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Classroom instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a classroom instructor. Classroom instructors usually study nursing, education, or elementary education. 63% of classroom instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,939 real classroom instructor resumes to see exactly what classroom instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for classroom instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online classroom instructor courses to help get the education required to be a classroom instructor.
What education do you need to become a classroom instructor?
What degree do you need to be a classroom instructor?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a classroom instructor?
- Nursing, 14%
- Education, 14%
- Elementary Education, 11%
- Business, 10%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for classroom instructors
| Classroom instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.82% |
| University of North Texas | 6.62% |
| Ohio State University | 5.88% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.88% |
| Florida State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for classroom instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 14.4% |
| 2 | Education | 13.9% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 10.5% |
| 4 | Business | 10.4% |
| 5 | Psychology | 8.5% |
Best colleges for classroom instructors
The best colleges for classroom instructors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A classroom 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 classroom 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 classroom instructors.
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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for classroom instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for classroom instructors
The most affordable schools for classroom instructors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and lehman college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for classroom 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 classroom instructors.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for classroom instructors
The hardest universities for classroom instructors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for classroom 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 classroom 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for classroom instructors
The easiest schools for classroom 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 a classroom 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 classroom 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. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
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. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average classroom instructor salary by education level
| Classroom instructor education level | Classroom instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,057 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,433 |
| Doctorate Degree | $55,580 |
Classroom 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