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Teacher aide education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a teacher aide. Teacher aides usually study psychology, business, or early childhood education. 39% of teacher aides hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 65,046 real teacher aide resumes to see exactly what teacher aide education sections show.
The most common colleges for teacher aides are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online teacher aide courses to help get the education required to be a teacher aide.
There are certain teacher aide certifications that you should consider. These teacher aide certifications include Advanced First Aid & CPR and First Aid Certification.
What education do you need to become a teacher aide?
What degree do you need to be a teacher aide?
- Bachelor's, 39%
- High School Diploma, 26%
- Associate, 22%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a teacher aide?
- Psychology, 12%
- Business, 12%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for teacher aides
| Teacher aide common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 16.82% |
| Monroe College | 6.70% |
| Ashford University | 6.09% |
| Liberty University | 5.64% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 5.37% |
Best majors for teacher aides
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 11.8% |
| 2 | Business | 11.7% |
| 3 | Early Childhood Education | 8.5% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 6.7% |
| 5 | Education | 6.5% |
Best colleges for teacher aides
The best colleges for teacher aides are Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A teacher aide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for teacher aides. 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 teacher aides.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
8. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
20 best online courses for teacher aides
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15. First Aid, and Children's Health: Your Complete Guide
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19. Azure Active Directory: An Introduction to Azure AD
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20. First Aid: Learn How to Save a Life
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Top 10 most affordable universities for teacher aides
The most affordable schools for teacher aides are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for teacher aides 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 teacher aides.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for teacher aides
The hardest universities for teacher aides to get into are Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for teacher aides 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 teacher aides 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for teacher aides
The easiest schools for teacher aides to get into are Bluefield College, d'youville college, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a teacher aide 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 teacher aides.
1. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
Average teacher aide salary by education level
| Teacher aide education level | Teacher aide salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $33,436 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $30,684 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $31,574 |
| Doctorate Degree | $33,961 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $30,960 |
Teacher aide education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025