Best universities in the US for education degrees 2024

By Joy.Hunter@tim…, 7 December, 2023

Top 10 universities in the US for education degrees 2024

Scroll down for the full list of best universities in the US for education degrees

US education rank 2024  Education rank 2024  University State
1  1  University of California, Berkeley California
2  2  Stanford University California
3  5  Harvard University Massachusetts
4  8  University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Michigan
5  10  University of California, Los Angeles California
6  13  Michigan State University Michigan
7  17  University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin
8  18  University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
9  22  New York University New York
10  24  University of Texas at Austin Texas

To become a teacher in the US, you must be licensed by the state in which you want to teach, and most teacher-training courses begin at the postgraduate level. Aspiring teachers will often complete an undergraduate degree in any subject, then enrol in an accredited teacher programme. 

However, education can also be studied at many levels beyond teacher training. Education as an academic discipline brings together fields such as sociology, politics, history and psychology to investigate a broad range of education-related problems, from social mobility to international policy. Some universities offer undergraduate education courses as majors or minors. 

Below are the best universities for education degrees in the US. 

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5. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

The education and social transformation major at UCLA analyses issues in education through social justice. An education studies minor can also be taken at an undergraduate level, aiming to give students an understanding of the research issues in education and the politics behind American education policies.

There are also five academic master’s and doctoral degrees in education on offer at UCLA covering topics such as higher education and organisational change, human development and psychology, social research and methodology, social sciences and comparative education and urban schooling. All courses are offered at both the MA and PhD level, except urban schooling, which is limited to a PhD.

Postgraduate students can take professional education degrees, either a master’s of education (MEd) or a doctor of education (EdD), which range in duration from one to two years.

4. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor offers two bachelor’s degrees in education, covering elementary or secondary education. The elementary programme awards students with a bachelor’s degree in education. The secondary programme is three terms long, beginning in a student’s junior year, allowing them to graduate with both an undergraduate degree and a secondary teacher certification.

Postgraduate courses include a master’s in higher education, which looks at institutional research, public policy, and student access and success. The educational studies programme offers courses in design and technologies for learning among a range of other topics.

The doctor of philosophy programme focuses on education and psychology, educational studies, English and education, or higher education. Past graduates have gone on to work as education consultants, policymakers and research specialists.

3. Harvard University

 Harvard University mainly offers education courses at a postgraduate level, but students can also choose classes relating to education as an undergraduate.

Students enrolled in a master’s programme choose one programme to develop a specific expertise. Programmes include education policy and analysis; education leadership, organisations and entrepreneurship; human development and education; and learning design, innovation and technology.

Harvard offers two main education doctoral degrees: the three-year practice-based doctor of education leadership programme, and the five-year doctor of philosophy in education programme, which focuses on research and its impacts.

Since 2018, Harvard undergraduate students have been able to take secondary classes in educational studies. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences offers foundational courses for students wishing to pursue this option, including education in the economy, the social responsibilities of universities, and education and culture.

What can you do with an education degree?

2. Stanford University

Stanford University offers several pathways to study education. The undergraduate minor in education provides students with an introduction to the subject through research, theory and practice. It is usually taken by those who wish to pursue a postgraduate degree in the field.

Undergraduates can also choose to take an honour’s programme to apply their chosen major to education. This option will include taking additional courses and producing a thesis relating to an educational issue.

Full-time master’s courses in education include the Stanford Teacher Education Program, as well as curriculum and teacher education, policy, organisation and leadership studies, learning, design and technology, international comparative education and education data science. Master’s courses range in length from nine to 18 months.

There are several doctoral education programmes on offer, in which all students undertake a research apprenticeship. Several programmes can be chosen, including elementary education, teacher education and sociology of education.

1. University of California, Berkeley

Similar to other US universities, the University of California, Berkeley does not offer an undergraduate education major, but students can opt for a minor in education. Full education courses are then offered from a postgraduate level through the Graduate School of Education.

The master’s degrees offered can be completed via two routes, either through 20 semester units and a master’s thesis, or through 24 semester units and a written exam.

There are two doctoral-level education degrees. The doctorate of philosophy programme is geared towards those interested in research, whereas the doctorate of education degree is better suited to those seeking an advanced professional career in education. The latter focuses on educational leadership, human development and programme evaluation and assessment, and usually includes two years of field-based coursework.

