Education major

Education: courses, careers, and where to study

Education prepares graduates for state-licensed teaching careers in public and private K–12 schools, combining content-area study with pedagogy and supervised student-teaching.

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Education earn a median $49,808 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $38,641 to $60,792 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college

An Education major leads to state-issued teaching licensure. Programs typically require a content-area major or concentration (math, English, science, social studies, foreign language, special ed, or elementary K–6) plus an education-specific sequence (educational psychology, classroom management, assessment, methods, and a semester of supervised student-teaching). The licensure path varies by state, most require passing Praxis I and Praxis II content-area exams.

Graduates work in public K–12, charter schools, private schools, and international schools. The MSEd or M.Ed is a common follow-on degree for teachers seeking specialty certification or administrative pathways.

Academic classification (CIP)

In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Education maps to CIP 13.0101, Education, General, within the EDUCATION family. The official definition:

A program that focuses on the general theory and practice of learning and teaching, the basic principles of educational psychology, the art of teaching, the planning and administration of educational activities, school safety and health issues, and the social foundations of education.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov

What credential Education is awarded as

Of the 26,738 Education credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:

  • Certificate: 4%, 1,170 credentials.
  • Associate: 7%, 1,977 credentials.
  • Bachelor's: 28%, 7,564 credentials.
  • Graduate: 60%, 16,027 credentials.

This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 48 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 14 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.

Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.

What you'll study

  • Educational psychology and child development
  • Classroom management and assessment
  • Curriculum design and instructional methods
  • Content-area pedagogy (math, ELA, science, social studies)
  • Special education foundations
  • Educational technology
  • Cultural responsiveness and equity
  • Student-teaching practicum (12–16 weeks)

Typical careers

Typical salary range: $45,000–$58,000 early-career (BLS, 2024 secondary school teachers median $64,580)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.

How much do Education graduates earn?

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Education earn a median $49,808 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $38,641 to $60,792 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

National median earnings four years after graduating for Education, by credential
CredentialNational medianMiddle half of programs
Bachelor's$49,808$38,641 to $60,792
Associate's$41,787$29,719 to $52,438
Undergraduate certificate$47,863$26,626 to $67,256
Master's$65,824$52,724 to $82,084
Professional degree$72,062$54,090 to $112,804
Doctoral$87,373$65,101 to $115,386
Graduate certificate$69,448$52,638 to $83,726

Compare Education programs in your state

Highest-earning bachelor's Education programs

Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Education, General. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Education, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.

Occupations associated with Education by the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, with median annual wage, projected annual openings, projected employment change, and the education most entrants typically hold.
OccupationMedian payOpenings / yrProjected changeMost entrants hold
Education Teachers, Postsecondary$72,0905,600+2.1%Doctoral or professional degree
Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special EducationNot reportedNot reportedNot reportedNot reported
Teaching Assistants, Special EducationNot reportedNot reportedNot reportedNot reported

Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 1 of these 3 occupations report a median wage.

“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Education does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.

Before you commit to a Education major

CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Education program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.

Ask the Education department

  • Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
  • What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
  • What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
  • Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?

Ask current students & check the curriculum

  • How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
  • What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
  • Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
  • How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Accreditation & licensure: Teacher-preparation programs are typically state-approved and may hold CAEP accreditation; licensure requirements are set by each state. Verify that a Education program leads to licensure in the state where you plan to teach.
Degree level & graduate study: Many Education careers are open with a bachelor's degree, but some, such as research, advanced-practice, or licensure-track roles, require a master's or doctorate. Check the typical entry-level education on each linked career page above before assuming a bachelor's is enough.

Find a Education program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

Colleges that awarded the most Education credentials

Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.

Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.

Search Education schools

Where Education credentials were awarded

37 states have a distinct enough set of Education colleges to be worth its own page.

Education by state

Every Education program with its own CampusPin page

92 programs in 31 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.

Education programs in Arizona, 2 programs
Education programs in California, 21 programs
Education programs in Colorado, 2 programs
Education programs in Connecticut, 2 programs
Education programs in Florida, 3 programs
Education programs in Illinois, 1 program
Education programs in Iowa, 1 program
Education programs in Kansas, 1 program
Education programs in Kentucky, 1 program
Education programs in Maine, 1 program
Education programs in Maryland, 5 programs
Education programs in Massachusetts, 5 programs
Education programs in Michigan, 4 programs
Education programs in Minnesota, 3 programs
Education programs in Mississippi, 1 program
Education programs in Missouri, 1 program
Education programs in New Jersey, 4 programs
Education programs in New Mexico, 1 program
Education programs in North Carolina, 2 programs
Education programs in Ohio, 5 programs
Education programs in Oregon, 3 programs
Education programs in Pennsylvania, 3 programs
Education programs in South Dakota, 1 program
Education programs in Tennessee, 2 programs
Education programs in Texas, 1 program
Education programs in Utah, 1 program
Education programs in Virginia, 6 programs
Education programs in Washington, 1 program
Education programs in West Virginia, 3 programs
Education programs in Wisconsin, 4 programs
Education programs in Wyoming, 1 program

Related majors

Put this major in context

The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Education degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.

Explore Education & Library careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

How one major leads to many careers

Why a single Education degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.

Why a median wage is not a starting salary

How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.

When accreditation and licensure matter

How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Education path before you enroll.

Does a pricier college pay off?

How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.

Does picking a major narrow your college list?

Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.

Certificate or degree?

What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.

How this guide is sourced

This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.