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High school social studies teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a high school social studies teacher. High school social studies teachers usually study history, education, or elementary education. 70% of high school social studies teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 146 real high school social studies teacher resumes to see exactly what high school social studies teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for high school social studies teachers are the Southeast Missouri State University and the Southeast Missouri State University.
There are also many online high school social studies teacher courses to help get the education required to be a high school social studies teacher.
What education do you need to become a high school social studies teacher?
What degree do you need to be a high school social studies teacher?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 3%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a high school social studies teacher?
Most common colleges for high school social studies teachers
| High school social studies teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Southeast Missouri State University | 5.88% |
| Harvard University | 5.88% |
| Tulane University | 5.88% |
| Liberty University | 5.88% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.88% |
Best majors for high school social studies teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | History | 20.4% |
| 2 | Education | 12.6% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 8.7% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 7.8% |
| 5 | Political Science | 5.8% |
Best colleges for high school social studies teachers
The best colleges for high school social studies teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A high school social studies 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 social studies 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 social studies 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
20 best online courses for high school social studies teachers
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Ever wonder why people do what they do? This course—which includes more than $1,000 of video and reading materials—offers some answers based on the latest research from social psychology. Students taking the course for a Certificate will also receive free membership in Social Psychology Network (SocialPsychology.org). COURSE DESCRIPTION FROM PROFESSOR PLOUS: Each of us is dealt a different hand in life, but we all face similar questions when it comes to human behavior: What leads us to like one...
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Top 10 most affordable universities for high school social studies teachers
The most affordable schools for high school social studies 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 social studies 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 social studies 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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for high school social studies teachers
The hardest universities for high school social studies teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for high school social studies 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 social studies 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for high school social studies teachers
The easiest schools for high school social studies teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a high school social studies 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 social studies 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. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
6. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average high school social studies teacher salary by education level
| High school social studies teacher education level | High school social studies teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,005 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,653 |
| Doctorate Degree | $57,650 |
High school social studies teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025