Northern Michigan University Education (Elementary / Secondary): earnings, debt & careers

Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of Northern Michigan University earn a median $45,008 four years after graduating ($39,963 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $30,750. That is $2,815 below the U.S. median for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates ($47,823 across 671 colleges), and ranks 15th of 17 Michigan colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$45,008

U.S. median for this major: $47,823.

College Scorecard field of study; 36 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$39,963

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$30,750

About 68% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$14,085 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $27,841. College Scorecard.

Northern Michigan University Education (Elementary / Secondary): pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Northern Michigan University graduates$45,008
Michigan median (17 colleges)$47,341 (−$2,333)
U.S. median (671 colleges)$47,823 (−$2,815)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Education (Elementary / Secondary) nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Northern Michigan University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$7,697$34,3293.0 years
$30–48k$7,185$32,0452.8 years
$48–75k$11,051$49,2874.2 years
$75–110k$16,324$72,8056.3 years
$110k+$22,268$99,3158.6 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (33% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates 4 years after graduating ($45,008) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,597 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Education (Elementary / Secondary) at Michigan colleges

Every Michigan college we cover that reports Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$54,558$16,335$13,13893%
2Eastern Michigan University$50,007$28,676$15,40746%
3Central Michigan University$49,677$29,000$17,59759%
4Hope College$49,469$27,000$27,18280%
5Saginaw Valley State University$48,561$31,000$10,77548%
6Wayne State University$48,506$31,000$12,76658%
7Oakland University$48,396$29,019$9,12058%
8Western Michigan University$47,898$31,000$15,27358%
9Cornerstone University$47,341$27,000$20,30162%
10Calvin University$47,157$19,500$22,99274%
11Baker College$46,559$37,292$13,15736%
12University of Michigan-Flint$45,861$32,810$7,00740%
13Concordia University Ann Arbor$45,665$27,000$32,81148%
14Ferris State University$45,053$30,500$8,62447%
15Northern Michigan University$45,008$30,750$14,08552%
16Alma College$44,458$29,062$20,69463%
17Rochester University$43,039$25,217$21,45644%

13 more Michigan colleges offer Education (Elementary / Secondary) but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates

Elementary school teacher

Michigan$65,110
U.S.$63,970

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Michigan$66,030
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Training and Development Specialists

Michigan$64,350
U.S.$69,280

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +10.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at Northern Michigan University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Northern Michigan University

Related majors at Northern Michigan University

Northern Michigan University Education (Elementary / Secondary) questions

How much do Northern Michigan University Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates earn?

Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of Northern Michigan University earn a median $45,008 four years after graduating and $39,963 one year after. The U.S. median for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates across 671 colleges is $47,823.

How much debt do Northern Michigan University Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of Northern Michigan University is $30,750, about 68% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.

Is Northern Michigan University a good school for Education (Elementary / Secondary) in Michigan?

On pay, Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of Northern Michigan University earn $45,008 four years out, $2,333 below the median for the same major across 17 Michigan colleges ($47,341) and $2,815 below the U.S. median ($47,823). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Northern Michigan University rank for Education (Elementary / Secondary) in Michigan?

Of 17 Michigan colleges reporting Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduate earnings, Northern Michigan University ranks 15th. The highest is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $54,558.

What jobs do Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates get?

A common career is elementary school teacher, with a median wage of $65,110 in Michigan and $63,970 nationally. Others include secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education and training and development specialists.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “Northern Michigan University Education (Elementary / Secondary): earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-michigan-university/majors/education-elementary-secondary (College Scorecard and BLS data).