Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at Drexel University

In Pennsylvania, where teaching programs graduate thousands of students annually, Drexel's estimated outcomes land right at the state median—$44,228 in first-year earnings paired with $27,000 in debt. These figures come from comparable programs across Pennsylvania, since Drexel's own graduate cohort was too small for the Department of Education to report. While that middle-of-the-pack position sounds safe, it means potentially earning $6,000 less in year one than graduates from programs like Elizabethtown or Messiah University, both of which report actual outcomes above $50,000.

The 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio based on peer programs suggests manageable repayment—under federal income-driven plans, monthly payments would consume roughly 10% of take-home pay. Teaching's structured salary schedules and loan forgiveness options provide some buffer. Still, at a private university where tuition runs significantly higher than public alternatives, you're looking at whether the Drexel brand and experience justify costs that don't appear to translate into higher starting salaries for teachers. Pennsylvania's teacher education landscape is crowded with 55 programs, and several demonstrably place graduates into better-paying positions.

Given the estimation uncertainty and the presence of stronger-performing programs nearby, treat these figures as a starting point rather than a guarantee. Request actual placement data from Drexel's education department—where graduates teach, starting salary ranges, and licensure pass rates—before committing to private university costs for a field with relatively standardized entry salaries.