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Per diem substitute teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a per diem substitute teacher. Per diem substitute teachers usually study education, elementary education, or early childhood education. 63% of per diem substitute teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,097 real per diem substitute teacher resumes to see exactly what per diem substitute teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for per diem substitute teachers are the Long Island University and the Long Island University.
There are also many online per diem substitute teacher courses to help get the education required to be a per diem substitute teacher.
There are certain per diem substitute teacher certifications that you should consider. These per diem substitute teacher certifications include Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:) and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).
What education do you need to become a per diem substitute teacher?
What degree do you need to be a per diem substitute teacher?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a per diem substitute teacher?
- Education, 13%
- Elementary Education, 13%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for per diem substitute teachers
| Per diem substitute teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Long Island University | 11.20% |
| Adelphi University | 9.65% |
| Temple University | 8.11% |
| New York University | 6.95% |
| Hofstra University | 6.95% |
Best majors for per diem substitute teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | 13.5% |
| 2 | Elementary Education | 13.2% |
| 3 | Early Childhood Education | 9.1% |
| 4 | Special Education | 8.9% |
| 5 | English | 7.1% |
Best colleges for per diem substitute teachers
The best colleges for per diem substitute teachers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A per diem substitute 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 per diem substitute 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 per diem substitute teachers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for per diem substitute teachers
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1. 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...
2. 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...
3. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)
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4. Teacher Training - How to Teach Online - Remote Teaching 1Hr
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5. 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,...
6. Teaching Impacts of Technology in K-12 Education
2% That’s the estimate of how many high school students in all of California took a Computer Science class in 2015. And yet, computers and data are everywhere. Just consider a typical 24 hours in your life … how many different computer devices do you use? We all live in multiple digital worlds that are changing rapidly with new apps, devices, and data analyses offering a constant stream of innovations and technology integrations for our lives.\n\nAs it's an integral part of our lives, we’re...
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8. Outcome Based Education (OBE) & Academic Quality Assurance
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9. Breastfeeding and Adequate Substitutes
Ensuring adequate nutrition is essential for infants to reach their full potential, as early-life nutritional imbalances and deficiencies may result in detrimental and often irreversible adverse health consequences. "Breastfeeding and Adequate Substitutes" focuses on the important aspects of human milk composition, human lactation, breastfeeding practices, and the use of breastmilk substitutes. In addition to the theoretical and practical aspects of infant nutrition, we also provide the latest...
10. Critical Issues in Urban Education
Urban school reform in the United States is characterized by contentious, politicized debate. This course explores a set of critical issues in the education and educational reform space, with a focus on aspects of the field that have sparked controversy and polarized views. We will dig into these debates, situating them within the larger history of public education and school reform, and considering the viewpoints, the evidence, and translation of issues into educational policy. We will...
11. TESOL - Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Teaching Skills and Classroom Management...
12. TESOL Teacher Training: Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
Putting Theory Into Practice in the ESL/EFL Classroom...
13. 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...
14. 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...
15. Teaching with Google Classroom
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16. Implementing Positive Behaviour Management in the Classroom
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17. Preparation for CELTA Teacher Training
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18. Excel at Teaching English: Be a Better ESL Teacher
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19. Moodle: From Novice Teacher to Expert Online Educator
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20. Mindfulness for Life Coaching Success: Teacher Certificate
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Top 10 most affordable universities for per diem substitute teachers
The most affordable schools for per diem substitute 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 per diem substitute 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 per diem substitute 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for per diem substitute teachers
The hardest universities for per diem substitute teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for per diem substitute 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 per diem substitute 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for per diem substitute teachers
The easiest schools for per diem substitute teachers to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a per diem substitute 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 per diem substitute teachers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average per diem substitute teacher salary by education level
| Per diem substitute teacher education level | Per diem substitute teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,129 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,098 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $37,918 |
| Doctorate Degree | $42,001 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,908 |
Per diem substitute teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025