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Academic Field / Education

Subject-Area Teaching

Students study both the content knowledge and teaching methods for a specific academic subject such as math, English, science, social studies, or art. Graduates typically pursue careers as secondary subject-area teachers, department chairs, and content specialists in school districts. Subject-area teaching positions in STEM fields often come with signing bonuses and higher demand.

Compare Schools

Schools

348

Programs analyzed

Earnings

$41,690

Avg 1-yr grad earnings

Range $14,646–$63,615

Outlook

55/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

AI Risk

High

49% task exposure

Field Overview

What Subject-Area Teaching graduates do

Your degree prepares you for the demanding, hands-on reality of teaching. As an elementary, middle, or high school teacher, your day is a fast-paced mix of leading classroom activities, adapting lessons for different learning styles, managing student behavior, and communicating with parents. While you’ll spend time planning and grading, the core of your job is building relationships and fostering understanding in real-time.

After gaining classroom experience, you might advance to a lead teacher, department head, or curriculum specialist role, shaping education on a broader scale. While traditional K-12 teaching positions face hiring headwinds, opportunities in high-growth areas like postsecondary health education or fitness instruction are expanding rapidly for those with strong teaching skills.

The deeply interpersonal nature of this work makes it resilient to automation. AI has a low impact on the core tasks of mentoring a student, managing a dynamic classroom, or coaching a team. Instead of replacing you, AI is emerging as a powerful assistant, helping with administrative burdens like grading and lesson planning, which frees you to focus on the human connections where you create the most value.

You may also want to evaluate Subject-Area Teaching against Theater & Drama, Bilingual & Multicultural Education, and Special Education on salary and long-run job outlook.

Career Trajectories

Where Subject-Area Teaching graduates work

Common career paths for Subject-Area Teaching graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 420,800 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role	Median Pay	Annual Openings	10-yr Growth	AI Exposure
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	$105,620 $74K–$176K	27,400	+17.3%	Moderate · 48%
Business teachers, postsecondary	$97,270 $63K–$140K	8,100	+5.7%	Moderate · 49%
Biological science teachers, postsecondary	$83,460 $64K–$125K	5,400	+7.3%	Moderate · 47%
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary	$80,190 $61K–$122K	9,000	+1.7%	Moderate · 44%
English language and literature teachers, postsecondary	$78,270 $60K–$104K	5,100	0.0%	High · 53%
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%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	$64,580 $58K–$83K	66,200	-1.6%	Moderate · 33%
Librarians and media collections specialists	$64,320 $51K–$81K	13,500	+1.7%	High · 54%
Career/technical education teachers, secondary school	$63,910 $59K–$79K	6,200	-1.8%	Moderate · 33%
Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education	$62,970 $54K–$79K	40,500	-2.0%	Moderate · 35%
Elementary school teachers, except special education	$62,340 $51K–$79K	91,000	-2.0%	Moderate · 31%
Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary	$61,490 $48K–$80K	8,800	+0.7%	Moderate · 49%
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors	$46,180 $34K–$61K	74,200	+11.9%	Low · 1%
Coaches and scouts	$45,920 $34K–$62K	41,800	+6.4%	Moderate · 30%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Top Institutions

Best schools for Subject-Area Teaching

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 348.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 81

