Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Chippewa Valley Technical College

Chippewa Valley Technical College's associate program in teacher education starts graduates at roughly $24,000 annually—below both the state median ($27,050) and national average ($25,120). At the 40th percentile among Wisconsin programs, it trails most comparable technical colleges in the state, including Milwaukee Area Technical College where graduates earn nearly $7,000 more. The earnings trajectory shows modest improvement to $26,652 by year four, but that's still considerably below what other Wisconsin programs deliver from day one.

The debt picture provides the main silver lining here. At $11,125, graduates owe roughly half what the typical Wisconsin student in this field borrows ($20,876), translating to a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.47. That's a meaningful advantage when starting salaries are tight. However, the small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates tracked—means these figures could shift substantially with more data.

For families considering this path: you're looking at lower earnings than most Wisconsin alternatives, but also lower debt. If your child plans to continue their education (which most associate-level education students do), the reduced debt burden matters. But if they're entering the workforce directly, other technical colleges in the state offer better starting positions without dramatically higher borrowing.