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2024 Best Education Schools

1,064 Colleges in the United States
328,588 Education Degrees Awarded
$46,195 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in education, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #4 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 1,064 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Education Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 328,588 degrees in education to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Education School

Best Education Schools The education program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Education rankings. We derive our Best Overall Education School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Education Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Education
Bachelor's Degrees in Education
Master's Degrees in Education
Doctor's Degrees in Education

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Education Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Education in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the education degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Education

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,089 Education Degrees Awarded
$78,976 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Harvard University if you wish to pursue a degree in education. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1089 education students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from Harvard University receive an earnings boost of around $32,781 above the typical income of education majors.

More information about a degree in education from Harvard University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,057 Education Degrees Awarded
$65,952 Median Starting Salary

Teachers College at Columbia University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in education. Teachers College is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Teachers College is a great university overall.

There were about 1057 education students who graduated with this degree at Teachers College in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the education degree program at Teachers College at Columbia University get $19,757 more than the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in education from Teachers College at Columbia University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
895 Education Degrees Awarded
$65,686 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Johns Hopkins University if you wish to pursue a degree in education. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were roughly 895 education students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University earn a boost of approximately $19,491 over the typical income of education majors.

More information about a degree in education from Johns Hopkins University

4
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
111 Education Degrees Awarded
$47,080 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Duke University if you wish to pursue a degree in education. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 111 education students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. After graduation, education degree recipients usually earn around $47,080 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in education from Duke University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Education Degrees Awarded
$51,813 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 124 education students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Those education students who get their degree from Northwestern University receive $5,618 more than the typical education grad.

More information about a degree in education from Northwestern University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,110 Education Degrees Awarded
$55,473 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1110 education students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Education degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of around $9,278 above the average income of education majors.

More information about a degree in education from University of Southern California

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
640 Education Degrees Awarded
$67,710 Median Starting Salary

UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 640 education students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the education degree program at University of Pennsylvania earn $21,515 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in education from University of Pennsylvania

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Education Degrees Awarded
$83,423 Median Starting Salary

A T Still University of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Kirksville.

There were approximately 55 education students who graduated with this degree at A T Still University of Health Sciences in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from A T Still University of Health Sciences receive an earnings boost of around $37,228 over the average income of education graduates.

More information about a degree in education from A T Still University of Health Sciences

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
134 Education Degrees Awarded
$70,559 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 134 education students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Those education students who get their degree from Stanford University receive $24,364 more than the standard education grad.

More information about a degree in education from Stanford University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
869 Education Degrees Awarded
$47,227 Median Starting Salary

UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. This university ranks 1st out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 869 education students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program report average early career income of $47,227.

More information about a degree in education from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
668 Education Degrees Awarded
$58,234 Median Starting Salary

NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were about 668 education students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the education major at New York University earn $12,039 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in education from New York University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
426 Education Degrees Awarded
$66,559 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 426 education students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the education degree program at University of Maryland - College Park earn $20,365 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in education from University of Maryland - College Park

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
663 Education Degrees Awarded
$47,555 Median Starting Salary

UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 663 education students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the education program make around $47,555 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,029 Education Degrees Awarded
$54,265 Median Starting Salary

UGA is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Athens. This university ranks 3rd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were approximately 1029 education students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from University of Georgia get an earnings boost of around $8,070 over the typical earnings of education graduates.

More information about a degree in education from University of Georgia

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
367 Education Degrees Awarded
$46,065 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Bellingham, WWU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 367 education students who graduated with this degree at WWU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program report average early career earnings of $46,065.

More information about a degree in education from Western Washington University

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
656 Education Degrees Awarded
$62,598 Median Starting Salary

UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 656 education students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the education program at University of Washington - Seattle Campus get $16,403 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in education from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
370 Education Degrees Awarded
$53,436 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 370 education students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Education degree recipients from Vanderbilt University receive an earnings boost of around $7,241 over the average income of education majors.

More information about a degree in education from Vanderbilt University

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
497 Education Degrees Awarded
$51,949 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 497 education students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus get an earnings boost of approximately $5,754 above the typical earnings of education majors.

More information about a degree in education from University of Virginia - Main Campus

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
282 Education Degrees Awarded
$64,731 Median Starting Salary

Bank Street College of Education is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of New York.

There were roughly 282 education students who graduated with this degree at Bank Street College of Education in the most recent data year. Education degree recipients from Bank Street College of Education receive an earnings boost of around $18,537 over the typical income of education graduates.

More information about a degree in education from Bank Street College of Education

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
659 Education Degrees Awarded
$52,333 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 659 education students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the education major at Purdue University - Main Campus get $6,138 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in education from Purdue University - Main Campus

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
687 Education Degrees Awarded
$53,355 Median Starting Salary

TCNJ is a medium-sized public college located in the suburb of Ewing. This college ranks 5th out of 44 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were roughly 687 education students who graduated with this degree at TCNJ in the most recent data year. Those education students who get their degree from The College of New Jersey make $7,160 more than the standard education graduate.

More information about a degree in education from The College of New Jersey

22
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
777 Education Degrees Awarded
$52,130 Median Starting Salary

UF is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville. This university ranks 1st out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 777 education students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the education major at University of Florida get $5,935 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in education from University of Florida

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Education Degrees Awarded
$142,413 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Erie, LECOM is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were about 43 education students who graduated with this degree at LECOM in the most recent data year. Education degree recipients from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine get an earnings boost of approximately $96,218 over the typical income of education graduates.