CUNY Queens College

Queens, NY · Public

$58,894 1-yr earnings

$49,245/yr · 24.2x ROI

CUNY Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, NY · #3

$46,233/yr · 23.3x ROI

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL · #4

$53,524/yr · 27.3x ROI

#	School	DW Score	1-yr Earnings	ROI
5	Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA · Public	74	$49,177	16.1x
6	Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN · Public	74	$46,490	16.5x
7	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL · Public	73	$50,610	21.7x
8	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY · Public	73	$49,587	19.0x
9	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL · Public	72	$54,215	11.0x
10	Weber State University Ogden, UT · Public	72	$50,600	19.1x
11	William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ · Public	71	$58,854	9.3x
12	Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton, GA · Public	71	$50,429	38.5x
13	St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL · Public	71	$49,435	45.1x
14	Utah Valley University Orem, UT · Public	71	$49,297	19.1x
15	University of South Florida Tampa, FL · Public	71	$47,698	19.3x
16	Mayville State University Mayville, ND · Public	71	$47,650	16.5x
17	University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL · Public	71	$47,219	19.7x
18	Brigham Young University Provo, UT · Private nonprofit	71	$47,153	19.4x
19	Nevada State University Henderson, NV · Public	70	$50,691	18.9x
20	University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public	70	$47,572	19.1x
21	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA · Public	70	$45,243	21.3x
22	SUNY College at Potsdam Potsdam, NY · Public	70	$45,110	15.9x
23	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA · Public	70	$42,795	16.7x
24	Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL · Public	69	$63,615	11.8x
25	University of Louisville Louisville, KY · Public	69	$56,188	10.1x
26	The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ · Public	69	$56,055	7.7x
27	Utah Tech University Saint George, UT · Public	69	$52,665	17.0x
28	Towson University Towson, MD · Public	69	$51,209	11.6x
29	Valley City State University Valley City, ND · Public	69	$49,582	14.2x
30	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Public	69	$45,211	15.0x
31	Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT · Public	69	$45,042	18.4x
32	Fort Hays State University Hays, KS · Public	69	$43,273	22.6x
33	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK · Public	68	$51,097	11.9x
34	CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY · Public	68	$49,750	16.0x
35	University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK · Public	68	$47,741	14.0x
36	Chadron State College Chadron, NE · Public	68	$46,824	15.0x
37	University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA · Public	68	$43,308	20.7x
38	State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, NY · Public	68	$42,132	16.7x
39	University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA · Public	68	$42,102	25.5x
40	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA · Public	68	$40,884	20.3x
41	University of Delaware Newark, DE · Public	67	$49,041	8.6x
42	Iowa State University Ames, IA · Public	67	$47,559	12.1x
43	Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD · Public	67	$47,494	13.4x
44	University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI · Public	67	$47,230	12.3x
45	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN · Public	67	$44,923	13.1x
46	University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC · Public	67	$42,829	32.0x
47	Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA · Public	67	$41,914	17.0x
48	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN · Public	66	$47,755	11.6x
49	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK · Public	66	$47,572	12.2x
50	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL · Public	66	$47,292	9.4x
51	Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA · Public	66	$46,458	13.3x
52	Salisbury University Salisbury, MD · Public	66	$45,808	12.0x
53	University of Idaho Moscow, ID · Public	66	$45,327	13.7x
54	New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM · Public	66	$45,016	14.5x
55	Minot State University Minot, ND · Public	66	$44,973	14.3x
56	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA · Public	66	$41,063	21.9x
57	Washington State University Pullman, WA · Public	65	$55,864	9.7x
58	Rowan University Glassboro, NJ · Public	65	$49,969	8.1x
59	Ball State University Muncie, IN · Public	65	$46,347	11.4x
60	University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, WI · Public	65	$46,069	13.6x
61	Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT · Public	65	$45,790	10.5x
62	South Dakota State University Brookings, SD · Public	65	$45,625	12.9x
63	George Mason University Fairfax, VA · Public	65	$45,108	9.9x
64	Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT · Private nonprofit	65	$44,958	14.1x
65	Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC · Public	65	$41,444	25.3x
66	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA · Public	64	$56,003	8.8x
67	Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT · Public	64	$47,736	9.2x
68	Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA · Public	64	$47,684	12.7x
69	University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NV · Public	64	$47,544	12.2x
70	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE · Public	64	$45,786	11.8x
71	Dickinson State University Dickinson, ND · Public	64	$44,841	12.7x
72	Rhode Island College Providence, RI · Public	64	$44,789	11.5x
