Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Eastern Illinois University

Eastern Illinois University's teacher education program produces graduates earning about $3,000 less per year than the typical Illinois teacher education graduate—landing in just the 40th percentile statewide. With first-year earnings of $41,582, graduates here start behind peers at comparable Illinois publics and trail the top programs in the state by $6,000 to $19,000 annually. While the debt load of $22,075 is lower than both state and national medians, this advantage gets neutralized by the below-average starting salary.

The 7% earnings growth over four years (reaching $44,325) is modest for a teaching career, suggesting graduates aren't quickly moving into higher-paying positions or districts. The 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable—graduates owe roughly six months' salary—but the combination of below-median pay and higher debt burden relative to other IL programs (80th percentile nationally) means your child would be starting their teaching career at a financial disadvantage compared to peers from other Illinois schools.

For families prioritizing teaching careers, this program gets you licensed but at a cost-benefit ratio that lags other public options in Illinois. If Eastern Illinois is the choice for other reasons—location, campus fit, lower tuition—the program works, but purely from an earnings standpoint, graduates would be better positioned attending programs like University of Illinois Chicago or even regional competitors that place teachers into higher-paying districts.