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American history teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an american history teacher. American history teachers usually study history, education, or political science. 68% of american history teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 266 real american history teacher resumes to see exactly what american history teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for american history teachers are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.

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

What education do you need to become an american history teacher?

What degree do you need to be an american history teacher?

The most common degree for american history teachers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of american history teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 26% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 26%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an american history teacher?

You should major in history to become an american history teacher. 26% of american history teachers major in history. Other common majors for an american history teacher include education and political science.

Most common colleges for american history teachers

American history teachers often get their degrees at University of Florida, University of Central Florida, and Florida Atlantic University. Here are the most common colleges for american history teachers in the US based on their resumes.
American history teacher common collegePercentages
University of Florida12.00%
University of Central Florida12.00%
Florida Atlantic University6.00%
Ashland University6.00%
Syracuse University4.00%

Best majors for american history teachers

Best colleges for american history teachers

The best colleges for american history teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

An american history 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 american history 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 american history teachers.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

In-state tuition

$55,466

Enrollment

6,752

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

20 best online courses for american history teachers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for american history teachers

The most affordable schools for american history teachers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for american history 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 american history 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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for american history teachers

The hardest universities for american history teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for american history 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 american history 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for american history teachers

The easiest schools for american history teachers to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an american history 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 american history teachers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average american history teacher salary by education level

According to our data, american history teachers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $47,194 annually. American history teachers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $39,824.
American history teacher education levelAmerican history teacher salary
Master's Degree$39,824
Doctorate Degree$47,194

American history 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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