Special Education and Teaching at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia

Saint Joseph's special education graduates earn $50,698 in their first year—well above the national median of $44,139 and ranking in the 95th percentile nationally. That's impressive context for a field that often starts modestly. However, within Pennsylvania's competitive special education market, these earnings land at the 60th percentile, meaning roughly half of the state's 38 programs produce similar or better outcomes. You're seeing York College and several state universities place graduates who earn $1,000-$1,500 more annually, which matters when you're comparing in-state options.

The debt picture is reasonable: $27,000 matches both the state and national medians exactly, creating a manageable 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio. That means graduates owe roughly half their first-year salary—a sustainable starting point for teachers who can pursue loan forgiveness programs. The real caution here is the small sample size (under 30 graduates), which makes these numbers less reliable than data from larger programs.

For families committed to special education and attracted to Saint Joseph's Jesuit environment, this program delivers solid financial outcomes relative to the field nationally. But if you're purely evaluating Pennsylvania options and cost is paramount, the state universities in the top five offer comparable or better earnings at likely lower tuition. The numbers justify this choice if the institutional fit matters to your student; they don't make it a standout value on earnings alone within Pennsylvania.