73	Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, KS · Public	64	$43,802	14.5x
74	East Carolina University Greenville, NC · Public	64	$43,607	15.2x
75	Southwestern Oklahoma State University Weatherford, OK · Public	64	$43,302	14.1x
76	Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK · Public	64	$43,045	15.6x
77	Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID · Private nonprofit	64	$42,094	22.8x
78	State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY · Public	64	$39,714	16.4x
79	William Carey University Hattiesburg, MS · Private nonprofit	63	$52,790	8.0x
80	North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND · Public	63	$46,970	10.6x
81	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ · Public	63	$46,343	8.7x
82	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI · Public	63	$44,281	12.2x
83	Emporia State University Emporia, KS · Public	63	$43,954	14.7x
84	Wayne State College Wayne, NE · Public	63	$42,589	14.4x
85	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater, WI · Public	63	$42,256	14.6x
86	University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE · Public	63	$42,001	14.4x
87	Kean University Union, NJ · Public	63	$40,929	11.3x
88	Columbus State University Columbus, GA · Public	63	$40,616	20.3x
89	State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, NY · Public	63	$39,689	15.4x
90	Wichita State University Wichita, KS · Public	62	$47,121	11.3x
91	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ · Public	62	$46,579	9.2x
92	Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN · Public	62	$45,668	10.9x
93	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL · Public	62	$45,184	9.5x
94	Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MN · Public	62	$44,850	11.2x
95	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI · Public	62	$44,161	12.4x
96	Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN · Public	62	$43,307	12.2x
97	Indiana University-South Bend South Bend, IN · Public	62	$43,058	13.8x
98	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA · Public	62	$42,566	11.3x
99	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY · Public	62	$36,776	18.0x
100	Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN · Public	61	$45,862	10.6x
101	Auburn University Auburn, AL · Public	61	$44,897	9.4x
102	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · Public	61	$44,715	10.5x
103	Winona State University Winona, MN · Public	61	$44,002	11.1x
104	University of Georgia Athens, GA · Public	61	$43,129	10.6x
105	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC · Public	61	$43,033	13.2x
106	Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA · Public	61	$40,642	18.2x
107	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA · Public	61	$33,493	24.8x
108	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI · Public	60	$46,124	7.9x
109	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI · Public	60	$45,966	9.3x
110	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS · Public	60	$45,179	9.3x
111	Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Magnolia, AR · Public	60	$44,843	10.4x
112	Illinois State University Normal, IL · Public	60	$44,613	7.7x
113	University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA · Public	60	$43,602	11.2x
114	University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD · Public	60	$42,543	11.8x
115	College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY · Public	60	$41,942	13.0x
116	Boise State University Boise, ID · Public	60	$41,141	13.2x
117	Appalachian State University Boone, NC · Public	60	$41,018	14.5x
118	University of Wisconsin-River Falls River Falls, WI · Public	60	$39,673	14.2x
119	Montana State University Billings Billings, MT · Public	60	$39,422	17.4x
120	Utah State University Logan, UT · Public	60	$37,521	15.3x
121	University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Belton, TX · Private nonprofit	59	$52,133	3.3x
122	Regent University Virginia Beach, VA · Private nonprofit	59	$49,750	5.1x
123	Concordia University-Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit	59	$48,056	4.5x
124	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL · Public	59	$46,897	6.8x
125	Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall, MN · Public	59	$43,875	9.6x
126	Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN · Public	59	$43,576	10.8x
127	Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN · Public	59	$43,279	10.7x
128	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI · Public	59	$43,242	10.7x
129	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS · Public	59	$41,658	11.5x
130	Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR · Public	59	$41,530	13.8x
131	University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Fort Smith, AR · Public	59	$40,525	15.2x
132	The University of Montana-Western Dillon, MT · Public	59	$38,151	18.3x
133	Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA · Private nonprofit	58	$57,683	1.8x
134	York College of Pennsylvania York, PA · Private nonprofit	58	$48,624	3.9x
135	Temple University Philadelphia, PA · Public	58	$46,019	5.1x
136	Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI · Public	58	$44,977	8.0x
137	University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn, MI · Public	58	$44,845	7.3x
138	New York University New York, NY · Private nonprofit	58	$44,500	2.4x
139	Western Illinois University Macomb, IL · Public	58	$44,376	7.6x
140	North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC · Public	58	$40,465	14.0x
141	Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA · Private nonprofit	57	$50,918	2.5x
