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Elementary art teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an elementary art teacher. Elementary art teachers usually study general education, specific areas, fine arts, or elementary education. 75% of elementary art teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 545 real elementary art teacher resumes to see exactly what elementary art teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for elementary art teachers are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.
There are also many online elementary art teacher courses to help get the education required to be an elementary art teacher.
What education do you need to become an elementary art teacher?
What degree do you need to be an elementary art teacher?
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an elementary art teacher?
- Fine Arts, 25%
- Elementary Education, 12%
- Education, 9%
- Other Majors, 26%
Most common colleges for elementary art teachers
| Elementary art teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Texas | 6.98% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 6.98% |
| Edinboro University of Pennsylvania | 5.81% |
| Ohio State University | 5.81% |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 5.81% |
Best majors for elementary art teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Education, Specific Areas | 28.1% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 24.6% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 11.6% |
| 4 | Education | 9.0% |
| 5 | Graphic Design | 5.4% |
Best colleges for elementary art teachers
The best colleges for elementary art teachers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
An elementary art 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 elementary art 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 elementary art teachers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
20 best online courses for elementary art teachers
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1. Modern Art & Ideas
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"Generative art refers to any art practice where the artist creates a process, such as a computer program, which is then set into motion with some degree of autonomy contributing to or resulting in a completed work of art." - Wikipedia In this guided project you will develop an agent-based computer program capable of generating visual art pieces. By doing so you will be introduced to the basics of ABM and NetLogo. Furthermore, at the end of this journey you will be able to share such pieces...
3. Art Therapy: Personal Development and Self Healing with Art
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4. Positive Psychology Art Coaching
Art activities for children to help build confidence & selfesteem...
5. Pixel Art for Video Games
This course is aimed to give you the tools and knowledge you need to start creating simple art for video games made in the Unity game engine. Through the aesthetic of pixel art we will explore artistic principals like shape language, color theory, and composition as well as show you a step by step workflow for creating assets that you can use to make your own games. The course is broken into 4 main modules, props, environments, characters, and animation. Each of these courses will have a series...
6. Low Poly Art For Video Games
This course is aimed to give you the tools and knowledge you need to start creating simple 3D art for video games made in the Unity game engine. Through the aesthetic of pixel art we will explore artistic principals like shape language, color theory, and composition as well as show you a step by step workflow for creating assets that you can use to make your own games. The course is broken into 4 main modules, props, environments, characters, and animation. Each of these courses will have a...
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8. Building Confidence Through Drawing: Art for Beginners
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10. Art History Prehistory to the Renaissance
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11. Pixel Art Fundamentals: Introduction to 2D Game Pixel Art
Make 2D Art for Video Games Using Libresprite / Aseprite. Create icons, images, HUD, simple animations and game scenes...
12. Art for Beginners: Learn to Paint 11 Acrylic Paintings
How to Paint with Acrylic Paints: 11 Simple Step-by-Step Art Lessons Designed Especially for Beginners of All Ages...
13. Internationally Accredited Certificate in Art Therapy
Therapeutic Art Therapy Course / Masterclass for Healing and Life Coaching...
14. Learn Pixel Art for Games
Understand creating Pixel Art for use in Games...
15. Art for Kids & Beginners: Draw & Watercolor Paint 13 Animals
Learn How to Draw & Paint with Watercolor Paint: 13 Simple Art Lessons Designed Especially for Beginners of All Ages...
16. Art History Renaissance to 20th Century
This is an actual college level course that is taught at several accredited colleges...
17. Learn to Create Pixel Art for your Games
Improve your pixel art with these simple techniques and principles...
18. Midjourney Mastery: Create Visually Stunning AI Art
Learn to master this revolutionary new medium and create impressive AI Art...
19. DALL•E Mastery: Create Impressive AI Art
Learn to master this revolutionary new art form and create visually stunning art...
20. Learn Professional Pixel Art & Animation for Games
Become an exquisite pixel artist and animator...
Top 10 most affordable universities for elementary art teachers
The most affordable schools for elementary art teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for elementary art 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 elementary art teachers.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 elementary art teachers
The hardest universities for elementary art teachers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for elementary art 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 elementary art 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
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 elementary art teachers
The easiest schools for elementary art teachers to get into are Barry University, felician university, and the university of texas permian basin.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an elementary art 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 elementary art teachers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
3. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average elementary art teacher salary by education level
| Elementary art teacher education level | Elementary art teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,025 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,731 |
| Doctorate Degree | $45,703 |
Elementary art teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025