ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at Louisiana State University & Agricultural & Mechanical College

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree from Louisiana State University & Agricultural & Mechanical College earn a median salary of $54,311 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $58,842. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.8 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

$46,842

Typical Career

$54,311

Top Performers

$63,465

Estimated break-even: 10.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$362

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,526. Most students can comfortably afford about a $362 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 Louisiana buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 19.3%
Educational Services 15.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 13.4%

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

$58,842

Nominal: $54,311 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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).

10.8 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 $33,561 $45,266 $53,644
5 Years After Graduation $46,842 $54,311 $63,465
10 Years After Graduation $49,218 $57,132 $69,471

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 $54,311 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $54,311 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $58,842 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at Louisiana State University shows a steady increase over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $45,266, rising to $54,311 after five years and reaching $57,132 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $58,841.82, indicating that graduates can expect their earnings to maintain a competitive edge relative to national averages, despite Louisiana's lower cost of living index.

Graduates typically enter diverse industries, with the largest sectors being Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (19.3%), Educational Services (15.1%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (13.4%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 10.8 years, suggesting that while the initial investment in education may take time to recoup, the long-term benefits in earnings and career opportunities can be significant. Overall, the return on investment for this degree appears favorable, particularly in the context of Louisiana's economic landscape.

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 Louisiana State University & Agricultural & Mechanical College 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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