Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Champlain College

Champlain College's education program lands graduates in the bottom 10% nationally and statewide for earnings, with first-year pay of just $26,805—nearly $15,000 below Vermont's median for education majors. While teaching salaries are notoriously modest early on, this represents a particularly rough start. The $27,000 in debt roughly equals that entire first year's income, creating immediate financial strain that other Vermont programs (like Saint Michael's or Vermont State) don't impose to the same degree.

The substantial 58% earnings jump to $42,425 by year four offers some reassurance—graduates do reach respectable mid-career salaries that align with state norms. But that still means 3-4 years of financial difficulty while loan payments eat into modest paychecks. Compare this to Saint Michael's College, where education grads start closer to $45,000 and face similar debt loads, shortening the payback timeline considerably.

If your child is set on teaching in Vermont, this program gets them to a livable salary eventually, but the path there is noticeably harder than at competing state schools. The weak early earnings suggest graduates may be landing substitute positions or working outside their field initially. Unless Champlain offers specific advantages—like a unique certification track or strong placement support—the numbers argue for looking at Vermont State University or UVM, where graduates face the same debt but stronger starting positions.