Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at Brigham Young University

BYU's subject-specific teacher education program delivers what many families dream of: strong initial earnings with minimal debt. With less than $10,000 in typical student debt—about one-third of the national median for teacher education programs—graduates start their careers without the financial burden crushing many educators. That first-year salary of $47,153 sits well above the national median and matches Utah's state median, all while the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19 is exceptional for any education degree.

The complication comes in year four, when median earnings drop to $41,473—a 12% decline that's unusual and worth understanding. This could reflect graduates taking time off for family commitments (common in Utah), moving into roles with different pay structures, or simply natural variation in career paths. However, even with this dip, the financial fundamentals remain sound: graduates are earning competitive teaching salaries without the crushing debt load typical of the field. Within Utah, this program sits at the 60th percentile, behind schools like Utah Tech and Weber State, but the ultra-low debt maintains the value proposition.

For families concerned about education affordability while supporting a child's teaching aspirations, BYU offers a clear advantage. The negligible debt means graduates can afford to be teachers—a career notoriously underpaid relative to educational requirements—without moonlighting or abandoning the profession entirely.