ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at Laredo College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 13.12

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree from Laredo College earn a median salary of $33,372 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $36,235. The degree typically pays for itself in 21.1 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$24,733

Typical Career

$33,372

Top Performers

$49,855

Estimated break-even: 21.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$222

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,781. Most students can comfortably afford about a $222 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 27.8%
Health Care & Social Assistance 25.1%
Public Administration 8.2%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$36,235

Nominal: $33,372 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

21.1 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 $19,109 $24,637 $31,905
5 Years After Graduation $24,733 $33,372 $49,855
10 Years After Graduation $32,839 $54,051 $67,240

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 $33,372 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $33,372 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $36,235 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 Laredo College experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $24,637, rising to $33,372 after five years, and reaching $54,051 a decade post-graduation. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted median salary for five years post-graduation is approximately $36,234.53, reflecting a competitive position relative to national averages, especially given Texas's lower cost of living index.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 64.6% of placements, followed by Educational Services at 27.8%. This suggests a strong alignment with sectors that value educational backgrounds. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 21.1 years, indicating a long-term return on investment for those pursuing this educational track. Overall, while the initial earnings may be modest, the trajectory and industry alignment suggest a stable career path with potential for growth.

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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.