142	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ · Public	57	$44,450	7.7x
143	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI · Public	57	$43,996	7.8x
144	Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI · Public	57	$43,585	8.8x
145	Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI · Public	57	$43,443	8.2x
146	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI · Public	57	$43,128	10.1x
147	Arkansas Tech University Russellville, AR · Public	57	$41,160	12.1x
148	Montana State University Bozeman, MT · Public	57	$38,576	14.5x
149	Houston Christian University Houston, TX · Private nonprofit	56	$58,604	2.3x
150	Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ · Private nonprofit	56	$52,940	2.5x
151	Franklin College Franklin, IN · Private nonprofit	56	$49,725	2.3x
152	Hardin-Simmons University Abilene, TX · Private nonprofit	56	$48,334	3.3x
153	Texas Lutheran University Seguin, TX · Private nonprofit	56	$48,266	3.0x
154	Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN · Private nonprofit	56	$48,164	3.4x
155	Southeastern University Lakeland, FL · Private nonprofit	56	$47,966	2.8x
156	McMurry University Abilene, TX · Private nonprofit	56	$47,240	2.8x
157	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH · Private nonprofit	56	$44,738	6.3x
158	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH · Public	56	$43,618	7.8x
159	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO · Public	56	$41,954	8.7x
160	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public	56	$41,944	8.6x
161	University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR · Public	56	$41,562	10.3x
162	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN · Public	56	$40,364	9.8x
163	SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY · Public	56	$37,167	14.2x
164	Abilene Christian University Abilene, TX · Private nonprofit	55	$51,360	2.3x
165	Texas Wesleyan University Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofit	55	$47,272	2.1x
166	Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	55	$46,835	2.9x
167	Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL · Private nonprofit	55	$44,538	4.5x
168	Keene State College Keene, NH · Public	55	$42,492	7.4x
169	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI · Public	55	$42,468	7.2x
170	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN · Public	55	$41,952	7.6x
171	Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofit	54	$57,665	1.5x
172	Shenandoah University Winchester, VA · Private nonprofit	54	$51,601	2.5x
173	Stetson University DeLand, FL · Private nonprofit	54	$48,139	1.2x
174	North Central College Naperville, IL · Private nonprofit	54	$48,074	1.7x
175	Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL · Private nonprofit	54	$46,789	2.5x
176	Oral Roberts University Tulsa, OK · Private nonprofit	54	$46,069	2.4x
177	Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA · Private nonprofit	54	$43,739	5.4x
178	University of Mary Bismarck, ND · Private nonprofit	54	$43,299	4.0x
179	University of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI · Public	54	$43,077	7.1x
180	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit	54	$42,566	6.2x
181	University of Vermont Burlington, VT · Public	54	$41,099	6.1x
182	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI · Public	54	$40,005	11.4x
183	Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT · Public	54	$39,696	9.1x
184	Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA · Public	54	$39,251	8.2x
185	Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL · Public	54	$38,821	9.0x
186	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA · Public	54	$38,216	10.5x
187	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO · Public	54	$38,211	12.1x
188	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA · Public	54	$27,211	20.4x
189	Baylor University Waco, TX · Private nonprofit	53	$53,201	1.6x
190	Saint Edward's University Austin, TX · Private nonprofit	53	$52,758	1.7x
191	Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA · Private nonprofit	53	$50,825	2.1x
192	Ithaca College Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit	53	$48,249	2.0x
193	Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN · Private nonprofit	53	$46,750	1.5x
194	Moravian University Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofit	53	$46,600	1.2x
195	Florida Southern College Lakeland, FL · Private nonprofit	53	$46,418	1.7x
196	Lee University Cleveland, TN · Private nonprofit	53	$45,248	4.1x
197	VanderCook College of Music Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	53	$43,100	3.5x
198	Athens State University Athens, AL · Public	53	$42,403	—
199	Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI · Public	53	$42,373	6.6x
200	St. Joseph's University-New York Brooklyn, NY · Private nonprofit	53	$40,790	3.5x
201	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS · Public	53	$40,495	7.7x
202	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA · Public	53	$36,800	11.1x
203	SUNY at Fredonia Fredonia, NY · Public	53	$36,276	13.2x
204	Idaho State University Pocatello, ID · Public	53	$35,629	14.4x
205	Morgan State University Baltimore, MD · Public	53	$35,254	14.6x
206	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL · Public	53	$33,471	19.0x
207	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM · Public	53	$29,997	17.0x
208	University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN · Private nonprofit	52	$47,783	2.4x
209	The College of Saint Rose Albany, NY · Private nonprofit	52	$47,103	2.4x
210	Anderson University Anderson, IN · Private nonprofit	52	$46,637	2.5x
