Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at Simpson College

Simpson College's teacher education graduates start around $45,000—slightly above both national and Iowa medians—but the earnings picture deteriorates from there. While the program ranks in the 60th percentile statewide initially, salaries actually decline to $42,666 by year four, lagging behind nearby competitors like Iowa State ($47,559) and Wartburg College ($45,677). This backward trajectory is unusual even for teaching, which typically sees modest but positive growth.

The debt load of $27,000 matches Iowa's median and sits well below the national average, giving graduates a manageable 0.60 debt-to-earnings ratio at entry. That's the program's strongest selling point. However, the declining earnings mean that debt feels heavier over time rather than lighter, which should concern families banking on the typical teacher salary progression.

The extremely small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates—makes it difficult to know whether this earnings pattern is a statistical quirk or reflects genuine challenges with placement or district access. For a family considering Simpson, I'd want to understand where graduates are actually teaching and why salaries appear to stagnate or decline. At these debt levels, the program isn't unaffordable, but the earnings trajectory suggests graduates may struggle more than peers from Iowa State or Wartburg who start stronger and presumably maintain better momentum.