More information about a degree in education from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
487 Education Degrees Awarded
$46,567 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were approximately 487 education students who graduated with this degree at BYU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program state that they receive average early career wages of $46,567.

More information about a degree in education from Brigham Young University - Provo

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
284 Education Degrees Awarded
$45,631 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Waco, Baylor is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 284 education students who graduated with this degree at Baylor in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the education program make about $45,631 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in education from Baylor University

Rest of the Top 50 Best Education Schools

26
27
28
29
30
31
32

33
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA

34
35
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, NY
36
37
38
39
40
41

42

43
44
45
46
47
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
48
49
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY
50

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Education Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 1064 different United States education schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
51Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
52University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
53Towson UniversityTowson, MD
54North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
55University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
56University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
57University of Wisconsin - MadisonMadison, WI
58Providence CollegeProvidence, RI
59University of St Thomas MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN
60Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
61Fresno Pacific UniversityFresno, CA
62Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
63University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
64Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
65University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
66Saint Mary’s College of CaliforniaMoraga, CA
67Queens CollegeQueens, NY
68Touro CollegeNew York, NY
69Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
70Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
71University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY
72The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
73University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
74Concordia University, ChicagoRiver Forest, IL
75Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ
76University of DaytonDayton, OH
77Augustana CollegeRock Island, IL
78William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
79University of KentuckyLexington, KY
80University of IowaIowa City, IA
81Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
82Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL
83California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
84University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
85Creighton UniversityOmaha, NE
86Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
87North Dakota State University - Main CampusFargo, ND
88Hope CollegeHolland, MI
89National UniversitySan Diego, CA
90Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
91Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
92Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
93Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
94University of RedlandsRedlands, CA
95Whitworth UniversitySpokane, WA
96University of California - BerkeleyBerkeley, CA
97Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS
98Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
99University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
100San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
101Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
102Lehman CollegeBronx, NY
103Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
104Winona State UniversityWinona, MN
105University of Michigan - Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI
106University of RochesterRochester, NY
107Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
108Hamline UniversitySaint Paul, MN
109Southern Adventist UniversityCollegedale, TN
110Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA
111Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle, WA
112Northcentral UniversitySan Diego, CA
113Western Governors UniversitySalt Lake City, UT
114Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
115Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa, CA
116University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
117Western Oregon UniversityMonmouth, OR
118Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
119Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ
120University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND
121Nova Southeastern UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL
122Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY
123Texas A&M University - College StationCollege Station, TX
124Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS
125Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
126University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
127Samford UniversityBirmingham, AL
128The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
129University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
130University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
130University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI
132School Removed
132Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI
133Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, WA
134DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
135Wheaton College IllinoisWheaton, IL
136National Louis UniversityChicago, IL
137American UniversityWashington, DC
138St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
139California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
140San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
141University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
142University of WyomingLaramie, WY
143Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA
144Martin Luther CollegeNew Ulm, MN
145Saint Joseph’s UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
146Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
147Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
148University of California - DavisDavis, CA
149Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, MN
150University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
151Montclair State UniversityMontclair, NJ
152Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
153University of KansasLawrence, KS
154Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI
155Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
156Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
157Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
158Minnesota State University - MankatoMankato, MN
159Missouri State University - SpringfieldSpringfield, MO

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Education Schools award.

RankCollegeLocation
160Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA
161University of PortlandPortland, OR
162St John’s University - New YorkQueens, NY
163Southern Illinois University CarbondaleCarbondale, IL
164Delaware Technical Community College - TerryDover, DE
165Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
166University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
167Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
168San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
169Saint Norbert CollegeDe Pere, WI
170Brandman UniversityIrvine, CA
171Valley City State UniversityValley City, ND
172Mercer UniversityMacon, GA
173University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
174Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
175California Lutheran UniversityThousand Oaks, CA
176California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
177University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
178Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA
179Drake UniversityDes Moines, IA
180Messiah UniversityMechanicsburg, PA
181Augustana UniversitySioux Falls, SD
182East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
183University of South DakotaVermillion, SD
184Wichita State UniversityWichita, KS
185University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA
186Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
187Viterbo UniversityLa Crosse, WI
188Calvin UniversityGrand Rapids, MI
189Pacific UniversityForest Grove, OR
190Saint Cloud State UniversitySaint Cloud, MN
191Concordia University, IrvineIrvine, CA
192Heritage UniversityToppenish, WA
193Widener UniversityChester, PA
194Lamar UniversityBeaumont, TX
195Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI
196Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA
197Point Loma Nazarene UniversitySan Diego, CA
198Saint Martin’s UniversityLacey, WA
199Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
200Pacific Lutheran UniversityTacoma, WA
201Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CT
202Endicott CollegeBeverly, MA
203Elmhurst UniversityElmhurst, IL
204Concordia University, NebraskaSeward, NE
205Minot State UniversityMinot, ND
206Manhattanville CollegePurchase, NY
207Northwestern CollegeOrange City, IA
208Seton Hall UniversitySouth Orange, NJ
209Capella UniversityMinneapolis, MN
210El Centro CollegeDallas, TX
211The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX
212Lewis & Clark CollegePortland, OR

Education by Region

View the Best Education Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Education Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific110,770
Educational Administration46,975
Teacher Education Subject Specific42,343
Special Education35,973
General Education29,389
Curriculum & Instruction19,217
Student Counseling14,506
Instructional Media Design9,224
Teaching English or French5,525
Other Education4,887

View All Education Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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