While teaching at the elementary or high school level can be challenging, it's also undoubtedly one of the most rewarding professions. If you're interested in becoming a teacher, you'll want to know which U.S. colleges and universities offer the most for students pursuing their bachelor's degree in education.
Vanderbilt University
This world-class research institute in Nashville, Tenn., is widely lauded as one of the best undergraduate colleges for education in the nation. Prospective students can choose from bachelor's degrees in child development, child studies, early childhood education, elementary education, musical arts education, special education, and secondary education. Vanderbilt's Peabody College of Education and Human Development includes national research centers, skilled faculty members, and a challenging, innovative environment.
University of Wisconsin - Madison
The School of Education at Madison is unique in that it offers a wide variety of undergraduate education programs that include majors in art education, elementary education, music education, and special education, along with a variety of languages and sciences. Besides being in the top five education programs as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, Madison boasts faculty members who are widely renowned both nationally and internationally.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of Michigan's School of Education is one of the most highly ranked colleges in the nation in areas such as research funding and faculty-student ratio, making it an ideal place to study for your teaching degree. Students can major in either elementary or secondary education after completing two years of coursework in another discipline at the university. Preferred admissions is also available for top candidates who are interested in studying education.
University of Texas - Austin
The flagship school of the University of Texas system offers an intensive major for undergraduates in applied learning and curriculum. Under this major, students can choose to specialize in special education, bilingual or general elementary education, urban teaching, fine arts, liberal arts, natural sciences, or engineering. The mission of the College of Education at Austin is to combat problems facing education, such as poverty.
University of Oregon
The Department of Education Studies at the University of Oregon offers an undergraduate major in educational foundations. This curriculum covers four main strands: learning, teaching, and assessment; technology as education; curriculum theory; and equal opportunity. Graduates are required to complete 100 hours of classroom observation. This program is unique in that it offers international study-abroad programs that span six continents.
