Special Education and Teaching at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

UW-Oshkosh's special education program sits in an uncomfortable middle position among Wisconsin options—ranking in just the 40th percentile statewide while graduates from UW-Madison, Milwaukee, and Whitewater all earn $3,000-5,000 more annually. First-year earnings of $44,945 trail the Wisconsin median by $2,000, a meaningful gap when most special education teachers start at district-set salary schedules. More concerning, earnings actually slip to $43,211 by year four, suggesting graduates may be struggling to secure full-time positions or are working in lower-paying districts.

The debt picture provides some relief—at $27,000, borrowing is slightly above the state median but manageable, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60 that's quite reasonable for an education degree. With an 87% admission rate and accessible entry requirements, this program serves students who might not access more selective Wisconsin campuses.

For parents, the calculation is straightforward: if your child can gain admission to UW-Madison, Milwaukee, or Whitewater, those programs deliver meaningfully better outcomes with similar debt loads. UW-Oshkosh works as a solid fallback—the manageable debt won't hamstring a teaching career—but the below-average Wisconsin earnings suggest looking at other in-state options first unless location or admissions access is a deciding factor.