Special Education and Teaching at University of Akron Main Campus

University of Akron's Special Education program graduates start at $34,073—about $7,300 below Ohio's median for special education teachers and roughly $10,000 behind what graduates earn at Ohio State or University of Dayton. While the program ranks in only the 5th percentile nationally, its 25th percentile standing within Ohio suggests the state's special education programs collectively underperform national norms. Still, even by Ohio standards, this program lags meaningfully behind the state's stronger options.

The $26,000 debt load is reasonable and slightly below state averages, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76. That's manageable on a teacher's salary, though the modest 8% earnings growth over four years means graduates shouldn't expect dramatic salary improvements in the early career phase. For context, special education teachers in Ohio generally face compressed earnings trajectories compared to the national market.

If your child is committed to special education and needs to stay in-state, understand that Ohio's programs broadly offer lower earnings than the national average. Within that reality, Akron represents a budget option with acceptable debt, but Cincinnati, Dayton, or Ohio State deliver significantly better starting salaries—potentially $8,000 to $11,000 more annually—that compound substantially over a teaching career. That gap is worth considering carefully, especially since teaching salaries follow fairly predictable paths based on starting points.