Social Education graduates earn $60,360 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $29,239 and $75,787. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Social Education as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Education and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Social Education is a focused area of study within Education. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $60,360 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 74 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 959 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Coursework pairs research methods with the applied study of people and institutions.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$33,915
Median Earnings · 4yr
$60,360
Colleges Offering
74
Graduates / Year
959
Avg Net Price / yr
$22,036
How Much Do Social Education Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Social Education, a typical graduate earns $60,360, near the national median for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $29,239 and $75,787, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $33,915 at one year out to $60,360 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
$60,360
4-Year National Median
Near the national median for college graduates.
$57,847
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Social Education graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Degree level and sector drive the gap. Graduate-level government and research roles anchor the top; entry-level social services and nonprofit roles anchor the bottom.
$29,23925th pct.
$60,360Median
$75,78775th pct.
A Solid Financial Return
Solid ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $60,360 and an estimated $88,144 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 2.9 years.
Based on outcomes from 13 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 959 students who complete Social Education programs each year, the majority (49%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
49%33%
Bachelor's49%
Master's33%
Doctorate12%
What Can You Do With a Social Education Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Social Education graduates show up in 1 different occupations, and Education Teachers pay the most at $75,350/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Top Colleges for Social Education
Not sure where to study Social Education? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Social Education graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Education Programs
Social Education is not the only path through Education: 14 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Social Education program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
The data on Social Education shows 2 measurable strengths and 3 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
PROS
Above-average earningsFour-year median of $60,360 puts graduates ahead of many humanities and social science programs.
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $33,915 at graduation to $60,360 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
CONS
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Slow job growthTop related careers project less than 3% growth over the next decade; limited expansion means more competition for new openings.
High earnings varianceGap between 25th ($29,239) and 75th ($75,787) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, role, and location.
Social Education Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Social Education graduates earn?
$60,360 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $29,239 and $75,787, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Social Education degree?
$33,915 in the first year out. That grows to $60,360 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Social Education degree?
Education Teachers are one path, and it pays a median of $75,350 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Social Education program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Social Education bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Social Education?
74 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Social Education degree worth it?
$60,360 median earnings four years out against $22,036 a year in average net price. That is a reasonable payback window, best at lower-cost schools and in high-demand roles. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Social Education and Education?
Social Education is the narrower of the two: Education covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Social Education-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Social Education graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Social Education graduates consistently look for research methodology, interpersonal communication, and policy understanding. Experience with surveys, qualitative interviews, or statistical tools is often a differentiator in government, nonprofit, and research roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
Is graduate school worth it for Social Education graduates?
It can be. At a median salary of $60,360, graduate study in Social Education tends to meaningfully raise long-term income, particularly through specialized or professional programs tied to high-demand roles. Weigh that against your own career goals, the program's cost, and whether your target role actually rewards the advanced credential.
Related Education Programs
Other programs in Education. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Choose a Major Pillar
A decision framework for picking a college major using your interests, aptitudes, and federal earnings data to reach a defensible choice before applying.
Yes, most schools allow it, but the schedule math rarely works without either overlapping requirements or extra time. Here's when it actually fits in four years.
The real cost of a second major, when it pays back and when it doesn't, and why a focused single major with a relevant minor often beats a double major.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
All 38 Majors, Ranked by What Graduates Earn
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
Major earnings
Highest paying majors
Job growth
STEM
Field of study
Does Engineering Tech Out-Earn Engineering? The Data Says No
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Engineering tech
Engineering
Program earnings
Applied degree
Technician careers
STEM Is Not One Thing: The Pay Gap Within STEM
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
STEM earnings
Engineering pay
Computer science
Program earnings
Major choice
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
