ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at University of Connecticut

CT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree from University of Connecticut earn a median salary of $68,291 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $59,229. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.2 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

$60,001

Typical Career

$68,291

Top Performers

$75,801

Estimated break-even: 8.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$455

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,691. Most students can comfortably afford about a $455 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 20.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 16.5%
Educational Services 13.9%

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

$59,229

Nominal: $68,291 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).

8.2 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 $23,189 $26,804 $31,422
5 Years After Graduation $60,001 $68,291 $75,801
10 Years After Graduation $68,996 $80,145 $91,065

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 $68,291 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)
= $68,291 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $59,229 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 the University of Connecticut experience a notable earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $26,804, which increases significantly to $68,291 after five years and reaches $80,145 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to approximately $59,228.97 nationally, reflecting the higher cost of living in Connecticut, where the cost of living index is 1.153 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates indicate a strong alignment with sectors that value educational expertise, with 20.5% entering Health Care & Social Assistance, 16.5% in Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, and 13.9% in Educational Services. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 8.2 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment over time. Overall, while initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial benefits and industry opportunities present a compelling case for pursuing this educational path.

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 University of Connecticut 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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