Science Education · California

Science Education colleges in California

CampusPin lists 262 U.S. colleges in California that offer Science Education programs. Compare tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment in the table below, every figure links back to the institution's official IPEDS data.

Science Education prepares future teachers to teach science in K-12 schools, blending content in biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science with the pedagogy and licensure to teach it.

Schools in California that offer Science Education

Science Education programs in California: by the numbers

A quick comparison of the 50 schools (of 262 total) listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.

Schools listed

262

Public / private

15 / 35

Universities / 2-year

40 / 10

Cities represented

35

In-state tuition range

$1,124–$63,255

Median in-state tuition

$15,977

Lowest published in-state tuition

Antelope Valley Community College District

$1,124

Most selective

California Institute of Technology

3% acceptance

Largest by enrollment

California State University-Fullerton

41,793 students

Figures reflect the schools currently listed and each institution's most recent reported data. Verify current tuition and admissions details with the school before applying.

What you'll study in a Science Education program

  • Foundational science across biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science
  • Laboratory technique and safety
  • Science methods and pedagogy
  • Designing investigations and inquiry-based lessons
  • How students learn science and reason from evidence
  • Assessment of scientific understanding
  • Classroom and laboratory management
  • Standards-based curriculum and sequencing
  • Supervised student-teaching practicum in schools

Where a Science Education degree can lead

  • Middle School Science Teacher
  • High School Biology, Chemistry, or Physics Teacher
  • Elementary Teacher with a Science Focus
  • STEM Coordinator
  • Science Curriculum Specialist
  • Museum or Informal Science Educator

Typical pay: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 secondary school teachers median $64,580).

Science Education, classified federally as Science Teacher Education, prepares people to teach the sciences in schools. Where a Biology, Chemistry, or Physics major centers on research and advanced study within one discipline, this field aims science knowledge at the classroom: designing investigations and labs, teaching the practices of science alongside its concepts, and helping students reason from evidence. It is also more subject-focused than a general Secondary Education major, pairing science content across one or more disciplines with methods courses on teaching science and running a safe, hands-on lab. Candidates build enough science to teach it accurately, then learn how to make inquiry, modeling, and experimentation work for a room of learners.

Most science-teaching positions are entered with a bachelor's degree that combines science coursework with an education sequence and a culminating student-teaching placement under a mentor teacher. Graduates teach science in elementary, middle, and high schools, and qualified science teachers are widely reported to be in short supply in many districts, which can broaden where graduates find positions. Some later add graduate study for specialist, coordinator, or leadership roles. Because public-school teaching is regulated, candidates should confirm the certification subjects, grade bands, and exams required where they intend to work.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of secondary school teachers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $64,580 and projects employment to decline about 1.6% from 2024 to 2034; a bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.

Science Education in other states

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Find more Science Education schools

Use CampusPin's filter-first search to narrow 262+ Science Education programs in California by tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting.

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