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

This program comes with a significant caveat: with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers could shift dramatically with just a handful of students. That said, the reported $18,576 first-year earnings is troubling—less than half what typical Ohio education associate programs deliver ($27,408 median) and landing in the bottom 10th percentile both statewide and nationally. For context, comparable programs at Cincinnati State and Cuyahoga Community College show graduates earning over $30,000. The $17,273 debt load is actually moderate relative to national benchmarks, but when paired with such low initial earnings, it creates a nearly 1:1 debt-to-income ratio that would strain any household budget.

The most likely explanation here is that these graduates may be working part-time paraprofessional roles rather than full teaching positions, or the small sample captured students still completing their bachelor's degrees. Education pathways typically require a four-year degree for classroom teaching, so an associate's often serves as a stepping stone rather than a terminal credential. If your child plans to continue to a bachelor's program, these earnings shouldn't dictate the decision—but if they're considering stopping at the associate level, the employment outcomes at Kent State Salem appear weaker than other Ohio options. Given the small sample size and the program's bottom-tier ranking, families should request placement data directly from the school before committing.