Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Stockton University

Stockton's teacher education graduates start strong, earning $59,371 in their first year—dramatically above the national median of $41,809 and even outpacing the state median by $5,000. That 95th percentile national ranking is impressive. But here's the puzzle: earnings drop to $53,563 by year four, a 10% decline that's unusual for any field. This could reflect several realities—teachers moving to lower-cost districts, taking time off, or shifting to part-time positions. With fewer than 30 graduates in this cohort, a handful of individual circumstances could also be skewing the numbers.

The $39,000 debt load tells a different story than you'll find at most teacher prep programs. While Stockton graduates start with significantly higher debt than the national and state medians (both around $26,000), that strong first-year salary creates a manageable 0.66 debt-to-earnings ratio. Your child would be borrowing more but earning more right out of the gate, which matters when loan payments begin six months after graduation. Still, that 60th percentile state ranking shows Stockton isn't dominating the New Jersey market—it's middle-of-the-pack compared to in-state alternatives.

The small sample size is a real limitation here. These numbers could look quite different next year. If your child is committed to teaching in New Jersey, Stockton appears to deliver competitive starting salaries with reasonable debt, but investigate why earnings decline and whether graduates are satisfied with their career trajectories four years out.