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High school history teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a high school history teacher. High school history teachers usually study history, education, or secondary education and teaching. 73% of high school history teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 369 real high school history teacher resumes to see exactly what high school history teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for high school history teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online high school history teacher courses to help get the education required to be a high school history teacher.
What education do you need to become a high school history teacher?
What degree do you need to be a high school history teacher?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 2%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a high school history teacher?
Most common colleges for high school history teachers
| High school history teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.32% |
| University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus | 7.55% |
| Bob Jones University | 7.55% |
| University of Connecticut | 5.66% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.66% |
Best majors for high school history teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | History | 28.3% |
| 2 | Education | 17.2% |
| 3 | Secondary Education And Teaching | 7.9% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 5.0% |
| 5 | Political Science | 5.0% |
Best colleges for high school history teachers
The best colleges for high school history teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A high school history 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 high school history 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 high school history 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for high school history teachers
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1. American Education Reform: History, Policy, Practice
Discover what shapes how we talk about schools today by exploring the history of U.S. education reform. Engage with the main actors, key decisions, and major turning points in this history. See how social forces drive reform. Learn about how the critical tensions embedded in U.S. education policy and practice apply to schools nationally, globally— and where you live...
2. Ukraine: History, Culture and Identities
Explore the history, culture and society of the people of Ukraine from the Middle Ages to the present in this introductory course developed by the Ukrainian Institute, educational studio EdEra, and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and offered on Coursera in cooperation with the University of Washington. The culture and identities of Ukrainian people have existed in this region for more than a thousand years. Like most Eastern European countries, Ukraine is a rather young country —...
3. US / United States History - Prehistory to Reconstruction
Uncover the political and social roots of the U.S. with this comprehensive guide to Early American History...
4. Lectures on Greek History and Culture
A series of lectures for beginners in Greek history, culture, and philosophy...
5. American History Through Baseball
This specialization is intended for those interested in sports marketing, sports administration, the MLB, and American culture & globalization. It is highly beneficial to those interested in American history and fans of baseball. Throughout the four courses, learners will track American history and baseball history side-by-side...
6. History of Mental Illness
Our lexicon of mental illness is immense: There currently are hundreds of classified disorders and an extensive assortment of medications and therapies. This course explores the history of this productive science -- its discoveries, classifications, and treatments of psychiatric distress. The excursion begins with a general introduction and proceeds to explore 4 kinds of mental illness: neurasthenia, depression, attention deficits (ADD/ADHD), and narcissism. Each kind is examined in terms of...
7. Art History Prehistory to the Renaissance
This is an actual college level course that is taught at several accredited colleges...
8. Art History Renaissance to 20th Century
This is an actual college level course that is taught at several accredited colleges...
9. A Brief History of Human Spaceflight
This course provides a view of the history of spaceflight, from early writings telling of human's fascination of space through the early Russian and American space stations. Developed as an interesting and entertaining slice of space history that is accessible to anyone with an interest in human spaceflight...
10. History of Rock, Part One
This course, part 1 of a 2-course sequence, examines the history of rock, primarily as it unfolded in the United States, from the days before rock (pre-1955) to the end of the 1960s. This course covers the music of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Phil Spector, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and many more artists, with an emphasis both on cultural context and on the music itself. We will also explore how developments in the music business and in technology helped...
11. Outcome Based Education (OBE) & Academic Quality Assurance
Master Course for Teachers' Development: Grow Your Teaching-Learning Expertise to World-Class Level...
12. Algebra 2 & Trigonometry: A Complete High School Curriculum
Includes videos and over 300 pages of quizzes/worksheets (answer keys provided!)...
13. The Modern World, Part Two: Global History since 1910
This is a survey of modern history from a global perspective. Part Two begins early in the twentieth century, as older ways of doing things and habits of thought give way. What follows is an era of cataclysmic struggles over what ideas and institutions will take their place. The course concludes in the present day, as communities everywhere are transitioning into a new era of world history. Again we work hard to grasp what is happening and ask: Why? Again we are drawn to pivotal choices made at...
14. Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom
Welcome to Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you effectively assess student performance virtually, including compliance issues, feedback models, online grade book functions, and data analysis. We will discuss why effective measures of performance and assessment are a crucial component of any virtual program, and the importance of teachers and administrators understanding both the myths and challenges of assessing performance virtually, administering...
15. The Complete History of Music, COMPLETE: Parts 1, 2, and 3
The origins of Western music taught through examples, conversation, and context...
16. 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)...
17. 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...
18. Big History - From the Big Bang until Today
Welcome to this Big History course! In this course, renowned scientists and scholars from the University of Amsterdam and beyond will take you on a journey from the Big Bang until today while addressing key questions in their fields. After completing this journey you will have developed a better understanding of how you and everything around you became the way they are today. You will also have gained an understanding of the underlying mechanisms that have helped shape the history of everything...
19. Preparation for CELTA Teacher Training
Learn the skills required to succeed in your CELTA training - gain practice in lesson planning and writing assignments!!...
20. 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...
Top 10 most affordable universities for high school history teachers
The most affordable schools for high school history 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 high school history 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 high school history 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. 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. 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 - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
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 high school history teachers
The hardest universities for high school history teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for high school history 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 high school history 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for high school history teachers
The easiest schools for high school history teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a high school history 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 high school history teachers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
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. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
9. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
10. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
Average high school history teacher salary by education level
| High school history teacher education level | High school history teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,564 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,745 |
| Doctorate Degree | $56,170 |
High school history teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025