The best liberal arts colleges for education degrees are those with rich histories of influence, proven through the work produced by the program’s faculty and alumni. Beyond demonstrating scholarly impact in the field, the best education degree programs maximize your opportunities to interact with outstanding education faculty.
In This Article: Ranking: Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Education Degrees The Best Education Schools in Your State What can I do with an education major? Is education a good major? What courses will I take as an education major? What jobs can I do with an education major? Is a research university right for me? Is a liberal arts college right for me? Is an online college right for me? Learn More About Education Majoring in education can help you start a career as a classroom teacher, guidance counselor, special education expert, district administrator, university professor and much more. The education major is among the most popular college degree programs both because it provides a clear pathway to a career in education, and because it is extremely versatile. Majoring in education can open the door to a wide range of career prospects.
Note: If you plan to teach public school for grades K-12, you must earn a bachelor’s degree from a recognized teaching education program, sit for your state license, and in some states or districts, earn an advanced degree. To learn more about earning an advanced degree, find out what you can do with a master’s in education .
If you’re getting started on the path to an undergraduate degree in education, note that the best bachelor’s degrees in education are those which are regionally accredited, which offer a full array of education concentrations, and which give you the chance to work with the best and most influential professors and classmates.
Degree popularity: Education bachelor’s degrees are the 24th most popular undergraduate degrees across all student demographics. It’s most popular among women, for whom it ranks as the 13th most desired degree. Education bachelor’s degrees rank as he 7th most popular degrees for white women, 11th for white men, and 15th for black women, according to the number of degree earners reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics
Frequently Asked Questions About Education Bachelor’s Degrees What can I do with an education major? Is education a good major? The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that rising enrollment in elementary, middle and high schools across the U.S. will increase the demand for teachers at every level of compulsory education over the next decade. The BLS does warn though that this demand will vary by region. As an aspiring educator, take stock of the career opportunities in your community and region.
However, note that wherever you teach, you have a good opportunity to achieve long-term job security. Once hired as a public school teacher, you’ll begin on your path toward tenure. While it can be challenging to achieve this status, tenure will provide you with inbuilt job protection against unfounded dismissal or dismissal based on budget cuts. Moreover, teachers are represented by a powerful labor union, which creates a strong negotiating position for fair pay, health coverage, retirement benefits and, of course, summers off!
Back to Top What courses will I take as an education major? Once you’ve declared your major in education, you will likely be required to complete a set of core courses in a number of related subject areas. While your concentration will give you a chance to choose from a wide range of highly-specialized education electives, there are a number of common courses that most education majors will be required to take, including:
Introduction to Instructional Design Adult Learning Theories Teaching for Cognitive Growth Project-Based Learning Science and Engineering Programs for Teachers Foundations of Positive Psychology Learning to Teach Online Literacy Education
Back to Top What jobs can I do with an education major? Naturally, majoring in education is the starting point if you wish to teach in the classroom. But it’s also the logical starting place if you hope to become a guidance counselor, high school principal, or college professor, as well as a good place from which to launch a career in educational technology, online teaching, college consulting, and much more. Your education major can lead to a wide range of career opportunities, including these top jobs:
Back to Top Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.
Is a research university right for me? Research universities
Do you prefer a larger university setting , such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you. If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.
Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance. Back to Top Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US .
Is a liberal arts college right for me? Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges
Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships, but also more pleasurable walks across campus. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment. Back to Top Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US .
Is an online college right for me? Online colleges
Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands balancing work and life, or becuase the online colleges afford them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are aynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates . In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer , or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you . In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.
Back to Top If you think a research university may be a better fit for you, see our ranking of the best research universities for a bachelor’s in education .
How do we determine the best liberal arts colleges for education degrees? Methodology
The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call “Influence”.
The influence of a college or university is based on the schools’s top academic influencers related to the discipline in this ranking. We track the influence of faculty and alumni affiliate with these school counting not only the publications and citations of the school’s affiliated people, but we also consider the overall web presence of the faculty and alumni. The greater the citations, authority of web links, web searches, and page views, the greater the individuals’s influence. Those combined make up the departments’s influence in the field of study. We believe tracking the academic influence of the people affiliated with a school is the best indicator of academic excellence.
If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence . Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and misused performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine , provides a ranking that is more insulated from manipulation, and more reflective of real-world educational outcomes.
