Teacher Educationat Western Illinois University
Graduates earn $40,544/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Teacher Education average. Base-case 10-year earnings $463K; scenarios range from $450K to $461K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Western Illinois University
Graduates earn $40,544/yr, roughly in line with the $41,412 national median for Teacher Education. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 7.7x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
Some AI exposure exists in Teacher Education's typical career paths, with 30% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 2% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $22,446 represents roughly 7 months of the $40,544 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #387 of 679 Teacher Education programs, Western Illinois University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Five-year earnings of $44,479 are relatively flat compared to the $40,544 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Western Illinois University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Teacher Education
How Western Illinois University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Western Illinois University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Western Illinois University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Teacher Education offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Teacher Education trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Teacher Education at Western Illinois University
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Teacher Education at Western Illinois University?
A score of 49/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Teacher Education. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Teacher Education careers?
With 30% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $449,743 in decade earnings vs $460,910 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.