Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at University of New Mexico-Main Campus

UNM's teacher education graduates start at $30,000—landing in the bottom 5th percentile nationally—but this number tells only half the story. By year four, earnings jump to $45,000, outpacing the national median and nearly catching Eastern New Mexico's program. That 51% growth trajectory matters more than the low starting point, especially given the manageable $14,250 debt load, which sits well below both state and national averages.

Within New Mexico, this program ranks middle-of-the-pack (40th percentile), but the comparison is deceptive. You're getting nearly identical outcomes to Eastern New Mexico while carrying similar debt, and you're only trailing New Mexico State's program by a few thousand dollars at year four. For a school with a 95% admission rate serving a substantial Pell-eligible population, these outcomes represent solid value—your child will be earning enough to comfortably manage their modest debt burden.

The key question is whether your family can weather that challenging first year financially. If so, the math works: low debt means minimal financial stress while earnings catch up to teaching scales. This isn't a quick path to high income, but it's a stable one with clear progression and debt that won't follow your child for decades.