Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at St. Francis College

Teaching is notoriously underpaid in New York City, and peer programs in the state suggest this holds true for St. Francis graduates, with estimated first-year earnings around $40,790—slightly below the national median for education majors. What's encouraging is the trajectory: actual reported earnings jump to $65,319 by year four, suggesting teachers who stick with the profession see meaningful salary growth as they gain experience and seniority in the city's public school system. The estimated $26,664 in debt aligns closely with both state and national norms for education programs, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65.

The real question is whether your child plans to stay in teaching long enough to benefit from that mid-career bump. New teacher retention is a persistent challenge, and those first few years can be financially tight in an expensive city like Brooklyn. Programs at CUNY schools show higher starting salaries (Queens College graduates earn $58,894), though some of that difference may reflect different teaching placements or certification areas. Nearly half of St. Francis students receive Pell grants, suggesting the school serves families where every dollar of debt matters.

If your child is passionate about teaching and committed to the profession, the debt load won't sink them—but those early years will require careful budgeting until the salary catches up.