Teaching is a career in which you can be confident you will always have a purpose. Southwestern University has consistently experienced a high rate of candidate employment. However, TEA requires SU to inform candidates that in districts along the I-35 corridor in Texas, it may be more difficult to secure a teaching position due to the number of teacher preparation programs providing candidates within those educational markers.  

 

Texas Highlights

• Average Elementary School Teacher Salary: $62,130 (May 2023)
• Average Secondary School Teacher Salary: $64,120 (May 2023)
• Student-to-Teacher Ratio*: 17.6:1 (2019-2020)

Teacher salaries are provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2015 Occupational Employment Statistics External link report.

*A district must submit a request for a class size exception for any classrooms in prekindergarten - fourth grade that exceed the 22 students class size limit (Texas Education Code §25.112)

Teacher Shortage Areas

A teacher shortage area is defined by the U.S. Department of Education External link as “an area of specific grade, subject matter or discipline classification, or a geographic area in which…there is an inadequate supply of elementary or secondary school teachers.” 

Teacher Shortage Areas and Loan Forgiveness Programs

 

Texas Shortages by Academic Disciplines of Subject Matter (’24-’25)

• Bilingual/ESL (Elementary, Secondary)
• Career and Technical Education (Secondary)
• Computer Science/Technology Applications
• English Language Arts and Reading (Secondary)
• Mathematics (Secondary)
• Special Education (Elementary, Secondary)