Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Milligan University

Milligan's teacher education graduates start at $34,888—nearly $7,000 below both the national median and Tennessee's typical starting salary for this program. While the school sits at Tennessee's 40th percentile (right around the state's middle), that benchmark includes much stronger alternatives. Lee University graduates earn $10,000 more in their first year, and even the state's public option, Middle Tennessee State, delivers starting salaries roughly $8,000 higher.

The $27,000 debt load appears reasonable on paper, but paired with these earnings, it creates a debt-to-income ratio of 0.77—higher than ideal for a teaching salary. You're looking at debt payments that will take a meaningful bite out of an already-modest paycheck. Teaching careers offer stability and intrinsic rewards, but starting $7,000 behind peers from other Tennessee programs compounds over time, affecting everything from loan repayment speed to retirement savings.

Keep in mind this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes could vary significantly. If your child is committed to teaching and has specific reasons to attend Milligan—strong relationships with faculty, a campus culture that fits—the gap might be worth it. But purely from an earnings standpoint, several Tennessee schools deliver better preparation or stronger placement outcomes at similar or lower cost.