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Substitute instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a substitute instructor. Substitute instructors usually study business, psychology, or education. 59% of substitute instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,305 real substitute instructor resumes to see exactly what substitute instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for substitute instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online substitute instructor courses to help get the education required to be a substitute instructor.
There are certain substitute instructor certifications that you should consider. These substitute instructor certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Instructor.
What education do you need to become a substitute instructor?
What degree do you need to be a substitute instructor?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a substitute instructor?
- Business, 13%
- Psychology, 11%
- Education, 9%
- Other Majors, 59%
Most common colleges for substitute instructors
| Substitute instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.93% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.03% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.03% |
| Webster University | 5.17% |
| Kent State University | 5.17% |
Best majors for substitute instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 13.5% |
| 2 | Psychology | 10.8% |
| 3 | Education | 8.7% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 7.9% |
| 5 | English | 7.7% |
Best colleges for substitute instructors
The best colleges for substitute instructors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
A substitute instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for substitute instructors. 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 substitute instructors.
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for substitute instructors
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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...
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Top 10 most affordable universities for substitute instructors
The most affordable schools for substitute instructors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for substitute instructors 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 substitute instructors.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
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 - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for substitute instructors
The hardest universities for substitute instructors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for substitute instructors 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 substitute instructors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for substitute instructors
The easiest schools for substitute instructors to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a substitute instructor 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 substitute instructors.
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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
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 substitute instructor salary by education level
| Substitute instructor education level | Substitute instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,890 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,412 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,929 |
| Doctorate Degree | $40,543 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,029 |
Substitute instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025