The Mirage of SETs: Do Teaching Scores Predict Student Salaries?

This paper presents a study that analyzed the relationship between Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) and mid-career median pay and was conducted at a state university. The analysis was based on 49 courses prefixes from 5 different colleges/schools within the university. The SET data was collected from a wide range of courses, and the analysis revealed a negative correlation between SET and earning, indicating that courses with lower ratings for instruction are associated with higher mid-career median pay. A further analysis of the relationship found the quantitative character of the discipline as a confounding variable. The relation became clear: lower SET scores are correlated with quantitative majors, while quantitative majors are correlated with higher salaries. These findings have implications for how universities and colleges evaluate and reward instructors, as well as how students perceive and value their educational experiences.