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Computer teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a computer teacher. Computer teachers usually study computer science, business, or elementary education. 64% of computer teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,013 real computer teacher resumes to see exactly what computer teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for computer teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online computer teacher courses to help get the education required to be a computer teacher.

There are certain computer teacher certifications that you should consider. These computer teacher certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Microsoft Office Specialist Master Certification (MOS).

What education do you need to become a computer teacher?

What degree do you need to be a computer teacher?

The most common degree for computer teachers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of computer teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a computer teacher?

You should major in computer science to become a computer teacher. 15% of computer teachers major in computer science. Other common majors for a computer teacher include business and elementary education.

Most common colleges for computer teachers

Computer teachers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, California State University - San Bernardino, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for computer teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Computer teacher common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix17.93%
California State University - San Bernardino5.43%
University of Houston5.43%
Texas A&M University5.43%
New York University4.89%

Best majors for computer teachers

Best colleges for computer teachers

The best colleges for computer teachers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A computer 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 computer 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 computer teachers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for computer teachers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for computer teachers

The most affordable schools for computer teachers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - los angeles.

If the best universities for computer 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 computer 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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 computer teachers

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

Some great schools for computer 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 computer 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. 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for computer teachers

The easiest schools for computer teachers to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a computer 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 computer 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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

8. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

Average computer teacher salary by education level

According to our data, computer teachers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $43,348 annually. Computer teachers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $37,371.
Computer teacher education levelComputer teacher salary
Master's Degree$37,371
Doctorate Degree$43,348

Computer 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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