Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Head teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a head teacher. Head teachers usually study early childhood education, elementary education, or psychology. 57% of head teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 13,879 real head teacher resumes to see exactly what head teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for head teachers are the Southern Connecticut State University and the Southern Connecticut State University.
There are also many online head teacher courses to help get the education required to be a head teacher.
There are certain head teacher certifications that you should consider. These head teacher certifications include Child Development Associate (CDA) and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).
What education do you need to become a head teacher?
What degree do you need to be a head teacher?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 14%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a head teacher?
- Elementary Education, 11%
- Psychology, 10%
- Education, 9%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for head teachers
| Head teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Southern Connecticut State University | 7.57% |
| Touro College | 7.30% |
| New York University | 6.41% |
| Montclair State University | 6.41% |
| City College of New York of the City University of New York, The | 5.88% |
Best majors for head teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early Childhood Education | 21.7% |
| 2 | Elementary Education | 11.3% |
| 3 | Psychology | 10.4% |
| 4 | Education | 9.4% |
| 5 | Human Development | 7.6% |
Best colleges for head teachers
The best colleges for head teachers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A head 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 head 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 head teachers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
20 best online courses for head teachers
Advertising disclosure
1. The Teacher and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social and emotional learning, or SEL, programs have flourished in schools during the last decade. These programs vary widely but most share a concern for five individual, student competencies: self awareness; self-management; social awareness; relationship skills; and finally responsible decision making. It is important for teachers and parents to know about and understand these programs. While lots of SEL programs emphasize K-12 student social and emotional learning, only a very few programs...
2. Educating Deaf Children: Becoming an Empowered Teacher
Many Deaf children around the world still leave school functionally illiterate. In some cases, there is no allowance made for the education of Deaf children at all. This 4-week course provides you with invaluable knowledge and skills about teaching Deaf children. You will learn about the importance of Deaf culture and community, the need for a language-rich environment for the Deaf child from as young as possible, and that having access to sign language can help Deaf children academically,...
3. TESOL Teacher Training: Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
Putting Theory Into Practice in the ESL/EFL Classroom...
4. Preparation for CELTA Teacher Training
Learn the skills required to succeed in your CELTA training - gain practice in lesson planning and writing assignments!!...
5. THINK GLOBAL: TEACHERS TRAINING COURSE (IDP-ICE)
A group of seven European partners from Catalonia, Belgium, and Wales worked together on the Erasmus+ funded ‘Think Global’ project on global competence. The project seeks to address the following research question through development and piloting of practical classroom activities: What is global competence, and how can it be learned effectively? The Think Global project explores, through international collaboration, how global competence is defined, taught, learned, and measured in the...
6. Get Organized: How to be a Together Teacher
This course is designed for classroom teachers who juggle time-sensitive tasks and often-exhausting teaching schedules. With an eye toward long-term sustainability, The Together Teacher examines the purpose for planning ahead, provides tools for tracking time commitments, deadlines and tasks, and helps teachers develop a personal organization system that interacts with their day-by-day practices. All teachers, from the pen & paper list maker to the tech-savvy digital maven, will benefit from...
7. Mindfulness for Life Coaching Success: Teacher Certificate
Transform Lives with Mindfulness & Meditation: Accredited Life Coach Teacher Certificate (2023)...
8. Implementing Positive Behaviour Management in the Classroom
Practical Strategies to Address Behaviour Issues in any Classroom...
9. 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...
10. Virtual Teacher Final Project
The Final Project will be a hands-on, comprehensive project that practitioners of virtual education can implement in their profession. For this final project, learners will draft a design plan for an online learning module utilizing materials learned from the virtual teacher series. Learners will choose the subject matter, method of delivery, tools, instructional strategies, and assessments, with the goal of creating a module of online or blended instruction that meets the needs of their...
11. Mindfulness Teacher Training Certificate
Become a certified mindfulness teacher with this accredited mindfulness teacher training programme...
12. Mind Maps/ Mind Mapping for Teachers, Trainers, & Presenters
Using Mind Mapping to Plan>Rehearse >Teach brain-friendly lessons, broadcasts or webinars (Mind Maps,Memory,Mindmapping)...
13. ELL Success in the Content Classroom: Teacher Toolbox Series
Plan lessons, activities and assessment with the ELL in mind, and create an engaging and welcoming environment for the ELL and their families.\n\nThis Specialization covers lesson planning and assessing with the ELL in mind as well as engaging the ELL student and their families in the school and community. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills you learned by creating an annotated lesson plan and assessment with appropriate modifications for the ELL students. You will also...
14. ESG and Social Activism
In this course, you will get an overview of the impact of contemporary ESG ratings and how a company balances ESG issues against its financial performance. You will evaluate the effectiveness of corporate authenticity and the impacts of politics when building corporate ESG policy. You will also learn about social activism’s ability to disrupt markets, and the roles that stakeholders play when dealing with financial markets. Next, you will learn about corporate Boards, and the importance of...
15. Excel at Teaching English: Be a Better ESL Teacher
Increase Understanding, Increase Productivity, Increase Teacher and Learner Satisfaction...
16. Teacher Training - How to Teach Online - Remote Teaching 1Hr
Crash Course! Learn to Teach Online. Coronavirus Has Now Made Online and Remote Teaching a Necessary Teaching Skill...
17. Outcome Based Education (OBE) & Academic Quality Assurance
Master Course for Teachers' Development: Grow Your Teaching-Learning Expertise to World-Class Level...
18. [Active Directory] Management using Windows PowerShell
[Power Shell] Simplified practical knowledge for automation & management of [Active Directory] using Windows Power Shell...
19. Professional Accredited Yoga Teacher Training Diploma Course
Full Certification Diploma Course to Learn the In depth techniques of Yoga to teach to Students & Groups!...
20. Pilates Teacher Training & CPD Certification
Become a Classical Mat Pilates instructor with this accredited training course...
Top 10 most affordable universities for head teachers
The most affordable schools for head teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for head 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 head 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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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 head teachers
The hardest universities for head teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for head 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 head 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for head teachers
The easiest schools for head teachers 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 head 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 head teachers.
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. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
Average head teacher salary by education level
| Head teacher education level | Head teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $64,251 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,372 |
| Doctorate Degree | $63,567 |
Head teacher education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
Search for head teacher jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025