Program Analysis
At $44,958 per year, Teacher Education graduates from Western Governors University earn slightly above the $41,690 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 15.2x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Teacher Education programs nationally.
Some AI exposure exists in Teacher Education's typical career paths, with 43% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 5% gap from the optimistic case.
The median debt load of $16,991 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
At #65 of 348 nationally, this is a top-5% Teacher Education program. Financial outcomes consistently outperform the vast majority of peers.
Five-year earnings of $50,239 are relatively flat compared to the $44,958 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.