Education at Clarke University

Iowa education majors typically face steeper debt burdens than Clarke's estimated $27,000—the state median sits at $32,000—making this program's borrowing level look relatively manageable. With comparable bachelor's programs nationally suggesting first-year earnings around $38,660, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 falls within a reasonable range for teachers, though it's worth noting that fourth-year earnings here actually dip slightly to $37,379 rather than rising.

That stagnation tells an important story about education careers: they're stable but rarely lucrative. Similar programs across the country cluster tightly around that $38,000-$40,000 range, with even top performers hitting just $44,000. For Clarke specifically, we're working from peer program estimates since the graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to publish actual outcomes, but the pattern holds across Iowa's nine education programs.

The practical reality? Your child would likely graduate with debt equal to about 70% of their first year's salary—not crushing, but meaningful monthly payments on a teacher's paycheck. If they're passionate about education and understand the salary ceiling, the numbers work. If they're wavering or treating this as a fallback major, programs with steeper earnings trajectories deserve consideration.