Colleges for Learning Teaching: Best Education Programs Out There!
Updated: June 19, 2024
Published: April 12, 2022
It’s no secret that there’s a shortage of teachers in the United States and around the world. The pandemic has challenged educators to rethink ways to deliver courses and evaluate learning outcomes. But, this is still an exciting era for education, and there’s no better time to start looking at the different colleges for teaching.
Colleges of education are thinking differently about their programs, and this new outlook keeps teaching as a valuable profession at the forefront. Let’s look at some of the best colleges for teaching degrees.
Best College for Education Majors
Grand Canyon University
GCU is a private, interdenominational, Christian university in Phoenix, AZ. Among all the teaching colleges, it offers the largest number of education degrees. Students studying for their bachelor’s degree can choose from any number of specializations in art, music, history, dance, theater, math, and early childhood education.
Master’s degree scholars can choose concentrations such as curriculum instruction, secondary education, autism spectrum disorders, and school counseling. GCU also offers doctoral studies in education, organizational leadership, education specialist, and K-12 leadership.
Tuition ranges from $455 per credit for undergraduate courses and up to $785 per credit for doctoral studies. There are scholarships and military discounts for eligible students.
Harvard University
Harvard University, established in 1636, is the oldest university in America. Located in Cambridge, MA, it has a student population of almost 24,000 students, and there are more than 400,000 alumni worldwide. Harvard has 12 degree-granting schools, including a college for teaching. It is home to the world-renowned Radcliffe Institute where interdisciplinary research across several disciplines takes place.
Harvard offers a Ph.D. in Education – an interdisciplinary doctoral program. Graduates of the Ph.D. in Education program are prepared to positively influence education around the world through work as researchers, policymakers, academics, and leaders. Tuition is $24,700. Eligible students can apply for scholarships and need-based grants.
Northwestern University
Illinois’s Northwestern University has been given the nod as one of the best schools for education majors. Undergrads in its school of Education and Social Policy select one of five academic concentrations, and classes are small to foster collaborative learning and group discussion.
Students seeking a master’s degree can study science in education, science in higher education administration, and science in learning and organizational change. Three doctoral programs in learning sciences and computers, human development and social policy, and learning sciences are also offered at Northwestern.
Tuition for an undergrad program is roughly $60,000 per year, however, there are scholarships and grants available for eligible students that can potentially cut this annual amount in half.
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island, is home to Brown University, a private Ivy League school established in 1764. Their admission rate of around 8% is considered one of the most selective in the country.
Brown offers 80 concentrations, including Education Studies, that lead to a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science. It also offers a Master of Arts in Teaching and a 12-month A.M. program in Urban Education Policy.
The average annual tuition at Brown is $80,000 before aid.
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public institution and its main campus is found in Ann Arbor, MI. U of M has two other campuses located in Flint and Dearborn. Its large campus city is spread across 3,000 acres and has a student population of 48,000. U of M is ranked for being among the best colleges for education majors.
U of M’s School of Education offers several educational options, including a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, doctoral studies, certifications, and online learning. Students can prepare to be teachers, advisors, administrators, analysts, and policy advisors.
The average annual tuition cost is $31,500 before aid.
University of California, Los Angeles
UCLA is a large school that offers 337 programs, and in 2021 it was the most applied to college in the nation. The School of Education and Information Studies offers both undergraduate and graduate studies.
Their Major in Education and Social Transformation is designed to send graduates into the world with an eye on creating systems that help to educate activists and world-changers. Students learn how to analyze current education through the lens of justice.
The School of Education also offers master’s and Ph.D. level programs focussing on change, development, and urban schooling. The average tuition cost per year is $37,000 before aid.
Texas A&M
Texas A&M is a public university in College Station, TX. The College of Education and Human Development offers 21 undergraduate and 30 graduate programs. Undergraduates can specialize in areas such as human resources, bilingual education, special education, and physical education.
Graduate-level students can obtain a master’s degree or Ph.D. with a focus on administration, psychology, health, kinesiology, or teaching. Texas A&M also offers a variety of certifications.
The tuition average is $31,000 per year.
Best Schools for Education Majors Online
Getting a degree online works well for many people. Trying to attend in-person classes is difficult for people juggling multiple responsibilities, but online education allows students to fit classes into their schedules which is often much easier than the other way around.
Here are a few of the best colleges of education with online offerings.
University of the People
The University of the People is unique among colleges because of its revolutionary education model. All programs are fully online, and UoPeople has removed many of the traditional barriers to higher education.
Students have to provide a high school diploma or equivalent and proof of English language proficiency. Students seeking a master’s degree will need to provide a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or equivalent. Courses are tuition-free and accredited.
UoPeople offers a Master of Education in cooperation with the International Baccalaureate. Students in this program choose to specialize in either Elementary/Middle School education or secondary education. The cost for this M.Ed. is $3,960 and $5,160, depending on the number of specializations being pursued.
Michigan State
Michigan State offers 12 different, fully online and hybrid, master’s degrees in education. The hybrid programs require students to participate in select classes and seminars in person. Students can choose specializations such as educational technology, foreign languages, K-12 administration, and teaching and curriculum. MSU also offers online graduate certificate opportunities in areas such as education technology, elementary STEM, K-12 computer science, and children and young adults’ literature.
MSU’s online education degree programs place strong in the rankings for the best colleges for teaching degrees. It takes a minimum of two years to complete a master’s program at MSU, and tuition ranges from $23,000 to $29,000.
University of Florida
The University of Florida, in Gainesville, remains one of the best schools for education majors. It’s ranked #1 and #2 in the nation for its online Masters’s in Education programs. The annual tuition average is $21,000.
The Bachelor of Arts in Education Sciences allows students to delve into specializations that include technology, disability access and issues, and psychology and research. This is not a degree that leads to teaching certification but rather prepares graduates to work in much-needed support services.
At the graduate level, UF Online students can study for a Master’s in Education in concentrations such as art, computer science, curriculum development, and leadership. UF Online also offers doctoral-level studies in education. Areas of study include educational leadership, educational technology, and higher education administration.
Closing Thoughts
While much continues to change in our world and there can be many unpredictable situations, one thing remains constant – we will always need teachers and other educators. Whether you are seeking a bachelor’s or master’s in education, the first step is to consider which college for teaching is best for you and will be the one to launch your career in education.