211	Marquette University Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit	52	$45,974	1.4x
212	University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, NC · Private nonprofit	52	$45,316	3.4x
213	University of Hartford West Hartford, CT · Private nonprofit	52	$45,125	2.1x
214	Millikin University Decatur, IL · Private nonprofit	52	$43,936	3.6x
215	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH · Public	52	$41,509	7.2x
216	Long Island University Brookville, NY · Private nonprofit	52	$40,191	3.0x
217	University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO · Public	52	$40,113	8.6x
218	Henderson State University Arkadelphia, AR · Public	52	$38,106	11.1x
219	Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus Portales, NM · Public	52	$30,513	18.7x
220	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY · Private nonprofit	51	$49,186	1.3x
221	St Olaf College Northfield, MN · Private nonprofit	51	$47,807	1.5x
222	Bethel University Mishawaka, IN · Private nonprofit	51	$47,387	2.4x
223	Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit	51	$45,890	1.9x
224	Morningside University Sioux City, IA · Private nonprofit	51	$45,552	2.3x
225	Plymouth State University Plymouth, NH · Public	51	$41,035	6.8x
226	University of Mississippi University, MS · Public	51	$39,985	9.6x
227	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO · Public	51	$39,755	6.0x
228	University of South Carolina-Upstate Spartanburg, SC · Public	51	$39,511	7.5x
229	Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA · Private nonprofit	50	$49,263	1.4x
230	Howard Payne University Brownwood, TX · Private nonprofit	50	$45,891	2.5x
231	Concordia University-Chicago River Forest, IL · Private nonprofit	50	$44,601	2.5x
232	Buena Vista University Storm Lake, IA · Private nonprofit	50	$44,551	2.3x
233	Oklahoma Baptist University Shawnee, OK · Private nonprofit	50	$44,135	2.6x
234	DePaul University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	50	$44,068	2.1x
235	Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL · Private nonprofit	50	$43,737	1.0x
236	Albion College Albion, MI · Private nonprofit	50	$43,301	0.9x
237	Concordia University-Nebraska Seward, NE · Private nonprofit	50	$43,086	1.7x
238	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC · Public	50	$40,596	7.2x
239	Clemson University Clemson, SC · Public	50	$40,394	6.3x
240	University of Memphis Memphis, TN · Public	50	$37,999	10.0x
241	SUNY Buffalo State University Buffalo, NY · Public	50	$34,646	13.1x
242	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA · Public	50	$24,882	12.5x
243	Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN · Private nonprofit	49	$47,250	1.4x
244	Hope College Holland, MI · Private nonprofit	49	$45,137	2.1x
245	Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL · Private nonprofit	49	$44,032	2.2x
246	North Greenville University Tigerville, SC · Private nonprofit	49	$43,644	3.2x
247	Cornerstone University Grand Rapids, MI · Private nonprofit	49	$42,515	3.1x
248	Reinhardt University Waleska, GA · Private nonprofit	49	$40,566	2.6x
249	University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, SD · Private nonprofit	49	$39,899	3.8x
250	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH · Public	49	$39,817	5.6x
251	Florida International University Miami, FL · Public	49	$30,578	17.4x
252	Wartburg College Waverly, IA · Private nonprofit	48	$45,677	1.6x
253	Bradley University Peoria, IL · Private nonprofit	48	$42,917	2.2x
254	Concordia University Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI · Private nonprofit	48	$42,845	2.4x
255	Concordia University-Wisconsin Mequon, WI · Private nonprofit	48	$42,845	2.4x
256	Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI · Private nonprofit	48	$42,737	2.3x
257	Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor, MI · Private nonprofit	48	$42,172	2.7x
258	Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Marion, IN · Private nonprofit	48	$42,099	2.9x
259	Saint Joseph's College of Maine Standish, ME · Private nonprofit	48	$41,584	1.4x
260	Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO · Public	48	$37,057	9.6x
261	University of Maine Orono, ME · Public	48	$35,764	8.9x
262	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY · Public	48	$35,282	9.0x
263	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI · Public	48	$32,184	8.6x
264	West Virginia University Institute of Technology Beckley, WV · Public	48	$27,547	14.7x
265	Augustana College Rock Island, IL · Private nonprofit	47	$45,145	1.4x
266	Simpson College Indianola, IA · Private nonprofit	47	$44,872	1.5x
267	University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit	47	$44,360	1.5x
268	Taylor University Upland, IN · Private nonprofit	47	$44,028	1.8x
269	Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI · Private nonprofit	47	$43,829	1.8x
270	Marywood University Scranton, PA · Private nonprofit	47	$41,848	2.4x
271	Harding University Searcy, AR · Private nonprofit	47	$40,489	3.7x
272	Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH · Private nonprofit	47	$40,306	1.7x
273	University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Bradford, PA · Public	47	$25,599	9.8x
274	University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Greensburg, PA · Public	47	$25,599	9.8x
275	Bethel University Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit	46	$43,639	1.7x
276	Carson-Newman University Jefferson City, TN · Private nonprofit	46	$42,222	2.2x
277	Adrian College Adrian, MI · Private nonprofit	46	$42,118	2.0x
278	Wingate University Wingate, NC · Private nonprofit	46	$41,245	2.2x
279	Charleston Southern University Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit	46	$40,612	2.8x
