Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Fontbonne University

Starting salary of $31,196 against $26,000 in debt might sound manageable at first glance—after all, the debt-to-earnings ratio is under 1.0. But here's what matters: Fontbonne's teacher education graduates earn about $2,500 less than the Missouri median and a startling $10,600 below the national average for this program. That puts this program in just the 5th percentile nationally, meaning 95% of similar programs prepare graduates who earn more in their first year. Even within Missouri's competitive landscape, where schools like UMKC and Lindenwood consistently place graduates above $37,000, Fontbonne falls in the bottom half.

The concerning part isn't just the low starting point—it's that teacher salaries typically follow set schedules, so if graduates are starting this far behind, they're likely locked into lower pay scales throughout their careers. With nearly half of Fontbonne students receiving Pell grants, many families here are counting on education as a path to financial stability, yet these graduates are starting $6,000-$8,000 behind peers from other Missouri programs.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means one or two outliers could skew these numbers, but given how dramatically this trails other Missouri teaching programs, families should seriously investigate why. If your child is set on teaching in Missouri, the data suggests looking at the state's stronger-performing programs first—the difference in starting salary could mean thousands of dollars annually throughout a teaching career.