# American University: Education (Elementary / Secondary) (bachelor's)

Washington, DC. IPEDS 131159, CIP 13.12. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/american-university/majors/education-elementary-secondary

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $55,625
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $66,160 (U.S. median for this major: $47,823 across 671 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $27,000 (U.S. median $26,000)
- Rank in DC: 1 of 1 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the U.S. median: +$18,337

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.09 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $66,160 minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in DC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $23,233 | $95,023 | 3.4 years |
| 30-48k | $20,444 | $83,616 | 3.0 years |
| 48-75k | $26,035 | $106,483 | 3.8 years |
| 75-110k | $30,063 | $122,958 | 4.4 years |
| 110k+ | $53,673 | $219,523 | 7.8 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Education (Elementary / Secondary) at DC colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American University | $66,160 | $27,000 | $41,943 | 76% |

## Careers
- Elementary school teacher (SOC 25-2021): median wage $79,470 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $96,580 DC, $63,970 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.4% by 2035
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $80,300 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $82,750 DC, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Training and Development Specialists (SOC 13-1151): median wage $82,400 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $80,980 DC, $69,280 U.S.; U.S. jobs 10.8% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).