To date, we’ve asked 26 current and past teacher education and professional development students about their happiness with their degree. Turns out, they rate it average.

There are thousands of majors available, and it can be overwhelming trying to choose one.

To help you reach the decision that is right for you, we asked students who have pursued a teacher education and professional development degree to respond to questions concerning five dimensions of the educational track they chose:

  • Course material: Were they interested in the material they learned?
  • Intellectual fulfillment: Did they find the coursework intellectually stimulating?
  • Job prospects: Did they leave the program with job opportunities?
  • Personality: Was the degree a good fit for their personality?
  • Overall fit: Were they happy with the program overall?

We examined their responses and combined the rankings to give us an average satisfaction score across all students. This doesn't necessarily reflect how satisfied you would be with a teacher education and professional development degree, but it’s a starting point to help you evaluate your options.

How satisfied are teacher education and professional development students compared to other degrees?

Overall, teacher education and professional development students rate their satisfaction with their degree a 3.2 out of 5. For context, teacher education and professional development students rate their happiness similarly to students in Engineering, Fine Arts and Computer Science.

Here are other degrees that have a similar satisfaction rating to teacher education and professional development

DegreeAvg Grad SalarySatisfaction
Business Administration, Management, and Operations$73,536
Business Management and Administration$71,487
Computer Science$97,770
Fine Arts$50,498
Teacher Education and Professional Development$41,886
Engineering$100,991
Visual and Performing Arts$53,670

Let's break that down further.

Are teacher education and professional development students satisfied with what they’re learning?

We asked students about their satisfaction with their course material and overall intellectual fulfillment. Here’s what they said:

We asked graduates how interesting they found the course material to be. Their response was:
3.8 out of 5 stars
27 ratings
5 stars
26%
4 stars
33%
3 stars
33%
2 stars
7%
1 stars
0%
We asked graduates how intellectually fulfilling they found the degree. Their response was:
3.4 out of 5 stars
29 ratings
5 stars
14%
4 stars
24%
3 stars
48%
2 stars
7%
1 stars
3%

These ratings are meant to give you an indication about what other people enrolled in teacher education and professional development experienced. While their input is useful, keep in mind that different people have had vastly different experiences, all of which were impacted by their personal motivations, professors, and specific curriculum. Always keep your own goals at the center of your decision-making process when it comes to something as significant as your education.

Did teacher education and professional development graduates leave school with good job prospects?

Of course, working towards a degree is also about pursuing your desired career. Here’s what teacher education and professional development grads had to say about their job prospects:

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their job prospects. Their response was:
3.4 out of 5 stars
27 ratings
5 stars
11%
4 stars
33%
3 stars
44%
2 stars
11%
1 stars
0%

These responses represent a wide range of opinions. Things like extracurricular activities, internships and work placements can set you up for success after graduation.

Were teacher education and professional development students happy with their degree overall?

This rating takes into account all factors: how demanding the program is, whether graduates felt it was worthwhile, and how fulfilling they found their educational experience.

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their degree as a whole. Their response was:
3.2 out of 5 stars
26 ratings
5 stars
19%
4 stars
12%
3 stars
46%
2 stars
15%
1 stars
8%

As you consider this information and input from others, remember above all that your choice should be based on your interests, goals, passions, and abilities. Consider the future and give yourself time. If you’re feeling unsure, click here to take our career assessment and see what path could be right for you.

Salary

Find out what graduates typically earn.

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