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2025 Best Elementary Education Schools

525 Colleges in the United States
42,862 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded
Ranked #17 in popularity, elementary education is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 525 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Elementary Education Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 42,862 degrees in elementary education to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Elementary Education School

Best Elementary Education Schools The elementary teaching program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Elementary Education rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for elementary education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Elementary Education Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Elementary Teaching
Bachelor's Degrees in Elementary Teaching
Master's Degrees in Elementary Teaching
Doctor's Degrees in Elementary Teaching

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Elementary Education Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Elementary Education in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of elementary teaching degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Elementary Teaching

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MD
39 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

University of Maryland - College Park is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in elementary education. UMCP is a very large public university located in the large suburb of College Park. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were roughly 39 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year.

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

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MN
61 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in elementary education. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were approximately 61 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NJ
113 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in elementary education has to check out The College of New Jersey. Located in the suburb of Ewing, TCNJ is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 6th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were approximately 113 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at TCNJ in the most recent year we have data available.

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

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IN
106 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Indiana University - Bloomington is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in elementary education. IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the small city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were approximately 106 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Indiana University - Bloomington

5
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
27th Most Popular In NY
34 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 34 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from New York University

6
Rider crest
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In NJ
73 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Rider is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Lawrenceville. This university ranks 11th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were about 73 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Rider in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Rider University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In DE
156 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

UD is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Newark. A Best Colleges rank of #96 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UD is a great university overall.

There were approximately 156 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at UD in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from University of Delaware

8
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In MA
35 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Chestnut Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Boston College is a great college overall.

There were roughly 35 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Boston College

9
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, MD
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MD
111 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Towson, Towson is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 35 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were roughly 111 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Towson in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Towson University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In WA
97 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were roughly 97 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year.

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

11
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In PA
97 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #97 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Temple is a great university overall.

There were about 97 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Temple University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IN
189 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Ball State is a very large public university located in the city of Muncie. This university ranks 5th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 189 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Ball State University

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NC
192 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

ECU is a very large public university located in the city of Greenville. This university ranks 7th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 192 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in elementary education from East Carolina University

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In FL
325 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

UCF is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Orlando. This university ranks 10th out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 325 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from University of Central Florida

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
281 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 281 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Illinois State University

16
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In AZ
321 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

ASU - Tempe is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Tempe. A Best Colleges rank of #108 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were roughly 321 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Arizona State University - Tempe

17
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In KS
298 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

K -State is a large public university located in the small city of Manhattan. This university ranks 2nd out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were approximately 298 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at K -State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Kansas State University

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NC
175 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 175 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Appalachian State University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
25th Most Popular In GA
71.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were about 14 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from University of Georgia

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In AZ
363 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Flagstaff, NAU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 26 schools for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were roughly 363 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at NAU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In SC
79 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

UofSC is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #99 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UofSC is a great university overall.

There were about 79 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at UofSC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from University of South Carolina - Columbia

22
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In NY
118 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of New York, Hunter is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 30th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 118 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Hunter in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from Hunter College

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In FL
126 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

USF Tampa is a very large public university located in the city of Tampa. This university ranks 8th out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 126 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at USF Tampa in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in elementary education from University of South Florida - Main Campus

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In IL
83 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 83 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available.

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

25
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IA
281 Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 37 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were about 281 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at UNI in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in elementary education from University of Northern Iowa

Rest of the Top 50 Best Elementary Education Schools

26
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
27
28
29
30
31
32

33

34
35
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
36
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
37
38
39
40
41

42

43
44
Salisbury crest
Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD
45
46
47
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
48
49
50
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Elementary Education Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 20% of the 525 different United States elementary education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
52 Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY
53 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
54 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
55 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
56 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
57 American University Washington, DC
58 Florida International University Miami, FL
59 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
60 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
61 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
62 Kean University Union, NJ
63 Queens College Queens, NY
64 SUNY Cortland Cortland, NY
65 Winona State University Winona, MN
66 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
67 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
68 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
69 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
70 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
71 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
72 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
73 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
74 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA
75 Westfield State University Westfield, MA
76 College of Charleston Charleston, SC
77 Boston University Boston, MA
78 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
79 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
80 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
81 Bradley University Peoria, IL
82 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
83 Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT
84 Freed-Hardeman University Henderson, TN
85 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
86 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
87 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA
88 Marshall University Huntington, WV
89 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
90 Plymouth State University Plymouth, NH
91 Pace University - New York New York, NY
92 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
93 Martin Luther College New Ulm, MN
94 Harding University Searcy, AR
95 Whitworth University Spokane, WA
96 DePaul University Chicago, IL
97 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
98 University of North Alabama Florence, AL
99 Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI
100 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
101 Troy University Troy, AL
102 Worcester State University Worcester, MA
103 The City College of New York New York, NY
104 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
105 Emporia State University Emporia, KS

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Elementary Education students that almost earned our Best Elementary Education Schools award.

Rank College Location
106 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
107 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
108 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
109 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
110 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
111 St John’s University - New York Queens, NY
112 Iona College New Rochelle, NY
113 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
114 Keene State College Keene, NH
115 Western New Mexico University Silver City, NM
116 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
117 University of New Mexico - Main Campus Albuquerque, NM
118 Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC
119 University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ
120 The College of Saint Rose Albany, NY
121 University of Vermont Burlington, VT
122 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
123 Butler University Indianapolis, IN
124 Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ
125 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
126 Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN
127 Heritage University Toppenish, WA
128 Baylor University Waco, TX
129 University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA
130 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
131 Wayne State College Wayne, NE
132 Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL
133 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
134 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
135 Elon University Elon, NC
136 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
137 LIU Post Brookville, NY
138 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
139 University of Portland Portland, OR
140 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
141 Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA
142 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
143 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
144 Wright State University - Main Campus Dayton, OH
145 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
146 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
147 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
148 University of South Carolina - Upstate Spartanburg, SC
149 New Mexico State University - Main Campus Las Cruces, NM
150 Aurora University Aurora, IL
151 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
152 Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT
153 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
154 Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL
155 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
156 Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD
157 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
158 Wichita State University Wichita, KS
159 Wilmington University New Castle, DE
160 Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC
161 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA
162 University of Mississippi University, MS
163 Dominican University River Forest, IL
164 University of La Verne La Verne, CA
164 Columbus State University Columbus, GA
166 Bellarmine University Louisville, KY
167 Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD
168 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
169 Stevenson University Owings Mills, MD
170 Valley City State University Valley City, ND
171 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
172 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
173 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
174 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
175 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD

Elementary Education by Region

View the Best Elementary 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 >

Elementary Education is one of 13 different types of Teacher Education Grade Specific programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Elementary Teaching

Related Major Annual Graduates
Early Childhood Education 31,937
Secondary Education 11,071
Teacher Education 9,653
Teacher Development & Methodology 6,929
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching 3,583
Kindergarten/Preschool Education & Teaching 2,913
Adult & Continuing Education 987
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods 286
Montessori Teacher Education 236
Online Educator/Online Teaching 153

View All Elementary Teaching Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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