Nov 04, 2014 10:51 AM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The world will always need teachers, even though it can be a thankless job that does not pay well.

Education remains one of the most popular college majors in the U.S., yet College Factual ranks it among the 10 degrees with the lowest-paid graduates, at an average starting salary of $33,800. On average, educators earn about $51,400 in mid-career salaries.

While a master's degree may boost that salary a bit more, there are several things to consider to beef up the paycheck, like where to attend school in the first place. Certain institutions are better regarded for specific programs and these 10 produce the highest paid education graduates in the nation, according to College Factual.

Per USA Today, here is the top 10, with salary data from PayScale.

1. San Francisco State University

Location: San Francisco, Calif.

Acceptance rate: 63.8 percent

Avg. starting/mid-career salary: $42,000/$74,000

2. Southern Methodist University

Location: Dallas, Texas

Acceptance rate: 53.8 percent

Avg. starting/mid-career salary: $38,000/$78,000

3. New York University

Location: New York, N.Y.

Acceptance rate: 34 percent

Avg. starting/mid-career salary: $43,000/$70,000

4. Washington University

Location: St. Louis, Mo.

Acceptance rate: 17.9 percent

Avg. starting/mid-career salary: $50,000/$63,000

5. Boston College

Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Acceptance rate: 32 percent

Avg. starting/mid-career salary: $42,000/$70,000

6. Hartwick College

Location: Oneonta, N.Y.

Acceptance rate: 77 percent

Avg. starting/mid-career salary: $35,000/$76,000

7. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

Location: Champaign, Ill.

Acceptance rate: 62 percent

Avg. starting/mid-career salary: $39,000/$72,000

8. California Polytechnic State University

Location: San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Acceptance rate: 31.3 percent

Avg. starting/mid-career salary: $42,000/$69,000

9. Brown University

Location: Providence, R.I.

Acceptance rate: 8.6 percent

Avg. starting/mid-career salary: $41,000/$70,000

10. Wake Forest University

Location: Winston Salem, N.C.

Acceptance rate: 34 percent

Avg. starting/mid-career salary: $41,000/$69,000

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