Program Analysis
First-year earnings of $36,830 track close to the $41,690 national median for Teacher Education programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 9.7x 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 43% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 1% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $26,887 represents roughly 9 months of the $36,830 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #289 of 348 Teacher Education programs, Western Kentucky University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Five-year earnings of $41,362 are relatively flat compared to the $36,830 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.