Teacher Education: Southern Illinois University-Carbondale vs William Paterson University of New Jersey

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
In-State
11.4x
$52,976 tuition
9.8x
$60,600 tuition
Out-of-State
11.4x
$52,976 tuition
6.0x
$97,856 tuition
$606,352 10-yr earnings · Public
$591,403 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale William Paterson University of New Jersey
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 11.4x 9.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 11.4x 6.0x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $52,976 $60,600
Year 1 Earnings $54,215 $58,854
10-Year Earnings $606K $591K
Median Debt $17,680 $20,834
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 3.9 months 4.2 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 71/100 69/100
Acceptance Rate 90.4% 92.5%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (43% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Teacher Education graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Teacher Education graduates.

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale William Paterson University of New Jersey
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $52,976 $60,600
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $52,976 $97,856
10-Year Projected Earnings $606K $591K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 11.4x 9.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 11.4x 6.0x
5-Year Salary Growth +17% +7%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Teacher Education (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale William Paterson University of New Jersey
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $619K $606K $561K $602K $591K $549K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 11.7x 11.4x 10.6x 9.9x 9.8x 9.1x
DegreeWorth Score 73 71 69 71 69 67

For the full AI analysis of Teacher Education career paths, see the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale or William Paterson University of New Jersey program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Teacher Education graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$7,624
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$4,639/yr
William Paterson University of New Jersey grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
11.4x / 9.8x
Out-of-state: 11.4x / 6.0x

Career Paths

Teacher Education graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary $105,620 27,400 +17.3% 48%
Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary $101,390 1,000 +2.6% 48%
Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary $100,830 100 +4.0% 48%
Physics teachers, postsecondary $97,360 1,300 +2.5% 42%
Business teachers, postsecondary $97,270 8,100 +5.7% 49%
Computer science teachers, postsecondary $96,690 3,500 +5.3% 51%
Environmental science teachers, postsecondary $87,710 700 +2.9% 52%
Geography teachers, postsecondary $86,730 300 +3.3% 48%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

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Teacher Education Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Teacher Education: Southern Illinois University-Carbondale or William Paterson University of New Jersey?
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale scores 71/100 while William Paterson University of New Jersey scores 69/100. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Teacher Education?
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale has an in-state earnings multiple of 11.4x vs William Paterson University of New Jersey's 9.8x. That means Southern Illinois University-Carbondale grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition.
How do Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and William Paterson University of New Jersey compare on Teacher Education earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $54,215 at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale vs $58,854 at William Paterson University of New Jersey. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $606,352 vs $591,403 — a difference of $14,949.
How much does Teacher Education cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $52,976 at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and $60,600 at William Paterson University of New Jersey. Median debt at graduation is $17,680 vs $20,834. Both programs lead to the same Teacher Education career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.