1. CAREEROPOLIS: APPLIED RESEARCH PROJECT [GREENSBORO VS. VIRGINIA BEACH] By: Hannah Maness

2. High School Math Teacher (Teaching Position) ■Guilford County School System (Greensboro, NC) vs. Virginia Beach City Public Schools (Virginia Beach, VA) ■A Bachelor’s degree is needed for this position ■Teachers are paid more in Virginia than in North Carolina, but in order to make a decision, we have to consider the costs of living in this particular area of Virginia…

3. Greensboro vs. Virginia Beach ■Salaries  Greensboro: $35,700 (Estimated starting salary) $45,160 (Median salary) Virginia Beach: $44,300 (Estimated starting salary) $58,010 (Median salary) ■Rent  Greensboro: $500 +  Virginia Beach: $750 + [Generally significantly higher in Virginia Beach, but also nicer…] ■Income Tax Rate  North Carolina: 5.75%  Virginia: 5.75%

4. Greensboro vs. Virginia Beach ■Monthly Grocery Budget  Grocery prices are overall 9.8% higher in Greensboro. ■Transportation  Transportation is only slightly more expensive in Virginia Beach. ■Insurance  20.4% higher in Virginia Beach ■Crime Rating  Greensboro: D  Virginia Beach: B ■Amenities Rating  Greensboro: A  Virginia Beach: A

5. Concluding Comparisons ■Overall, Greensboro is 18.4% less expensive to live in than Virginia Beach. ■For the “Cost of Living” rating, Greensboro has an A+, while Virginia Beach has a D. ■Greensboro has a livability score of 80, while Virginia Beach has a score of 82. ■I would need to make $40,635 in Greensboro, NC compared to $50,000 in Virginia Beach, VA to maintain the same standard of living. ■Housing is 44.5% more expensive in Virginia Beach. This is the most significant difference. ■Healthcare is 9.4% more expensive in Virginia Beach. ■Goods & Services are about 9% more expensive in Virginia Beach. ■The weather is similar. ■Education rankings consistently show Virginia as at least slightly better than North Carolina, overall.

6. My Decision ■While the salary is better in Virginia Beach, the cost of living there is also greater. The biggest difference is housing, which can be quite significant. ■Virginia Beach and Greensboro are similar on the livability scale, but Virginia Beach does have a better crime rating, and a slightly better education rating. ■With the price of living in Virginia Beach, I personally don’t think it is worth the salary difference. ■I choose Greensboro, because it is close to family and familiar to me. ■I might would consider living in another part of Virginia, closer to home, where I could take advantage of the higher salary with lower living costs, particularly lower housing costs. ■However, it’s a close call, because the Virginia Beach area does seem really nice.

7. APPLIED RESEARCH: GRADUATE SCHOOL Field: Education

8. Some Options ■Top Ranked for Secondary Education  Michigan State University (MI)  Stanford University (CA)  University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (MI)  University of Wisconsin – Madison (WI)  Teacher’s College, Columbia University (NY) ■My Picks  Wake Forest University  Duke University

9. Costs ■University of Wisconsin – Madison  $25,191 (full time, out-of-state) ■Stanford University  $44,184 per year (full time) ■Wake Forest University  Good chance for substantial financial aid – including full scholarships, partial scholarships, fellowships, and stipends ■Duke University  Also, good chance for substantial financial aid - including full scholarships, partial scholarships, fellowships, and stipends [Costs can vary greatly depending on location, but some schools offer great financial aid in their Education departments.]

10. The impact on earning potential ■A Master’s degree does not currently have a significant impact on earning potential for teachers, but it can offer further experience and can help with competitiveness. ■In the field of education, a Master’s degree can have a significant impact on earning potential if a teacher is considering transitioning to Administration, Counseling, or Higher Education. In these cases, a Master’s degree (and perhaps even a doctorate) is often necessary. ■For example, the median salary for an Education Administrator is $89, 540 – a big difference between the $56,310 median salary for high school teachers!

11. Job Titles & Earnings – associated with Graduate Education ■Education Administrators (Elementary/Secondary) - $89,540 ■Education Administrators (Postsecondary) - $88,390 ■Teachers, Postsecondary - $62,330 ■Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselor - $53,370 ■Special Education Teacher - $54,520 [Many graduate programs in Education offer specialized departments and degrees for specific areas…such as administration, counseling, and special education.]

12. Conclusion ■In regards to graduate school, it all depends on individual preference and aspirations within the field of Education. If you want to move to a certain area, a Master’s degree might very well be necessary. For basic teaching positions, however, a Master’s degree is not required, and it might not have much impact on earnings at this time. However, it can be nice to have. ■There are lots of options for graduate school and related positions and earnings within Education. Some schools offer considerable financial aid. ■Personally, I think graduate programs are worth looking into for my interest area. An advanced license degree sounds appealing for becoming a math teacher; and I also might consider graduate school later on for another area within Education. ■As of now, the graduate programs at Wake Forest and Duke interest me.

13. Sources ■https://www.jobsearchintelligence.com/etc/jobseekers/output.phphttps://www.jobsearchintelligence.com/etc/jobseekers/output.php ■http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top- education-schools/secondary-teacher-education- rankings?int=a11808&int=a06908http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top- education-schools/secondary-teacher-education- rankings?int=a11808&int=a06908 ■http://www.areavibes.com/cost-of-living-calculator/virginia%20beach,%20va-vs- greensboro,%20nc/http://www.areavibes.com/cost-of-living-calculator/virginia%20beach,%20va-vs- greensboro,%20nc/ ■www.onetonline.orgwww.onetonline.org ■www.apartments.comwww.apartments.com ■http://www.edweek.org/ew/qc/2015/2015-state-report-cards-map.htmlhttp://www.edweek.org/ew/qc/2015/2015-state-report-cards-map.html ■http://www.tax-rates.org/http://www.tax-rates.org/