Education at Maryville College

A $27,000 debt load against estimated first-year earnings of $38,660 places this education degree roughly in line with what peer programs nationally produce—a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 that falls within manageable territory for a teaching career. However, both figures here are estimates derived from comparable bachelor's programs nationally, since Maryville's actual graduate outcomes weren't available for publication. Tennessee's education programs typically show slightly lower starting salaries around $36,500, which might reflect regional salary scales more accurately than the national benchmark.

The concerning element isn't the ratio itself but what it means in absolute terms: managing $27,000 in loans on a teacher's salary requires careful budgeting, especially given that education salaries often grow slowly in early years. Tusculum University, another Tennessee program with reported data, shows graduates earning $36,540—likely a more realistic first-year expectation for Tennessee educators than the national figure. If actual outcomes trend closer to state norms, the financial picture tightens somewhat.

For parents weighing this investment, request specific placement rates and starting salary data directly from Maryville's education department. Where their graduates actually teach matters enormously—systems with stronger union contracts and better compensation packages can make this debt load comfortable, while lower-paying districts would create genuine financial strain. The estimates suggest reasonable value, but you need actual outcomes from this specific program to make a confident decision.