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Geography teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a geography teacher. Geography teachers usually study geography, history, or elementary education. 66% of geography teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 336 real geography teacher resumes to see exactly what geography teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for geography teachers are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.
There are also many online geography teacher courses to help get the education required to be a geography teacher.
What education do you need to become a geography teacher?
What degree do you need to be a geography teacher?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 4%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a geography teacher?
- Geography, 21%
- History, 13%
- Elementary Education, 11%
- Education, 10%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for geography teachers
| Geography teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida State University | 12.50% |
| University of Florida | 6.25% |
| Illinois State University | 6.25% |
| Western Washington University | 6.25% |
| Mount St. Joseph University | 6.25% |
Best majors for geography teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geography | 21.2% |
| 2 | History | 13.4% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 10.8% |
| 4 | Education | 9.5% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 5.6% |
Best colleges for geography teachers
The best colleges for geography teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A geography 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 geography 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 geography teachers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
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. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for geography teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for geography teachers
The most affordable schools for geography teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for geography 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 geography 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
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 geography teachers
The hardest universities for geography teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for geography 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 geography 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for geography teachers
The easiest schools for geography teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, san francisco state university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a geography 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 geography teachers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
6. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
7. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
10. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
Average geography teacher salary by education level
| Geography teacher education level | Geography teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,678 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,797 |
| Doctorate Degree | $70,500 |
Geography teacher 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