Getting an affordable online bachelor’s in education can lead to many career paths besides teaching, and it only takes 3-5 years.
This may be your first step to a steady career without breaking the bank. As mentioned previously, you’re not limited to becoming a teacher—although you’ll have the perfect head start if you do. Other career paths you may choose include working in the public sector, recreation centers, career services or other areas.
If you do decide to go into teaching, there are many different routes you can take. You can choose to teach in an urban or suburban district. You may decide to advance your career further and get a master’s degree.
What is an Education degree?
Education programs focus on both the content and pedagogy of teaching. The content involves mastering the skills and learning the basic information so you can pass it on to your students. The pedagogy part is where you’ll practice and learn the art of teaching.
If you choose to get your teaching license right after your program, there’s a high chance you’ll have immediate employment. Some concentrations you may have with your bachelor’s in education degree include:
- Early Childhood Education
- English Language Learners
- Reading
- Special Education
- Elementary Education
How much can you earn with an Education degree?
When choosing a degree program, the salary is definitely something you want to research. Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers earned a median salary of $58,230 as of 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Although this field has a slower than average growth rate (3%), kindergarten and elementary school enrollment is forecasted to increase this decade. Employment growth mostly depends on state and local government budgets. If you’re flexible about your job location then you will have more options.
If the price of the degree is no obstacle, consider browsing OSR’s ranking of the Best Online Education Degrees.
What is required for a Bachelor’s in Education?
In order to enroll in an Education degree program, you will need a high school diploma or GED. Schools typically want a cumulative GPA of 2.5. You may be required to submit standardized test scores and a personal statement.
Some common classes you may take in this program include:
- Introduction to Education
- Teaching Methods to Promote Literacy
- Human Development and Psychology
If you’re planning on becoming a teacher, then you will need to get a state teacher certification. You will need to fulfill a certain number of student teaching hours. You will likely need to pass the Praxis exam.
What are the best Education degrees?
OSR uses six data points: three school-wide and three program specific. For school-wide, OSR uses Student Satisfaction, Admission Rates, and the number of programs the school offers online. For program specific, OSR checks the Median Debt of graduates from that program, how many degrees are offered within that program’s umbrella department, and what percentage of students at that school graduated from that department.
The six statistics are displayed by each school. The sliding bar under each statistic represents how that school compares to other US institutions. “Not reported” means a school did not release that information to the US Department of Education. A more detailed description of the OSR process can be found on the methodology page.
