One especially popular program is Teach for America. The federally funded program, which places new graduates in "under-resourced urban and rural public schools," is meant to prevent would-be educators from drifting into other fields, Waide says.

The program worked as intended for Waide himself, he says--he might not have followed through on teaching without the support from the program.

"[It] did not change the desire, but it facilitated the ability," he says.

For the two-year commitment to teaching, Teach for America offers $4,725 per year for paying off student loans or future coursework.

"The money helps us diversify our core," Waide says. "It makes it more manageable for people to come to us who have less financial security."

Students say that despite such programs, though, there is more work to be done before parity is reached.

"Ever go to the Harvard Career Fair?" Pierson writes. "The ratio of corporations to non-profits must be near 10 to 1. It's sad. When did we get to the point where Harvard recruiting became equated with investment banking and consulting interviews? ... There's no network in place for teaching."