ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at Eastern Oregon University

OR · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree from Eastern Oregon University earn a median salary of $50,050 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $43,788. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.1 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

$41,837

Typical Career

$50,050

Top Performers

$59,154

Estimated break-even: 11.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$334

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,171. Most students can comfortably afford about a $334 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Oregon buys what costs $1.14 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 27.2%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.2%
Public Administration 12.4%

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

$43,788

Nominal: $50,050 in Oregon (COL 114.3% of national avg) · 12.5% 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).

11.1 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 $28,474 $41,073 $50,268
5 Years After Graduation $41,837 $50,050 $59,154
10 Years After Graduation $51,608 $63,082 $74,967

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 $50,050 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OR, which has a cost-of-living index of 114.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $50,050 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430) = $43,788 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 Eastern Oregon University experience a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $41,073, increasing to $50,050 five years post-graduation and reaching $63,082 by the ten-year mark. However, when considering the cost of living in Oregon, which has a COL index of 1.143 compared to the national average of 1.0, the purchasing-power-adjusted salary five years after graduation is approximately $43,788.28, indicating that while earnings increase over time, the local cost of living impacts real income.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (27.2%), Health Care & Social Assistance (15.2%), and Public Administration (12.4%), reflecting a strong alignment with public service and community-oriented roles. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 11.1 years, suggesting that while the 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 careers in education and 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 Eastern Oregon 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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