Special Education and Teaching at Felician University

Special education teachers typically start their careers in schools with structured salary schedules, which means the $44,139 first-year earnings estimate from national peer programs is likely a reliable baseline. What matters here is that New Jersey pays special education teachers substantially better than most states—the state median of $48,628 suggests graduates who land jobs locally could see earnings nearly $4,500 higher than the national figure. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61, based on typical debt loads at similar private institutions, falls within manageable territory for a profession with stable employment prospects.

The $27,000 estimated debt sits just above both national and state medians for this credential, which is reasonable given Felician's private university status. Still, the gap between estimated earnings and what New Jersey programs typically produce is worth considering. Kean University's graduates, for instance, report first-year earnings matching the state median, suggesting location and district connections matter significantly in this field.

For parents, the key question is placement: does Felician have strong relationships with school districts that hire special education teachers? If their child can secure a position in a New Jersey public school district, the higher state salaries make this investment more defensible. Without those connections, graduates might face a tougher climb to justify the private school premium over public alternatives.