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Academic instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an academic instructor. Academic instructors usually study business, education, or elementary education. 61% of academic instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,554 real academic instructor resumes to see exactly what academic instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for academic instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online academic instructor courses to help get the education required to be an academic instructor.
What education do you need to become an academic instructor?
What degree do you need to be an academic instructor?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 10%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an academic instructor?
- Business, 12%
- Education, 11%
- Elementary Education, 10%
- Psychology, 9%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for academic instructors
| Academic instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 16.04% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.09% |
| Florida State University | 7.49% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.95% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 4.81% |
Best majors for academic instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 11.8% |
| 2 | Education | 11.0% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 10.3% |
| 4 | Psychology | 9.4% |
| 5 | English | 7.8% |
Best colleges for academic instructors
The best colleges for academic instructors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
An academic instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for academic instructors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become academic instructors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for academic instructors
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15. PTE Academic Exam Preparation: Writing Mastery (Achieve 79+)
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16. Mastering IELTS Writing: Task 1 Academic (Band 9 Answers)
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17. Speak English Like a Native: Troubleshooting Course for ESL
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18. Master Academic Typesetting with LaTeX
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19. TESOL - Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages
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20. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)
Informational content for educators and parents to learn about teaching and understanding exceptional children...
Top 10 most affordable universities for academic instructors
The most affordable schools for academic instructors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for academic instructors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for academic instructors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for academic instructors
The hardest universities for academic instructors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for academic instructors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for academic instructors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for academic instructors
The easiest schools for academic instructors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an academic instructor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for academic instructors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
Average academic instructor salary by education level
| Academic instructor education level | Academic instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,881 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $45,169 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,042 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,179 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,529 |
Academic instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025