Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Wartburg College

Teacher salaries may be modest everywhere, but Wartburg's education program stands out for getting graduates to that modest income with manageable debt. At 60 cents of debt for every dollar earned in the first year, this beats both the typical Iowa teacher education program and the national average. That 0.57 ratio means graduates face roughly 8 months of income in debt rather than the year or more common at other programs.

Within Iowa's 27 teacher prep programs, Wartburg ranks in the 60th percentile—solidly middle-of-the-pack but trailing places like Morningside ($48,478) and Luther ($45,691). Nationally, the program performs better, hitting the 75th percentile. First-year earnings of $45,000 sit comfortably above both state and national medians, though the 2% growth to year four reflects teaching's compressed salary schedules rather than program weakness. This flat trajectory is standard across education; annual raises come slowly, and career advancement typically requires moving into administration.

For families weighing this investment, the key advantage is cost control. At $25,757 in debt versus $27,000 statewide, Wartburg keeps borrowing below average while delivering above-average starting placement. If your child is committed to teaching—particularly in Iowa, where these connections matter—this represents a straightforward path into the profession without the debt burden that makes teacher salaries even harder to manage.