Subject-Area Teaching at VanderCook College of Music
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
54
Optimistic
53
Base Case
57
Pessimistic
Earnings
$43,100/yr (3% vs median)
AI Risk
High (43% exposed)
Job Market
Very Large (444,600 openings/yr)
ROI
4.5x earnings multiple
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Subject-Area Teaching graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $567K | $560K | $524K |
| Earnings Multiple | 4.6x | 4.5x | 4.2x |
| Probability of Field Employment | 78% | 70% | 55% |
| DegreeOutlook Score | 54 | 53 | 57 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$123,640
Median Debt at Graduation
$27,000
7.5 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$55,898
30% growth from Year 1
About VanderCook College of Music
VanderCook College of Music accepts 97% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, with a smaller student body of 70 in Chicago, IL. The average net cost of $68,376 over four years represents a 45% discount from published tuition.
See all programs and financial aid at VanderCook College of Music →Top Career Paths
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
$105,620/yr
Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary
$101,390/yr
Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary
$100,830/yr
Compare & Explore
Subject-Area Teaching at Other Schools
Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?
For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does VanderCook College of Music's Subject-Area Teaching program score?
A score of 53/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but VanderCook College of Music trails the majority of Subject-Area Teaching programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Subject-Area Teaching to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Subject-Area Teaching careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 43% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research.
See full methodology →