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High school teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a high school teacher. High school teachers usually study education, general education, specific areas, or english. 68% of high school teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 11,673 real high school teacher resumes to see exactly what high school teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for high school teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online high school teacher courses to help get the education required to be a high school teacher.
There are certain high school teacher certifications that you should consider. These high school teacher certifications include Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).
What education do you need to become a high school teacher?
What degree do you need to be a high school teacher?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a high school teacher?
Most common colleges for high school teachers
| High school teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.37% |
| University of Florida | 6.78% |
| Brigham Young University | 5.95% |
| Arizona State University | 5.95% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.53% |
Best majors for high school teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | 15.3% |
| 2 | General Education, Specific Areas | 9.0% |
| 3 | English | 8.4% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 8.2% |
| 5 | Business | 8.1% |
Best colleges for high school teachers
The best colleges for high school teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A high school 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 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 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
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 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. 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...
3. Algebra 2 & Trigonometry: A Complete High School Curriculum
Includes videos and over 300 pages of quizzes/worksheets (answer keys provided!)...
4. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)
Informational content for educators and parents to learn about teaching and understanding exceptional children...
5. ICT in Primary Education: Transforming children's learning across the curriculum
Why and how are teachers integrating ICT (Information and Communication Technology) into primary education? In this course we analyse examples from schools in different parts of the world, and bring professional teachers, headteachers and policymakers together to share their best ideas and inspiring stories. The materials in the course are based on studies carried out for the UNESCO Institute of IT in Education, Moscow. Learning Outcomes: to be aware of the range of reasons for using ICT to...
6. 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,...
7. ADHD Study Skills For High School, College, & Grad School
Award-winning Psychotherapist with ADHD shares how to get those top grades & surprise yourself with your greatness!...
8. Implementing Positive Behaviour Management in the Classroom
Practical Strategies to Address Behaviour Issues in any Classroom...
9. 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...
10. 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...
11. My Google Classroom: Google Classroom Made Easy to Beginners
Master Google Classroom: Discover How to Successfully Setup and Start Teaching With Google Classroom in Minutes!...
12. TESOL Teacher Training: Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
Putting Theory Into Practice in the ESL/EFL Classroom...
13. 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...
14. How To Teach Us
Join High Tech High in this groundbreaking new course that follows the educational experiences of various students in our schools. We will will listen to them as they tell us How To Teach Us...
15. Physics - Kinematics for High School and AP Physics 1
This is a comprehensive Algebra based Mechanics course in physics specifically covering topics of Kinematics...
16. Teaching with Google Classroom
Learn how to create, use, and teach creative, memorable lessons using Google Classroom...
17. School Health for Children and Adolescents
Children and adolescents spend so much of their time in school regardless of where they live in the world. Health and learning are closely connected in the school setting, where good health and healthy practices create the optimal conditions for students’ academic success. And the contrary is also true: poor heath and unhealthy practices build tall barriers to student learning.\n\nThe courses of this specialization are designed to equip learners to manage common health conditions including...
18. Mathematics for Machine Learning
For a lot of higher level courses in Machine Learning and Data Science, you find you need to freshen up on the basics in mathematics - stuff you may have studied before in school or university, but which was taught in another context, or not very intuitively, such that you struggle to relate it to how it’s used in Computer Science. This specialization aims to bridge that gap, getting you up to speed in the underlying mathematics, building an intuitive understanding, and relating it to Machine...
19. Pre-Algebra Explained
Master Pre-Algebra with 700 Practice Questions! Prepare for High School Math: Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry...
20. The Beginner's Guide To Understanding Algebra 1 & Algebra 2
Master The Fundamentals of Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 and be ready to pass any test!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for high school teachers
The most affordable schools for high school 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 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 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. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
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. 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 teachers
The hardest universities for high school teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for high school 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 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
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 high school teachers
The easiest schools for high school 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 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 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. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
7. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
8. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
9. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
10. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
Average high school teacher salary by education level
| High school teacher education level | High school teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,032 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,229 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,707 |
High school teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025