University of Kentucky Education (Elementary / Secondary): earnings, debt & careers

Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of University of Kentucky earn a median $44,352 four years after graduating ($41,312 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $23,250. That is $3,471 below the U.S. median for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates ($47,823 across 671 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 13 Kentucky colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$44,352

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

College Scorecard field of study; 133 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$41,312

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$23,250

About 52% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$18,851 /yr

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

Sticker price $34,391. College Scorecard.

University of Kentucky Education (Elementary / Secondary): pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of Kentucky graduates$44,352
Kentucky median (13 colleges)$40,093 (+$4,259)
U.S. median (671 colleges)$47,823 (−$3,471)

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 University of Kentucky'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$12,182$51,8954.8 years
$30–48k$12,119$51,6274.8 years
$48–75k$16,313$69,4936.4 years
$75–110k$21,192$90,2788.3 years
$110k+$26,781$114,08710.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (54% 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 ($44,352) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,836 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 Kentucky colleges

Every Kentucky 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 Louisville$47,190$23,584$17,98861%
2University of Kentucky$44,352$23,250$18,85171%
3Bellarmine University$43,808$27,000$21,49964%
4Northern Kentucky University$42,709$27,000$8,19152%
5Midway University$42,174$22,563$29,57941%
6Asbury University$40,890$28,000$21,40165%
7University of the Cumberlands$40,093$22,782$14,10750%
8Eastern Kentucky University$38,951$26,725$11,04050%
9Western Kentucky University$38,656$25,000$10,99056%
10Murray State University$38,132$22,324$9,09661%
11Morehead State University$37,275$25,292$9,79352%
12Campbellsville University$36,564$23,125$19,34142%
13University of Pikeville$36,199$17,778$20,31142%

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

Careers for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates

Elementary school teacher

Lexington area$61,460
Kentucky$60,610
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

Lexington area$64,850
Kentucky$61,560
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

Lexington area$59,870
Kentucky$61,390
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 University of Kentucky, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of Kentucky

Related majors at University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky Education (Elementary / Secondary) questions

How much do University of Kentucky Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates earn?

Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of University of Kentucky earn a median $44,352 four years after graduating and $41,312 one year after. The U.S. median for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates across 671 colleges is $47,823.

How much debt do University of Kentucky Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of University of Kentucky is $23,250, about 52% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.

Is University of Kentucky a good school for Education (Elementary / Secondary) in Kentucky?

On pay, Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of University of Kentucky earn $44,352 four years out, $4,259 above the median for the same major across 13 Kentucky colleges ($40,093) and $3,471 below the U.S. median ($47,823). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of Kentucky rank for Education (Elementary / Secondary) in Kentucky?

Of 13 Kentucky colleges reporting Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduate earnings, University of Kentucky ranks 2nd. The highest is University of Louisville at $47,190.

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

A common career is elementary school teacher, with a median wage of $61,460 in the Lexington-Fayette, KY area 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: “University of Kentucky Education (Elementary / Secondary): earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-kentucky/majors/education-elementary-secondary (College Scorecard and BLS data).