Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at University of Southern Indiana

Based on similar teacher education programs across Indiana, this bachelor's degree tracks close to what you'd expect financially: first-year earnings around $46,100 against roughly $26,000 in debt. That's a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, meaning your child would owe about half their first year's salary—not ideal, but workable on a teacher's budget, especially with income-driven repayment plans designed for education professionals.

The challenge is that we're working with estimates here because this specific program's graduate numbers are too small for the Department of Education to report. Looking at other Indiana programs with actual data, outcomes cluster tightly in the $47,000-$50,000 range for first-year teachers, suggesting the state's teacher salary schedules create fairly predictable starting points regardless of where you earn your degree. The University of Southern Indiana likely falls within this band, but without program-specific data, you're betting on that consistency.

For a teaching career, the credential matters more than prestige, and USI's high admission rate makes it accessible. But before committing, request actual job placement rates and teacher certification exam pass rates from the education department—these concrete outcomes matter more than estimated earnings when you're entering a field with standardized hiring practices. If your child is certain about teaching and staying in Indiana, the estimated numbers suggest a viable path, just one where you'll need to verify the details the federal data can't provide.