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Teaching aide education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a teaching aide. Teaching aides usually study psychology, business, or biology. 63% of teaching aides hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 814 real teaching aide resumes to see exactly what teaching aide education sections show.

The most common colleges for teaching aides are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

There are also many online teaching aide courses to help get the education required to be a teaching aide.

There are certain teaching aide certifications that you should consider. These teaching aide certifications include Advanced First Aid & CPR and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).

What education do you need to become a teaching aide?

What degree do you need to be a teaching aide?

The most common degree for teaching aides is bachelor's degree, with 63% of teaching aides earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Associate, 15%
  • High School Diploma, 11%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a teaching aide?

You should major in psychology to become a teaching aide. 18% of teaching aides major in psychology. Other common majors for a teaching aide include business and biology.

Most common colleges for teaching aides

Teaching aides often get their degrees at Ohio State University, University of Illinois at Chicago, and California State University - San Bernardino. Here are the most common colleges for teaching aides in the US based on their resumes.
Teaching aide common collegePercentages
Ohio State University13.79%
University of Illinois at Chicago6.90%
California State University - San Bernardino6.90%
Syracuse University5.75%
Arizona State University5.75%

Best majors for teaching aides

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology18.3%
2Business7.4%
3Biology7.0%
4Liberal Arts5.8%
5Elementary Education5.4%

Best colleges for teaching aides

The best colleges for teaching aides are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.

A teaching 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 teaching 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 teaching 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

9. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for teaching aides

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6. Home Health Aide, Nurse Aide, Caregiver Certification Course

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12. TEFL Essentials: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

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Includes reusable TEFL teaching materials Suitable for CELTA preparation...

13. Implementing Positive Behaviour Management in the Classroom

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14. Preparation for CELTA Teacher Training

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Learn the skills required to succeed in your CELTA training - gain practice in lesson planning and writing assignments!!...

15. First Aid Masterclass: A Complete Guide to First Aid

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16. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)

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17. Skills Upgrade: Teach Business English (Language Teaching)

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19. Pet First Aid (Advanced)

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20. Teach English Online: find students and start teaching now

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The complete guide for anyone who wants to start a freelance career teaching English online...

Top 10 most affordable universities for teaching aides

The most affordable schools for teaching aides are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for teaching 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 teaching 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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

9. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Cost of attendance

24,514

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 teaching aides

The hardest universities for teaching aides to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for teaching 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 teaching 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,465

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for teaching aides

The easiest schools for teaching aides to get into are Bluefield College, notre dame de namur university, and life university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a teaching 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 teaching aides.

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average teaching aide salary by education level

According to our data, teaching aides with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $35,255 annually. Teaching aides with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $34,726.
Teaching aide education levelTeaching aide salary
Master's Degree$34,726
High School Diploma or Less$31,946
Bachelor's Degree$32,846
Doctorate Degree$35,255
Some College/ Associate Degree$32,226

Teaching aide 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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