Special Education and Teaching at Carthage College

Carthage's special education program starts graduates at $48,593—above both the national median and Wisconsin's median for this field—but the trajectory reverses sharply, with earnings dropping 10% by year four. Among Wisconsin's 15 special education programs, this ranks at the 60th percentile, putting it in the middle of the pack but still trailing UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee by several thousand dollars annually.

The debt load of nearly $26,000 is reasonable for the field, translating to a manageable 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio that's better than many education programs nationally. However, that declining earnings pattern is unusual—most teachers see steady or growing salaries as they gain experience and move up district pay scales. With fewer than 30 graduates in this cohort, these numbers might not tell the full story; perhaps some graduates left teaching, took part-time positions, or moved to lower-paying districts.

For families considering this program, the first-year salary is competitive enough to justify the debt, but you'll want to understand why earnings decline. Is this a data quirk from the small sample, or do Carthage graduates face placement challenges? The admission rate and test scores suggest this is an accessible program, but mid-tier state performance means it's not necessarily the best value in Wisconsin for special education training.