Contrary to what most people believe, majoring in business is not necessarily a ticket to a high salary. Check out actual salaries according to college degree: http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp
I personally agree with the person who posed the question, acquiring a large debt should be avoided if possible. Have you considered study abroad? If you are willing to leave home, you could get a great education at a fraction of the price.
http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/7-countries-where-graduate-school-is-a-fraction-of-us-costs/
Don’t overlook Hong Kong and Malaysia! They are working hard to compete with universities in the west, and they certainly rank higher than the university I attended in America. Check out the top universities in the world:
http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2010
Salary is important, and there is probably more than one thing that you love doing, more than one thing that you can do well. So if teaching doesn’t pay well, perhaps you have other skills that are more highly valued, and thus more highly compensated, in this society. I disagree with the poster who said that it sounds like the asker has low expectations of him/herself. I think it sounds like he/she is considering the costs and benefits of pursuing a master’s degree, really, is considering whether or not to stay in the education field. I think, you are right to think twice before acquiring a debt that will take years to pay back. As you can see from the list of the best paid jobs according to college major (the first link I posted) a teaching degree will earn you one of the worst salaries in the country. And let’s face it, although we all love to teach (at least when we start) teaching can also be frustrating and stressful, and whether or not we actually enjoy our job often comes down to our school administration and co-workers.
If you do decide to stay in teaching, find a master’s program that you can finish quickly, and even better, one that you can complete while working, so that you don’t have to give up a year’s salary.