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Assistant elementary teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant elementary teacher. Assistant elementary teachers usually study elementary education, psychology, or business. 66% of assistant elementary teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 221 real assistant elementary teacher resumes to see exactly what assistant elementary teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant elementary teachers are the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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

What education do you need to become an assistant elementary teacher?

What degree do you need to be an assistant elementary teacher?

The most common degree for assistant elementary teachers is bachelor's degree, with 66% of assistant elementary teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 66%
  • Associate, 11%
  • Master's, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become an assistant elementary teacher?

You should major in elementary education to become an assistant elementary teacher. 17% of assistant elementary teachers major in elementary education. Other common majors for an assistant elementary teacher include psychology and business.

Most common colleges for assistant elementary teachers

Assistant elementary teachers often get their degrees at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Mississippi State University, and Lenoir-Rhyne University. Here are the most common colleges for assistant elementary teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant elementary teacher common collegePercentages
University of North Carolina at Greensboro8.57%
Mississippi State University8.57%
Lenoir-Rhyne University5.71%
San Jose State University5.71%
East Carolina University5.71%

Best majors for assistant elementary teachers

RankMajorPercentages
1Elementary Education16.8%
2Psychology9.7%
3Business8.0%
4Education8.0%
5Human Development4.4%

Best colleges for assistant elementary teachers

The best colleges for assistant elementary teachers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

An assistant elementary 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 assistant elementary 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 assistant elementary teachers.

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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for assistant elementary teachers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant elementary teachers

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

If the best universities for assistant elementary 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 assistant elementary 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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 - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant elementary teachers

The hardest universities for assistant elementary teachers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for assistant elementary 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 assistant elementary 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant elementary teachers

The easiest schools for assistant elementary 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 assistant elementary 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 assistant elementary 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. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

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. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average assistant elementary teacher salary by education level

Assistant elementary teachers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $42,607 annually. With a Master's degree, assistant elementary teachers earn a median annual income of $41,611 compared to $38,143 for assistant elementary teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
Assistant elementary teacher education levelAssistant elementary teacher salary
Master's Degree$41,611
High School Diploma or Less$36,521
Bachelor's Degree$38,143
Doctorate Degree$42,607
Some College/ Associate Degree$37,022

Assistant elementary 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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