Best universities in the US for education degrees 2024

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024 results

US education rank 2024  Education rank 2024  University State
1  1  University of California, Berkeley California
2  2  Stanford University California
3  5  Harvard University Massachusetts
4  8  University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Michigan
5  10  University of California, Los Angeles California
6  13  Michigan State University Michigan
7  17  University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin
8  18  University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
9  22  New York University New York
10  24  University of Texas at Austin Texas
11  26  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Illinois
12  27  Vanderbilt University Tennessee
13  29  University of Washington Washington
14  30  Johns Hopkins University Maryland
15  31  Ohio State University (Main campus) Ohio
16  34  Boston College Massachusetts
17  39  Penn State (Main campus) Pennsylvania
18  42  University of California, Irvine California
19  46  University of California, San Diego California
20  47  University of Maryland, College Park Maryland
21  =51  Florida State University Florida
22  =51  Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana
23  54  Texas A&M University Texas
24  =55  University of Southern California California
25  =57  Arizona State University (Tempe) Arizona
26  60  Indiana University Indiana
27  63  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina
28  =64  University of Massachusetts Massachusetts
29  =68  University of Florida Florida
=30  =72  Brown University Rhode Island
=30  =72  University of Colorado Boulder Colorado
32  =77  University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh campus Pennsylvania
33  81  University of Virginia (Main campus) Virginia
34  89  University of Georgia Georgia
=35  101–125  University of Arizona Arizona
=35  101–125  University of California, Santa Barbara California
=35  101–125  University of Illinois Chicago Illinois
=35  101–125  University of Iowa Iowa
=35  101–125  University of Minnesota Minnesota
=35  101–125  University of Rochester Rochester
=41  126–150  Georgia State University Georgia
=41  126–150  University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Hawai'i
=41  126–150  University of Kansas Kansas
=41  126–150  North Carolina State University North Carolina
=41  126–150  Tufts University Massachusetts
=41  126–150  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia
=47  151–175  Boston University Massachusetts
=47  151–175  University of California, Davis California
=47  151–175  University of Central Florida Florida
=47  151–175  University of Connecticut Connecticut
=51  176–200  University at Buffalo New York
=51  176–200  University of California, Santa Cruz California
=51  176–200  University of Delaware Delaware
=51  176–200  Iowa State University Iowa
=51  176–200  Mizzou - University of Missouri Missouri
=51  176–200  Syracuse University New York
=57  201–250  University of California, Riverside California
=57  201–250  University of Denver Colorado
=57  201–250  Florida International University Florida
=57  201–250  George Washington University Washington DC
=57  201–250  University of Houston Texas
=57  201–250  University of Kentucky Kentucky
=57  201–250  University of Nebraska-Lincoln Nebraska
=57  201–250  University of South Florida Florida
=57  201–250  Temple University Pennsylvania
=66  251–300  University of Miami Florida
=66  251–300  University of North Carolina at Charlotte North Carolina
=66  251–300  University of Notre Dame Indiana
=66  251–300  University of Oregon Oregon
=66  251–300  University of South Carolina-Columbia South Carolina
=66  251–300  University of Utah Utah
=66  251–300  Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia
=66  251–300  Washington State University Washington
=74  301–400  University of Alabama Alabama
=74  301–400  University of Arkansas Arkansas
=74  301–400  Auburn University Alabama
=74  301–400  Baylor University Texas
=74  301–400  Chapman University California
=74  301–400  University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Colorado
=74  301–400  Drexel University Pennsylvania
=74  301–400  Florida Atlantic University Florida
=74  301–400  George Mason University Virginia
=74  301–400  Howard University Washington DC
=74  301–400  Louisiana State University Louisiana
=74  301–400  University of Maryland, Baltimore County Maryland
=74  301–400  University of Memphis Tennessee
=74  301–400  University of Nevada, Las Vegas Nevada
=74  301–400  Northern Illinois University Illinois
=74  301–400  Oklahoma State University Oklahoma
=74  301–400  Old Dominion University Virginia
=74  301–400  Portland State University Oregon
=74  301–400  San Diego State University California
=74  301–400  The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Tennessee
=74  301–400  The University of Texas at San Antonio Texas
=74  301–400  Texas Tech University Texas
=74  301–400  William & Mary Virginia
=74  301–400  University of Wyoming Wyoming
=98  401–500  Adelphi University New York
=98  401–500  Colorado State University, Fort Collins Colorado
=98  401–500  Kansas State University Kansas
=98  401–500  Lehigh University Pennsylvania
=98  401–500  Mississippi State University Mississippi
=98  401–500  New Mexico State University (Main campus) New Mexico
=98  401–500  Oakland University Michigan
=98  401–500  Ohio University (Main campus) Ohio
=98  401–500  Saint Louis University Missouri
=98  401–500  SUNY Binghamton University New York
=98  401–500  University of Texas at Arlington Texas
=98  401–500  University of Toledo Ohio
=98  401–500  Wayne State University Michigan
=98  401–500  Western Michigan University Michigan
=112  501–600  Bowling Green State University Ohio
=112  501–600  Central Michigan University Michigan
=112  501–600  Georgia Southern University Georgia
=112  501–600  Marquette University Wisconsin
=112  501–600  Montana State University Montana
=112  501–600  University of Rhode Island Rhode Island
=112  501–600  Rowan University New Jersey
=112  501–600  University of Texas at El Paso Texas
=112  501–600  Texas State University Texas
=112  501–600  Wake Forest University North Carolina
=122  601+  College of Charleston South Carolina
=122  601+  Nova Southeastern University Florida
=122  601+  University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Texas

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Explore the best universities in the US for education degrees, using data from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024

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