Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at Pacific University

A $27,000 debt load against first-year earnings around $43,000 positions this teaching program squarely in the middle of what's typical nationally—where teacher education programs commonly produce debt-to-earnings ratios in this range. Based on comparable programs nationwide, new teachers can expect to carry debt equal to about 63% of their first year's salary, which translates to manageable monthly payments relative to starting educator pay scales.

Oregon has seven institutions offering similar teaching credentials, all clustering around this same debt level, suggesting Pacific's estimated costs align with state norms rather than standing out as particularly high or low. The challenge isn't unique to this program—it's structural to the teaching profession, where salaries start modestly but include benefits and pension systems that aren't captured in first-year earnings data. Teachers also typically see steady salary progression through established pay scales, unlike many careers where early earnings better predict long-term compensation.

The real question is whether your child is committed to classroom teaching specifically, since these credentials are designed for that path. If they're certain about becoming a teacher, this debt level won't be an outlier compared to their peers. If they're exploring education as one of several options, recognize that pivoting to non-teaching roles often means starting over salary-wise while still carrying teacher-training debt.