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Adult basic education teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an adult basic education teacher. Adult basic education teachers usually study elementary education, education, or special education. 65% of adult basic education teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 196 real adult basic education teacher resumes to see exactly what adult basic education teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for adult basic education teachers are the Old Dominion University and the Old Dominion University.

There are also many online adult basic education teacher courses to help get the education required to be an adult basic education teacher.

What education do you need to become an adult basic education teacher?

What degree do you need to be an adult basic education teacher?

The most common degree for adult basic education teachers is bachelor's degree, with 65% of adult basic education teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 28% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 65%
  • Master's, 28%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an adult basic education teacher?

You should major in elementary education to become an adult basic education teacher. 19% of adult basic education teachers major in elementary education. Other common majors for an adult basic education teacher include education and special education.

Most common colleges for adult basic education teachers

Adult basic education teachers often get their degrees at Old Dominion University, Florida State University, and Chicago State University. Here are the most common colleges for adult basic education teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Adult basic education teacher common collegePercentages
Old Dominion University9.76%
Florida State University9.76%
Chicago State University7.32%
University of Massachusetts Boston7.32%
Indiana University South Bend7.32%

Best majors for adult basic education teachers

Best colleges for adult basic education teachers

The best colleges for adult basic education teachers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

An adult basic education teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for adult basic education teachers. 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 adult basic education teachers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for adult basic education teachers

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1. Music Education for Teachers

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In the Music Education for Teachers specialization, you will explore ways of integrating popular music into your teaching. You'll begin by learning from two highly experienced teachers, Krystal Banfield, the Vice President of Educational Outreach for Berklee College of Music, and David Alexis a Berklee Professor and long-time instructor for the Berklee City Music Program. They will take you through their process of incorporating popular music, improvisation, arranging, and music technology into...

2. Online Learning Design for Educators

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This specialization is for educators seeking to improve and expand their repertoire of online teaching skills related to the design, development and delivery of effective and engaging online courses and lessons for school age and adult learners.\n\nLearning in the 21st century no longer takes place exclusively between the four walls of a physical classroom. With advances in technology, learners now expect to be offered flexible study modes outside of the traditional face-to-face model. This...

3. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)

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4.4
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Informational content for educators and parents to learn about teaching and understanding exceptional children...

4. Train the Trainer Foundation: Adult Education Mastery Course

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4.6
(1,679)

Deploy a repeatable system for employee learning to ensure you reach every learner…every time...

5. ICT in Primary Education: Transforming children's learning across the curriculum

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Why and how are teachers integrating ICT (Information and Communication Technology) into primary education? In this course we analyse examples from schools in different parts of the world, and bring professional teachers, headteachers and policymakers together to share their best ideas and inspiring stories. The materials in the course are based on studies carried out for the UNESCO Institute of IT in Education, Moscow. Learning Outcomes: to be aware of the range of reasons for using ICT to...

6. Educating Deaf Children: Becoming an Empowered Teacher

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Many Deaf children around the world still leave school functionally illiterate. In some cases, there is no allowance made for the education of Deaf children at all. This 4-week course provides you with invaluable knowledge and skills about teaching Deaf children. You will learn about the importance of Deaf culture and community, the need for a language-rich environment for the Deaf child from as young as possible, and that having access to sign language can help Deaf children academically,...

7. Google Certified Educator Level 1 Technical Training

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4.5
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Google Apps for Education...

8. Complete Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2 Masterclass

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4.2
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Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2 Training - Mastering Google Classroom - G Suite - Teaching Online - Google Drive...

9. Critical Issues in Urban Education

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Urban school reform in the United States is characterized by contentious, politicized debate. This course explores a set of critical issues in the education and educational reform space, with a focus on aspects of the field that have sparked controversy and polarized views. We will dig into these debates, situating them within the larger history of public education and school reform, and considering the viewpoints, the evidence, and translation of issues into educational policy. We will...

10. Diversity and Inclusion in Education

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Student diversity is becoming the rule rather than the exception in education systems across the world. Students bring to classroom different characteristics such as ability and disability, socio-economic background, race, ethnicity, and cultural background, beliefs and religion, and gender characteristics. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (United Nations, 2015)...

11. Introduction to Early Childhood Montessori Education

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4.7
(626)

Learning Montessori Philosophy and Materials by visiting classrooms across the U.S...

12. Outcome Based Education (OBE) & Academic Quality Assurance

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4.4
(1,390)

Master Course for Teachers' Development: Grow Your Teaching-Learning Expertise to World-Class Level...

13. What future for education?

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Through this course you will start to critically examine your own ideas about education, teaching and learning. The critique will be developed through engagement with theories and ideas developed through educational research. You will be encouraged to use these ideas to challenge or support your own ideas about education. Each week we will focus on one key question, using video lectures, key readings and challenges to explore some commonplace notions about education. With the guidance of the...

14. Aboriginal Worldviews and Education

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Intended for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal learners, this course will explore indigenous ways of knowing and how they can benefit all students. Topics include historical, social, and political issues in Aboriginal education; terminology; cultural, spiritual and philosophical themes in Aboriginal worldviews; and how Aboriginal worldviews can inform professional programs and practices, including but not limited to the field of education...

15. Seth Godin on learning and education

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Build the future of community, culture and possibility...

16. Financial Education from 0: Learn Quick and Easy

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Learn the Basics of Personal Finance. Build Healthy Financial Habits! Financial Education from Beginner to Advanced!...

17. Basic Information Literacy

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Learn how to begin tackling a big project or presentation. Join today and equip yourself with basic information literacy skills to navigate the vast landscape of knowledge to find just what you need. This course will cover creating a workable project/presentation, understanding the various types of information sources, searching the various types of information sources, recognizing faulty information or bias, using proper citation conventions, avoiding plagiarism, and skimming information to...

18. Activity Design with PhET Simulations for STEM Education

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PhET Interactive Simulations ( https://phet.colorado.edu/ ), a project of the University of Colorado Boulder, provides fun, free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations for use across, primary, secondary, and higher education levels. We extensively test and evaluate each simulation to ensure educational effectiveness. All simulations are open source and free to all students and teachers. In this course, we will review strategies for how to use PhET to create sim-based...

19. TESOL Teacher Training: Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

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4.4
(445)

Putting Theory Into Practice in the ESL/EFL Classroom...

20. Instructional Methods in Health Professions Education

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This course provides those involved in educating members of the health professions an asynchronous, interdisciplinary, and interactive way to obtain, expand, and improve their teaching skills. These skills can then be applied within their own professional context, with a variety of learners, extending across many stages. After completing this course, learners will: 1. Understand educational theory as it relates to health professions education 2. Match instructional methods with desired...

Top 10 most affordable universities for adult basic education teachers

The most affordable schools for adult basic education teachers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for adult basic education teachers 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 adult basic education teachers.

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. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for adult basic education teachers

The hardest universities for adult basic education teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for adult basic education teachers 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 adult basic education teachers 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for adult basic education teachers

The easiest schools for adult basic education teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an adult basic education teacher 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 adult basic education teachers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

8. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

9. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

10. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

Average adult basic education teacher salary by education level

According to our data, adult basic education teachers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $62,258 annually. Adult basic education teachers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $57,429.
Adult basic education teacher education levelAdult basic education teacher salary
Master's Degree$57,429
High School Diploma or Less$47,703
Bachelor's Degree$53,132
Doctorate Degree$62,258
Some College/ Associate Degree$51,444

Adult basic education teacher education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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