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Middle school math teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a middle school math teacher. Middle school math teachers usually study elementary education, education, or mathematics. 70% of middle school math teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,403 real middle school math teacher resumes to see exactly what middle school math teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for middle school math teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online middle school math teacher courses to help get the education required to be a middle school math teacher.

What education do you need to become a middle school math teacher?

What degree do you need to be a middle school math teacher?

The most common degree for middle school math teachers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of middle school math teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 25% and master's degree degree at 3%.
  • Bachelor's, 70%
  • Master's, 25%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a middle school math teacher?

You should major in elementary education to become a middle school math teacher. 23% of middle school math teachers major in elementary education. Other common majors for a middle school math teacher include education and mathematics.

Most common colleges for middle school math teachers

Middle school math teachers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Florida State University, and University of South Florida. Here are the most common colleges for middle school math teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Middle school math teacher common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix11.80%
Florida State University8.07%
University of South Florida6.83%
Central State University5.59%
Eastern Michigan University4.97%

Best majors for middle school math teachers

Best colleges for middle school math teachers

The best colleges for middle school math teachers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

A middle school math 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 middle school math 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 middle school math teachers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

In-state tuition

$55,466

Enrollment

6,752

10. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

20 best online courses for middle school math teachers

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5. Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom

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6. Instructional Planning with Genially

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Top 10 most affordable universities for middle school math teachers

The most affordable schools for middle school math teachers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for middle school math 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 middle school math teachers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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 - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for middle school math teachers

The hardest universities for middle school math teachers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for middle school math 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 middle school math 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

7. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for middle school math teachers

The easiest schools for middle school math 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 middle school math 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 middle school math 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. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average middle school math teacher salary by education level

Middle school math teachers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $56,276 annually. With a Doctorate degree, middle school math teachers earn a median annual income of $55,829 compared to $47,084 for middle school math teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
Middle school math teacher education levelMiddle school math teacher salary
Master's Degree$56,276
Bachelor's Degree$47,084
Doctorate Degree$55,829

Middle school math teacher education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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