Special Education and Teaching at Westfield State University
Westfield, MA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
54
Optimistic
51
Base Case
47
Pessimistic
Earnings
$40,429/yr (-8% vs median)
AI Risk
High (44% exposed)
Job Market
Large (34,900 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Special Education and Teaching graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $624K | $429K | $306K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 13.1x | 9.0x | 6.4x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 8.7x | 6.0x | 4.3x |
| Viable Career Paths | 6 of 6 | 6 of 6 | 5 of 6 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 54 | 51 | 47 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$47,528
Out-of-state: $71,848
Median Debt at Graduation
$27,000
8.0 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$57,770
43% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Special Education and Teaching graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 34,900 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education teachers, postsecondary | $72,090 | 5,600 | +2.1% | 49% |
| Special education teachers, secondary school | $69,590 | 11,100 | -1.6% | 30% |
| Special education teachers, all other | $67,430 | 2,900 | +1.1% | 48% |
| Special education teachers, middle school | $64,880 | 6,300 | -1.9% | 31% |
| Special education teachers, preschool | $62,190 | 2,100 | +1.4% | 20% |
| Interpreters and translators | $59,440 | 6,900 | +1.7% | 88% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Special Education and Teaching at Westfield State University?
This program scores 51/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 54 (optimistic) to 47 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Special Education and Teaching career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Special Education and Teaching graduates retain 6 of 6 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $306,402 (pessimistic) to $624,091 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Special Education and Teaching graduates?
The career paths mapped to Special Education and Teaching have roughly 34,900 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Special Education and Teaching at Westfield State University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 9.0x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 6.4x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.