Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Kent State University at Geauga

Kent State Geauga's teacher education program produces graduates earning just $33,040 in their first year—nearly $9,000 below the national median and $3,000 below Ohio's median for this field. While the program sits at the 40th percentile statewide (meaning most Ohio teacher prep programs perform better), the national comparison is stark: this lands in just the 5th percentile nationally. Even top-performing Ohio programs like Ohio Dominican and Capital produce graduates earning over $42,000—nearly 30% more than Kent State Geauga.

The $26,000 debt load matches both state and national medians, which sounds reasonable on paper. But paired with these below-average earnings, graduates face a challenging start. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79 means nearly an entire year's salary goes toward debt—manageable compared to some fields, but difficult on a $33,000 income. Earnings do grow modestly to $34,702 by year four, but that's still well below where other Ohio teacher graduates start.

For families considering this program, the numbers suggest looking at other Ohio options first. Teaching is already a modestly-paid profession, and starting nearly $10,000 behind the typical new teacher makes an already tight budget even tighter. With 62 teacher education programs across Ohio, many delivering substantially better outcomes, this regional campus may not offer the strongest launch into the profession.