Program Analysis
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale's Special Education and Teaching program produces graduates earning $44,429/yr — within striking distance of the $44,105 national average for this field.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 9.0x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
Some AI exposure exists in Special Education and Teaching's typical career paths, with 44% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 3% gap from the optimistic case.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $21,250 in median debt clears quickly against $44,429 in annual earnings.
Ranked #95 of 170 Special Education and Teaching programs, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Five-year earnings of $46,500 are relatively flat compared to the $44,429 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.