Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Seton Hall University

Seton Hall's education program graduates earn $35,000 more in their first year than the typical graduate from this program nationally—a remarkable premium that places them in the 95th percentile. The $27,000 median debt is nearly identical to both national and state benchmarks, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.48. For context, a new teacher earning $56,300 would need less than six months of their gross salary to cover total undergraduate debt, an unusually favorable scenario in higher education.

The complication lies in what happens next. Earnings drop to $52,739 by year four—still well above the national median, but a 6% decline that suggests many graduates may be moving out of teaching or into different education roles. Among New Jersey programs specifically, Seton Hall lands in the middle of the pack at the 60th percentile, trailing schools like Stockton and Rider that place graduates at higher starting points. Given that many students pursue teaching credentials in-state for licensure reasons, this relative positioning matters.

For families willing to invest in a private university education credential, the numbers work. Graduates enter the profession earning competitive salaries with manageable debt. Just recognize that the early earnings advantage may not compound over time, and slightly less expensive in-state options exist that produce similar outcomes.