Special Education and Teaching at Gordon College

In Massachusetts, special education programs cluster tightly around $40,000-$50,000 in first-year earnings, and comparable programs nationally suggest Gordon's graduates will land somewhere in that range—likely near $44,000. That puts estimated borrowing of $27,000 within reasonable bounds for teaching, a field where immediate returns are modest but job security is typically solid.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61 works out to roughly $300 monthly in loan payments on a $44,000 salary—tight but manageable on a teacher's budget, especially given that special education positions often command slightly higher pay than general education roles and remain in high demand across most districts. The real question is whether Gordon's smaller environment and higher selectivity (59% admission rate, average SAT of 1268) translates to better job placement or professional networks than the state universities that report similar or higher starting salaries at likely lower sticker prices.

Without actual outcome data for Gordon specifically, you're betting on the program's quality based on institutional characteristics rather than proven results. If the school's reputation and connections in Massachusetts education circles are strong, the investment could pay off through better placement in desirable districts. But state universities like Bridgewater are reporting $50,000 first-year earnings with likely lower debt loads—a more certain path if cost is the primary concern.