Special Education and Teaching at Missouri Baptist University

Missouri Baptist University's special education program produces troubling outcomes that place it near the bottom nationally—5th percentile—while performing only slightly better within Missouri. First-year graduates earn $35,312, falling nearly $9,000 short of the national median and $2,100 below Missouri's typical outcome for this credential. When nearby Missouri State graduates start at $38,250 and University of Missouri alumni at $37,547, the $3,000+ gap is hard to justify, particularly given the relatively high admission standards aren't translating to better employment outcomes.

The debt picture offers limited comfort. While the $28,688 borrowing burden sits slightly above both state and national medians, the 0.81 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates carry debt equivalent to 81% of their first year's salary. For teachers entering a profession with structured pay scales, earning $3,000 less annually than peers from other Missouri programs compounds over an entire career—that's potentially $120,000+ in lost lifetime earnings for similar work.

For families considering this program, the math is straightforward: you'll likely pay more than at comparable Missouri institutions while your graduate earns less from day one. Unless there are compelling personal reasons to attend Missouri Baptist specifically, other state universities deliver measurably better returns in this field. The moderate sample size suggests these aren't isolated results but rather the program's typical outcome pattern.