Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at University of Nebraska at Kearney

At $42,001, starting salaries from UNK's teacher education program trail both Nebraska's state median ($43,086) and the national benchmark, ranking at the 40th percentile among Nebraska's 14 programs. More concerning, graduates here earn less than peers from comparable regional schools—Wayne State College ($42,589), Nebraska-Lincoln ($45,786), and Chadron State ($46,824) all report higher starting figures. For a program training future teachers, where every salary dollar matters, this gap compounds over a career.

The financial picture does offer one advantage: the debt load of $26,287 tracks close to national norms, yielding a manageable 0.63 debt-to-earnings ratio. Teachers starting at $42,000 can expect monthly payments around $290—tight but workable on an educator's budget. Earnings do grow to $47,021 by year four, though that 12% increase still leaves graduates behind the state's stronger programs.

For Nebraska families keeping their children in-state, this program represents a below-average investment compared to alternatives just hours away. The admission rate of 86% and modest academic profile suggest accessibility, but when other regional universities deliver $3,000-$5,000 higher starting salaries for similar debt, those differences matter enormously to a first-year teacher managing rent and loan payments. Unless location in Kearney specifically serves your family's needs, the state's top-quartile programs offer noticeably better returns.