by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying in the field of education will help prepare you to be an effective and inspirational teacher. You will learn skills on how to manage a classroom while still providing an interesting lesson. In this field, you will influence children, teenagers or adults in a way that can change their lives. A teacher is much more than an educator, you will act as a counselor, disciplinarian, friend, and confidant. The roles you will play in the lives of your students are endless.
However, teaching is not the only career available in the field of education. It is also possible to become a principle or an administrator. Here is where you take the knowledge you already have about the teaching profession and use it to help your school run smoothly. Another direction that you may choose to go within this field is career or guidance counseling. This allows you to have a more one on one role with the student in order to motivate and encourage them.
If education interests you, but working directly with students is not your passion, you may choose to work as a curriculum developer. Here you would work with state standards and tests, instruction methods, and technology to make sure students are getting the best education possible.
In 2020-2021, education was the 4th most popular major nationwide with 327,871 degrees awarded. This is a difference of 17,270 over the prior year, a growth of 5.3%.
This year's Best Education Schools ranking compares 1080 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of education programs later in this article.
There are many different skills essential to working in education: Some of the most important are enthusiasm, compassion, dedication, creativity, organization, and flexibility. No matter how perfectly you plan a lesson or a meeting; there is always a chance that something may not go according to plan, making quick thinking and adaptability important. It is also important to have a passion for the future, even if you are not working directly in a classroom every day.
There is a very wide variety of majors within education. Students with different strengths can excel in this field because of the endless options. Students in education should have a desire to help the greater common good and should also have strong communication skills. Communication is important for teaching, but also to make sure everyone is on the same page, whether it is parents, administrators, or the state. Most of the concentrations within this field will require at least one semester of student teaching.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most education degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. In addition to these basic education program qualifications, to serve in some education careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are various different levels of education degrees. You can spend many years getting as high as a in education to something that takes less time like a . Different education degrees vary in how long they take.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A doctor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to education, with approximately 28.2% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for education workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral Degree | 28.8% |
| Master’s Degree | 26.3% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 22.6% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 5.4% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 3.9% |
61.6% of education workers have at least a master's. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in education careers have.
This of course varies depending on which education career you choose.
There are a variety of career opportunities for those who enter the education field. Some may want to be a classroom teacher in either a particular grade level or subject, whereas others will choose to serve as a school administrator. Other options include school counseling, curriculum development, educational policy, tutoring and more. With the many diverse directions you can go, there is bound to be a career options that appeals to you.
Want a job when you graduate with your education degree? Education careers are expected to grow 9.6% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to education.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers | 1,514,900 | 7.4% |
| Teacher Assistants | 1,417,600 | 8.4% |
| High School Teachers | 1,095,500 | 7.5% |
| Teachers | 1,091,800 | 9.9% |
| Middle School Teachers | 677,700 | 7.5% |
Recently graduated education students earned an average of $46,198 in 2019-2020. Earnings can range from as low as $8,185 to as high as $165,663. As you might expect, salaries for education graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for education graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers education grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | $122,320 |
| Economics Professors | $117,180 |
| Postsecondary Education Administrators | $111,210 |
| Physics Postsecondary Professors | $103,830 |
| Business Professors | $103,330 |
With over 25,950 different education degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased education school rankings to help you with this.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 110,226 |
| Educational Administration | 46,469 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 43,297 |
| Special Education | 36,792 |
| General Education | 29,810 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Sciences | 205,984 |
| Psychology | 195,678 |
| Communication & Journalism | 120,571 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 55,820 |
| History | 32,731 |
