What Are the Top Colleges for Education Degrees?
Discover some of the key characteristics of top-ranked education programs in the nation. Read about three schools with well-regarded education programs, and check the national rankings for ten additional schools. Explore the undergraduate and graduate education degree programs you could pursue at these schools.
What Should I Look for in a Top Education Program?
When searching for schools, you'll want to make sure that your college of choice is accredited and offers teacher certifications for K-12 education. You should also consider whether the school offers a graduate degree program if you intend to pursue your masters or doctorate degree in Education. Other things to look for are track records for producing top educators, alumni resources and career or intern placement services.
<h2 id="section---WhatAreThreeTopEducationPrograms">What Are Three Top Education Programs?</h2><h3 id="section---UniversityOfMichiganInAnnArborMI">University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI</h3><p>Founded in 1817, the University of Michigan ranked 11th in <i>U.S. News & World Report</i> in 2019 for best education schools. Its well-respected School of Education was founded in 1921 and now serves hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students every year. Many of its professors hold positions in separate and related schools at the University of Michigan, with expertise ranging from history and psychology to mathematics, literature, linguistics and economics. Degrees offered by Michigan's School of Education include:
</p><ul><li>B.A. in Elementary Education
</li><li>B.S. in Elementary Education
</li><li>M.A. in Educational Studies
</li><li>M.A. in Educational Assessment and Evaluation
</li><li>M.S. in Post-Secondary Science Education
</li><li>Ph.D. in Educational Studies
</li></ul><h3 id="section---UniversityOfTexasInAustinTX">University of Texas in Austin, TX</h3><p>The University of Texas - Austin was founded in 1883 and has an enrollment of over 51,000. According to the <i>U.S. News and World Report</i>, it ranked 49th among national universities in 2019, and 13th on the Best Education Schools list. Its Career Services center organizes career fairs, helps current students and alumni polish their resumes, seek employment and make the transition into the workforce. UT's College of Education offers the following degrees:
</p><ul><li>B.S. in Applied Learning and Development (ALD)
</li><li>B.S. in Kinesiology
</li><li>B.S. in Athletic Training
</li><li>M.A. in Science and Mathematics Education
</li><li>M.A. Foreign Language Education
</li><li>M.Ed. in Special Education
</li><li>Ph.D. in Educational Psychology
</li><li>Ph.D. in Educational Education
</li></ul><h3 id="section---VanderbiltUniversityInNashvilleTN">Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN</h3><p>Vanderbilt ranked in 6th place on <i>U.S. News & World Report</i>'s 2019 list of Best Education Schools. The Peabody College of Education and Human Development offers eight education-related undergraduate programs, including elementary education, secondary education, cognitive studies and child development. Vanderbilt education majors get real-life classroom experience as soon as their second semester of college, and finish with a 15-week, full-time student teaching assignment. Education degrees offered by Vanderbilt include:
</p><ul><li>B.S. in Child Studies
</li><li>B.S. in Elementary Education
</li><li>M.Ed. in Child Studies
</li><li>M.Ed. in Reading Education
</li><li>Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Culture
</li></ul><h2 id="section---Top10CollegesForEducationMajors">Top 10 Colleges For Education Majors</h2><p></p><table border="1"><tr><th>College/University </th><th>Institution Type</th><th>Location </th><th> Estimated Graduate In-State Tuition*</th></tr>
<tr><td>Johns Hopkins University </td><td>4- year, Private </td><td> Baltimore, MD </td><td> $54,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Harvard University </td><td>4- year, Private </td><td> Cambridge, MA </td><td> $46,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Stanford University </td><td>4- year, Private </td><td>Stanford, CA </td><td> $51,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Vanderbilt University (Peabody)</td><td>4- year, Private </td><td>Nashville, TN </td><td> $47,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Wisconsin--Madison</td><td>4- year, Public </td><td>Madison, WI </td><td> $11,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Washington </td><td>4- year, Public </td><td>Seattle, WA </td><td> $16,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Northwestern University </td><td>4- year, Private </td><td>Evanston, IL </td><td> $54,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Teachers College, Columbia University </td><td>4- year, Private </td><td>New York, NY </td><td> $39,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Pennsylvania </td><td>4- year, Private </td><td>Philadelphia, PA </td><td> $35,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Texas--Austin </td><td>4- year, Public </td><td>Austin, TX </td><td> $12,000</td></tr>
</table><p><i>*Source: NCES, U.S. Department of Education</i></p>