280	Blue Mountain Christian University Blue Mountain, MS · Private nonprofit	46	$37,760	3.9x
281	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH · Public	46	$35,860	8.2x
282	Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA · Public	46	$33,690	9.4x
283	University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL · Public	46	$32,093	12.4x
284	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV · Public	46	$27,547	12.1x
285	Mississippi College Clinton, MS · Private nonprofit	45	$39,558	3.9x
286	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY · Public	45	$36,830	8.0x
287	Morehead State University Morehead, KY · Public	45	$35,150	7.9x
288	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA · Public	45	$34,677	7.0x
289	Wayne State University Detroit, MI · Public	45	$34,590	7.8x
290	SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, NY · Public	45	$34,435	8.6x
291	Delta State University Cleveland, MS · Public	45	$34,177	8.9x
292	Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY · Public	45	$33,673	10.1x
293	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL · Public	45	$28,391	10.2x
294	The University of Montana Missoula, MT · Public	45	$28,298	13.4x
295	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA · Public	45	$26,967	13.2x
296	Hofstra University Hempstead, NY · Private nonprofit	44	$38,556	1.9x
297	Cedarville University Cedarville, OH · Private nonprofit	44	$38,378	1.7x
298	Adelphi University Garden City, NY · Private nonprofit	44	$35,814	2.6x
299	Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY · Public	44	$35,740	9.0x
300	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH · Public	44	$35,111	8.0x
301	University of Southern Maine Portland, ME · Public	44	$34,843	7.0x
302	Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT · Public	44	$29,653	9.3x
303	Langston University Langston, OK · Public	44	$26,222	14.4x
304	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT · Public	44	$25,777	7.5x
305	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT · Public	44	$25,777	7.5x
306	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT · Public	44	$25,777	7.5x
307	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT · Public	44	$25,777	7.5x
308	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA · Public	44	$25,599	6.3x
309	Anderson University Anderson, SC · Private nonprofit	43	$40,445	2.2x
310	University of Northwestern-St Paul Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit	43	$40,191	2.1x
311	Culver-Stockton College Canton, MO · Private nonprofit	43	$37,077	2.1x
312	Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH · Public	43	$33,398	9.2x
313	Radford University Radford, VA · Public	43	$31,071	9.2x
314	University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA · Public	43	$28,746	10.7x
315	University of South Alabama Mobile, AL · Public	43	$26,888	11.1x
316	Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO · Public	42	$34,206	9.2x
317	Missouri Western State University Saint Joseph, MO · Public	42	$33,183	7.5x
318	Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH · Public	42	$33,137	9.0x
319	Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC · Public	42	$28,557	9.6x
320	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT · Public	42	$25,777	6.3x
321	Walsh University North Canton, OH · Private nonprofit	41	$38,609	2.2x
322	University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO · Public	41	$33,198	9.1x
323	Grambling State University Grambling, LA · Public	41	$22,864	12.2x
324	Southwest Baptist University Bolivar, MO · Private nonprofit	40	$35,507	2.1x
325	Virginia State University Petersburg, VA · Public	40	$26,547	9.9x
326	Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA · Private nonprofit	39	$36,936	2.4x
327	Bob Jones University Greenville, SC · Private nonprofit	39	$36,109	3.4x
328	Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC · Public	39	$34,418	5.5x
329	University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, AR · Public	39	$30,536	9.6x
330	Jackson State University Jackson, MS · Public	39	$28,678	9.9x
331	Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY · Public	39	$25,378	5.9x
332	California State University-Chico Chico, CA · Public	39	$24,427	6.6x
333	College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, MO · Private nonprofit	38	$37,042	2.6x
334	South Carolina State University Orangeburg, SC · Public	38	$30,676	8.2x
335	Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, OK · Private nonprofit	37	$34,321	2.6x
336	Ashland University Ashland, OH · Private nonprofit	37	$34,223	3.0x
337	Lane College Jackson, TN · Private nonprofit	37	$24,128	4.1x
338	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus Gurabo, PR · Private nonprofit	37	$14,646	9.6x
339	Evangel University Springfield, MO · Private nonprofit	36	$34,872	2.5x
340	St. John's University-New York Queens, NY · Private nonprofit	36	$32,643	2.1x
341	Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO · Private nonprofit	36	$29,554	2.5x
342	University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR · Public	36	$19,607	9.0x
343	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus San Juan, PR · Private nonprofit	35	$14,715	7.7x
344	Mount Vernon Nazarene University Mount Vernon, OH · Private nonprofit	34	$32,508	2.4x
345	Capital University Columbus, OH · Private nonprofit	33	$32,597	1.9x
346	Rockford University Rockford, IL · Private nonprofit	32	$31,892	2.0x
347	Ferrum College Ferrum, VA · Private nonprofit	32	$29,100	2.2x
348	University of La Verne La Verne, CA · Private nonprofit	31	$27,616	1.8x

