Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Augusta University

Augusta University's teacher education program lands graduates in the middle of the pack statewide—decent for teaching, but concerning when you look at what other Georgia schools achieve. At $42,419 in starting salary, graduates earn slightly above the Georgia median for education programs, placing this in the 60th percentile. But compare that to Georgia's stronger programs: Georgia Gwinnett College graduates start at $48,203, and four other state schools surpass $46,000. That $4,000-6,000 gap may seem modest, but it compounds over a teaching career.

The real red flag is the flat earnings trajectory. Four years out, graduates earn just $42,784—essentially no growth. This stagnation likely reflects Georgia's teacher salary structures, but it means that $29,579 in debt (higher than 94% of education programs nationally) takes proportionally longer to pay down. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 isn't catastrophic for teaching, but other state programs deliver similar outcomes with less debt.

If your child is set on teaching in Georgia, this program will get them employed at typical starting salaries. But they'll graduate with above-average debt for a field with below-average pay growth. The value proposition weakens considerably when schools like Georgia Gwinnett or Georgia State offer clearer pathways to higher earnings with comparable costs. Unless location in Augusta is non-negotiable, explore those alternatives first.