Ranking: Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Education Degrees Other Rankings What is Swarthmore College known for? Swarthmore College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Swarthmore College Education Majors Educational Studies Teacher Certification Pathways to Teaching Source
Other Rankings What is Wellesley College known for? Wellesley College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Wellesley College Education Majors Educational Studies – Education policy Educational Studies – Urban education Educational Studies – Bilingual/bicultural education Source
Other Rankings What is Bowdoin College known for? Bowdoin College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Bowdoin College Education Majors Math and Educaiton Physics and Education Source
Other Rankings What is Middlebury College known for? Middlebury College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Middlebury College Education Majors Education Studies Teacher Certification Studies Source
Other Rankings What is Colgate University known for? Colgate University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Colgate University Education Majors Educational Studies Teaching Certification: Teacher Preparation Program - accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) Source
Other Rankings What is Smith College known for? Smith College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Smith College Education Majors BA Education and Child Study Massachusetts Teacher Licensure Source
Other Rankings What is Vassar College known for? Vassar College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Vassar College Education Majors Educational Studies Major Educational Studies Correlate Sequence Adolescent Education Certification Childhood Education Certification Special Programs in Education Teacher Preparation Programs Source
Other Rankings What is San Francisco State University known for? San Francisco State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni San Francisco State University Education Majors BS Communicative Disorders Elementary Teacher Preparation Pathways Source
Other Rankings What is Macalester College known for? Macalester College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Macalaster College Educational Studies Major Teaching and Learning Emphasis Education and Society Emphasis Source
Other Rankings What is Colorado College known for? Colorado College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Colorado College Education Majors Source
Other Rankings What is Mount Holyoke College known for? Mount Holyoke College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Mount Holyoke College Education Majors Educational Policy and Practice Nexus Education with teacher licensure minor Educational Studies minor Source
Other Rankings What is Colby College known for? Colby College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Colby College Education Majors Educational Studies with Teacher Certification Source
Other Rankings What is Bucknell University known for? Bucknell University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Bucknell University Education Major Concentrations College Student Personnel Contemporary Landscapes of Education Educational Research Human Diversity Learning & Development across the Lifespan Source
Other Rankings What is Morehouse College known for? Morehouse College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Morehouse College Education Major BA in Education BA in Education – Early Childhood Concentration Source
Other Rankings What is Trinity College known for? Trinity College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Trinity College Education Majors Interdisciplinary major in Educational Studies Source
Other Rankings What is Berea College known for? Berea College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Berea College Education Studies Majors BA in Education Studies BA in Education Studies with Elementary Certification, P-5 BA in Education Studies with Middle Grades Mathematics Certification, 5-9 BA in Education Studies with Middle Grades Science Certification, 5-9 Source
What is College of the Ozarks known for? College of the Ozarks’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni College of the Ozarks Education Majors Elementary Education - Early Childhood Concentration Elementary Education Middle School Add-ons for Education Majors Available Source
What is Mills College at Northeastern University known for? Mills College at Northeastern University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Mills College Education Majors Child Development Child Development and Elementary Education Education BA/MA Early Childhood Education BA/MA Early Childhood Special Education/Teaching Credential BA/MA Education/Teaching Credential Source
What is Monroe College known for? Monroe College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Monroe College Education Major BS Early Childhood Education Bilingual Education Certificate Extension Available Source
What is Skidmore College known for? Skidmore College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Skidmore College Education Major Bachelor’s in Education Studies Source
Other Rankings What is Tuskegee University known for? Tuskegee University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Tuskegee University Education Majors Elementary Education English Language Arts Education General Science Education Mathematics Education Physical Education Source
What is Gettysburg College known for? Gettysburg College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Gettysburg College Teaching Education Program English (7-12) Mathematics (7-12) Science: Biology (7-12), Chemistry (7-12), and Physics (7-12) Social Studies (7-12) World Languages: French (K-12), German (K-12), and Spanish (K-12) Source
What is Southern University at New Orleans known for? Southern University at New Orleans’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni SUNO Education Majors Teacher Education – Early Childhood Education Child Development and Family Studies Source
What is Ithaca College known for? Ithaca College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Ithaca College Education Major Teach In Five – Bachelor’s-to-Master’s and New York State teaching certification 5-year program BM Music Education Performance and Music Education Source
Other Rankings What is Fort Valley State University known for? Fort Valley State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni Early Childhood/Special Education Middle Grades Education Health and Physical Education Agriculture Education (w/ College of Agriculture, Family Sciences, and Technology) Source
Fort Valley State University’s Online Degrees BA in Criminal Justice Required Credits : 123Completion Time : None ReportedFormat : OnlineBS in Organizational Leadership Required Credits : 120Completion Time : None ReportedFormat : OnlineBA in Political Science Required Credits : 123Completion Time : None ReportedFormat : OnlineGo to all Liberal Arts Colleges for Education Degrees
The Best Education Schools in Your State Back to Top Learn More About Education If you want to know more about education, then check out our related content:
Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.
