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Education Studies

Students study specialized or interdisciplinary areas of education that may include outdoor education, museum education, adult literacy, or educational entrepreneurship. Graduates typically pursue careers in non-traditional educational settings, community organizations, educational startups, and specialized training programs. This flexible category allows students to pursue emerging areas of education beyond traditional classroom teaching.

Schools
22
Programs analyzed
Earnings
$33,982
Avg 1-yr grad earnings
Range $7,387–$52,791
AI Risk
High
41% task exposure
Field Overview

What Education Studies graduates do

Your classroom might be a corporate boardroom, a community center, or a university lecture hall. With this versatile education degree, you’ll often bypass the traditional K-12 system. As a general instructor, your day could involve designing an onboarding program for a tech company, teaching a software workshop, or leading adult literacy classes at a local non-profit. The other major path is teaching at the university level, where you’ll prepare future educators by lecturing on pedagogical theory and mentoring them through their student-teaching placements.

While general instructor roles face slight headwinds, the demand for postsecondary education teachers is growing steadily. You might start your career coordinating training programs before advancing to design entire curricula or, in academia, earning a professorship. AI is poised to become a significant co-pilot in these fields, automating routine work like drafting lesson plans or grading standard assessments. This won't eliminate your job, but it will change it, freeing you to focus on the human-centric skills: mentoring, adapting content for diverse learners, and leading nuanced discussions.

You may also want to evaluate Education Studies against Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education and Curriculum and Instruction on salary and long-run job outlook.

Career Trajectories

Where Education Studies graduates work

Common career paths for Education Studies graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 23,600 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role Median Pay Annual Openings 10-yr Growth AI Exposure
Education teachers, postsecondary
$72,090
$51K–$96K
5,600 +2.1% Moderate · 49%
Teachers and instructors, all other
$64,690
$47K–$93K
18,000 -0.1% Low · 0%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Top Institutions

Best schools for Education Studies

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 22.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 56
Towson University
Towson, MD · Public
$52,791 1-yr earnings
11.9x ROI multiple
High AI risk
# School DW Score 1-yr Earnings ROI
5 St Petersburg College
St. Petersburg, FL · Public
41 $35,491 40.7x
6 Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA · Public
36 $31,095 15.3x
7 Westminster College
New Wilmington, PA · Private nonprofit
33 $42,047 2.4x
8 California State University-Channel Islands
Camarillo, CA · Public
33 $34,646 13.9x
9 Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ · Public
32 $37,535 8.1x
10 Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Scottsdale, AZ · Public
32 $37,535
11 California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public
28 $31,250 9.5x
12 University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, MO · Public
26 $32,110 7.2x
13 Albany State University
Albany, GA · Public
26 $28,034 13.3x
14 Roberts Wesleyan University
Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit
25 $35,712 1.4x
15 Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO · Private nonprofit
24 $32,812 2.9x
16 Athens State University
Athens, AL · Public
24 $31,706
17 Jackson State University
Jackson, MS · Public
24 $27,729 6.6x
18 Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Bowling Green, OH · Public
23 $30,483 6.7x
19 Bob Jones University
Greenville, SC · Private nonprofit
20 $29,278 2.1x
20 Endicott College
Beverly, MA · Private nonprofit
20 $26,489 2.7x
See the full Education Studies rankings — 22 schools compared by salary and ROI →

Highest Earnings Top 5

Towson University
MD
$52,791
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
MN
$46,560
University of Minnesota-Duluth
MN
$45,678
Eastern Oregon University
OR
$44,558
Westminster College
PA
$42,047

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Education Studies.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Education Studies offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Education Studies trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Education Studies

What do Education Studies graduates make in their first year?

Across 22 schools, Education Studies graduates earn an average of $33,982 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $7,387 to $52,791 depending on the school.

Will AI affect Education Studies careers?

Education Studies is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with 41% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Where should I study Education Studies?

Our data ranks Towson University first among 22 Education Studies programs. Its score of 56/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($52,791/yr), return on investment, and career durability.

What's the ROI on a Education Studies degree?

On average, Education Studies graduates earn 8.9x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.