Special Education and Teaching at Syracuse University

Syracuse's special education program posts impressive numbers—$55,881 median earnings puts it in the 95th percentile nationally and 80th percentile among New York programs—but the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could swing significantly year to year. Still, even accounting for that volatility, the program appears to dramatically outperform typical outcomes. Most special education graduates in New York earn around $39,000 in their first year; Syracuse graduates are starting nearly $17,000 higher. That's a meaningful difference when you're making loan payments.

The $27,000 in median debt is reasonable for a private university education, sitting right at the national median for this field. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48, graduates are borrowing less than half their first-year salary—a sustainable position for a teaching career. The real question is whether these earnings hold steady as more graduates enter the dataset. Syracuse's relatively low Pell enrollment (16%) suggests the program may attract students with additional financial resources, which could influence career choices and early earnings.

For families who can afford Syracuse's tuition without excessive borrowing, the program shows strong early returns. But given the small sample, I'd want to see another year or two of data before banking on these specific numbers. The underlying strength of Syracuse's education school reputation suggests this isn't a fluke, but proceed knowing you're working with limited information.