Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at College of Saint Benedict

College of Saint Benedict's teaching program produces graduates who earn slightly above Minnesota's median for education majors—ranking at the 60th percentile statewide—but that initial advantage doesn't grow over time. First-year teachers here start at $43,466, about $1,000 above the state median, but see earnings dip to $42,384 by year four. This backward slide is concerning in a field where longevity typically brings automatic salary increases through union contracts and step schedules.

The $27,000 debt load is manageable for teaching, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62 that sits comfortably below the concerning 1.0 threshold. This is actually less debt than most Minnesota education programs carry. However, when you're comparing to top-performing in-state options like Martin Luther College ($46,706 starting) or University of Minnesota-Morris ($46,414), the earnings gap—$3,000 to $3,500 annually—adds up to roughly $100,000 over a 30-year career.

For families committed to a private liberal arts education in a faith-based setting, Saint Benedict's delivers reasonable value with below-average debt. But if maximizing teaching income matters—and with Minnesota's relatively strong teacher salaries, it should—you'd do better at several public universities or at Martin Luther College, all while likely paying less for the degree itself.