Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
General education instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a general education instructor. General education instructors usually study business, english, or psychology. 53% of general education instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,014 real general education instructor resumes to see exactly what general education instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for general education instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online general education instructor courses to help get the education required to be a general education instructor.
What education do you need to become a general education instructor?
What degree do you need to be a general education instructor?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Master's, 30%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a general education instructor?
- Business, 15%
- English, 14%
- Psychology, 9%
- Education, 8%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for general education instructors
| General education instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 18.57% |
| National University | 6.43% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.71% |
| Troy University | 5.71% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 5.71% |
Best majors for general education instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 14.7% |
| 2 | English | 14.1% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.9% |
| 4 | Education | 7.7% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 7.5% |
Best colleges for general education instructors
The best colleges for general education instructors are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A general education 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 general education 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 general education instructors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for general education instructors
Advertising disclosure
1. Instructional Methods in Health Professions Education
This course provides those involved in educating members of the health professions an asynchronous, interdisciplinary, and interactive way to obtain, expand, and improve their teaching skills. These skills can then be applied within their own professional context, with a variety of learners, extending across many stages. After completing this course, learners will: 1. Understand educational theory as it relates to health professions education 2. Match instructional methods with desired...
2. Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom
Welcome to Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you apply strategies to the critical areas of K-12 virtual instruction to significantly impact virtual education. We will examine the pitfalls beginning teachers run into and learn how to overcome them by focusing on the fundamentals that have the greatest impact on student learning in a blended or online environment. By the end of the course, you will be able to empower your students to be voracious...
3. The complete Instructional Designer course
Learn the skills to become an e Learning Instructional Designer for Corporate Learning and Development...
4. Instructional Design for Classroom Training
Design effective and engaging in-person classroom training sessions and learning experiences from scratch...
5. Music Education for Teachers
In the Music Education for Teachers specialization, you will explore ways of integrating popular music into your teaching. You'll begin by learning from two highly experienced teachers, Krystal Banfield, the Vice President of Educational Outreach for Berklee College of Music, and David Alexis a Berklee Professor and long-time instructor for the Berklee City Music Program. They will take you through their process of incorporating popular music, improvisation, arranging, and music technology into...
6. Online Learning Design for Educators
This specialization is for educators seeking to improve and expand their repertoire of online teaching skills related to the design, development and delivery of effective and engaging online courses and lessons for school age and adult learners.\n\nLearning in the 21st century no longer takes place exclusively between the four walls of a physical classroom. With advances in technology, learners now expect to be offered flexible study modes outside of the traditional face-to-face model. This...
7. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)
Informational content for educators and parents to learn about teaching and understanding exceptional children...
8. Instructional Design for ELearning
Designing Successful ELearning Courses. Learn from a multi-award-winning instructional designer...
9. Instructional Planning with Genially
Genially is “the tool that brings content to life.” Genially allows you to map out a learning journey for your students using high interest images and interactive tools. But did you know that Genially is also a wonderful tool for organizing your lessons and units. With Genially, you can plan and organize your units in one central place, simplifying your planning process with templates created with teachers in mind! Throughout this project, we will work together to build your confidence using...
10. Instructional Design Pro (Part 1): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
11. Instructional Design Pro (Part 3): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
12. Instructional Design for Corporate Learning and Development
Giving you the tools to design and deliver on-point, effective corporate training programs...
13. Career Coaching Certification in Career Development Coaching
Career Coaching Practitioner Course Graduates Ready-To-Work Professionals in Holistic Career Development Career Coaching...
14. Instructional Design Pro (Part 2): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
15. Complete Google Classroom Course: Teaching Google Classroom
Mastering the Art of Teaching with Google Classroom - Teaching Online with Google Classroom - Google Certified Educator...
16. Intuitive Curriculum Development: Make it Easy to Understand
A Time-Tested and Research Based Approach To Making Difficult Concepts Easy To Understand...
17. Elearning 2023: Create & Sell Online Courses
Instructional design to create online courses or teach online on Thinkific Elearning. Create an online course & sell...
18. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service
Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...
19. Lead Generation & Business Development with Dekker Fraser
Customer Acquisition, B2B Marketing, Sales Funnels, Business Development, Demand Generation, Sales Funnel Marketing...
20. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First
Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...
Top 10 most affordable universities for general education instructors
The most affordable schools for general education instructors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for general education 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 general education instructors.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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 - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
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. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for general education instructors
The hardest universities for general education instructors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for general education 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 general education 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for general education instructors
The easiest schools for general education instructors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a general education 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 general education instructors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
6. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average general education instructor salary by education level
| General education instructor education level | General education instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,475 |
| Doctorate Degree | $67,748 |
General education instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
Search for general education instructor jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025