Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at Metropolitan State University

Metropolitan State's teaching program lands graduates in the middle of Minnesota's education landscape—solid, but not remarkable for a state packed with strong teacher prep programs. First-year earnings of $46,490 sit above both national and state medians, placing this program in the 76th percentile nationally but only the 60th percentile statewide. Translation: it's competitive with programs across the country, but in Minnesota specifically, there are meaningfully better options at schools like Concordia-Moorhead or St. Olaf, where graduates earn $1,500-2,000 more right out of the gate.

The debt picture is the bright spot here: $27,984 is manageable for teaching, putting this program in the 17th percentile nationally for debt (meaning 83% of similar programs saddle students with more). That 0.60 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe roughly seven months' salary—reasonable for a profession where salaries climb steadily through seniority steps. The 11% earnings bump from year one to year four tracks with typical teacher contract progression, suggesting graduates are finding stable positions.

The caveat matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, these numbers could shift significantly year-to-year. For families drawn to Metropolitan State's accessibility (96% admission rate, serving many Pell-eligible students), this program delivers functional preparation without crushing debt. But if your child can access higher-ranked Minnesota programs, those extra thousand or two in starting salary compounds over a 30-year teaching career.