teaching English or French as a Second Language can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $49,351, which increases to $55,150 after five years and reaches $73,157 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to approximately $58,607.86, reflecting a favorable financial outlook given the cost of living in Minnesota, which has a COL index of 0.941 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates in this field include Health Care & Social Assistance (29.8%), Educational Services (18.4%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (8.6%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 8.6 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for those entering the teaching profession. Overall, the data indicates that pursuing a degree in Teaching English or French as a Second Language at Bethel University can lead to a stable and rewarding career path.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Teaching English or French as a Second Language degree at Bethel 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.

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