Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at Texas Wesleyan University

Texas Wesleyan's teaching program carries notably higher debt than alternatives while landing in the middle of the state's earnings pack. At $35,550 in median debt—among the highest 5% nationally for this program—graduates face payments that would typically exceed their pre-tax monthly earnings. Compare this to the Texas median of $27,000 in debt, or consider that graduates from University of Mary Hardin-Baylor earn $5,000 more annually while carrying similar debt loads.

The earnings story is mixed. While $47,272 beats the national median by $4,000 and places this program in the 82nd percentile nationally, it falls $4,000 short of what other Texas teaching graduates typically earn. In a state with 40 teaching preparation programs, landing at the 40th percentile suggests there are more cost-effective paths to the same career. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75 means nearly three-quarters of a year's salary goes toward loans—manageable but tight for a teaching salary.

The sample size here is under 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could skew these numbers significantly. For families looking at Texas teaching programs, the fundamental question is whether Wesleyan's particular strengths justify paying $8,500 more in debt than the state norm while earning less than peers at comparable institutions. That's a hard case to make for a profession where starting salaries are relatively standardized across schools.