ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas at University of Saint Thomas

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.13

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas degree from University of Saint Thomas earn a median salary of $58,506 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $62,174. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.5 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

$49,382

Typical Career

$58,506

Top Performers

$68,082

Estimated break-even: 8.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$390

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,876. Most students can comfortably afford about a $390 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Finance & Insurance, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 16.9%
Finance & Insurance 12.6%
Educational Services 10.3%

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

$62,174

Nominal: $58,506 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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).

8.5 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 $32,272 $43,317 $52,393
5 Years After Graduation $49,382 $58,506 $68,082
10 Years After Graduation $56,720 $73,958 $91,210

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 $58,506 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $58,506 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $62,174 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 Subject Areas program at the University of Saint Thomas experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $43,317, increasing to $58,506 after five years and reaching $73,958 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $62,174.28, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite the cost of living index in Minnesota being slightly lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (16.9%), Finance & Insurance (12.6%), and Educational Services (10.3%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 8.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. Graduates can expect to enter diverse fields, enhancing their career prospects and financial stability over time.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas degree at University of Saint Thomas 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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