How do Subject-Area Teaching programs stack up? See 348 schools ranked by earnings and value →

Highest Earnings Top 5

Northeastern Illinois University IL	$63,615
CUNY Queens College NY	$58,894
William Paterson University of New Jersey NJ	$58,854
Houston Christian University TX	$58,604
Pacific Lutheran University WA	$57,683

Best ROI Top 5

St Petersburg College FL	45.1x
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College GA	38.5x
University of North Carolina at Pembroke NC	32.0x
Florida Atlantic University FL	27.3x
University of North Georgia GA	25.5x

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Subject-Area Teaching.

Teacher Education Special Education and Teaching Education Studies Education Educational Administration and Supervision TESOL Bilingual & Multilingual Curriculum and Instruction Instructional Design Educational Research Business Administration Psychology

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Subject-Area Teaching trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

FAQ

Frequently asked about Subject-Area Teaching

How much do Subject-Area Teaching graduates earn?

First-year earnings for Subject-Area Teaching graduates average $41,690 annually, based on data from 348 programs. The range spans $14,646 at the low end to $63,615 at the top.

What is the AI automation risk for Subject-Area Teaching?

Our analysis classifies Subject-Area Teaching as "High" for AI risk — approximately 49% of typical job tasks overlap with current AI capabilities. That puts some of the daily work in the automation-sensitive category.

What's the top-ranked school for Subject-Area Teaching?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), CUNY Queens College ranks #1 for Subject-Area Teaching with a score of 81/100 and graduate earnings of $58,894/yr.

What's the ROI on a Subject-Area Teaching degree?

On average, Subject-Area Teaching graduates earn 9.2x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.