Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at University of Missouri-St Louis

UMSL's teacher education program illustrates an unusual situation: it ranks in the bottom fifth nationally yet in the top half of Missouri programs. That tells you more about Missouri's teacher salary challenges than about this specific school. At $35,731 in first-year earnings, graduates earn about $6,000 less than the national median for teaching programs, though they're actually doing better than most Missouri teachers who start around $33,760.

The debt burden of $23,375 is reasonable by education school standards—lower than both state and national averages—giving this program a manageable 0.65 debt-to-earnings ratio. The concerning part is what comes next: four years into their careers, these graduates are earning just $36,475, barely $700 more than their starting salary. Compare that to stronger Missouri programs like UMKC ($39,942) or Mizzou ($37,302), and the earnings gap becomes clear.

For families staying in Missouri who can afford modest debt and understand teaching's financial realities, this program works functionally—you'll graduate with less debt than most Missouri teachers while earning similar pay. But if your child is considering teaching primarily as a stable career rather than a calling, the flat earnings trajectory and below-average starting salary deserve serious consideration. The math works if teaching is the goal and Missouri is home, but this isn't the program that will maximize early career earning potential.