ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at Central Connecticut State University

CT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree from Central Connecticut State University earn a median salary of $60,877 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,799. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.7 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

$50,972

Typical Career

$60,877

Top Performers

$71,676

Estimated break-even: 8.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$406

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,073. Most students can comfortably afford about a $406 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 19.2%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.7%
Finance & Insurance 13.1%

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

$52,799

Nominal: $60,877 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% 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).

8.7 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 $27,798 $38,084 $50,512
5 Years After Graduation $50,972 $60,877 $71,676
10 Years After Graduation $58,664 $72,389 $84,344

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 $60,877 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $60,877 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $52,799 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 Central Connecticut State University experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $38,084, which increases to $60,877 after five years and reaches $72,389 a decade post-graduation. However, considering the cost of living in Connecticut, which has a COL index of 1.153 compared to the national average, the purchasing-power-adjusted five-year salary is approximately $52,798.79, indicating that while earnings grow, the purchasing power may be impacted by higher living costs.

The top industries that graduates enter include Educational Services (19.2%), Health Care & Social Assistance (15.7%), and Finance & Insurance (13.1%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 8.7 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 earnings potential are significant. Overall, the return on investment for this educational path appears favorable, particularly for those committed to a career in education or related fields.

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 Central Connecticut State 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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