Best universities in the US for education degrees

Top 10 U.S. Universities for Education Degrees in 2024
Scroll down for the full list of the best education-degree schools in the U.S.

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

Becoming a Teacher in the U.S.

To teach in the U.S., you need a state license. Most teacher-training programs start at the graduate level. Typically, you’d do your undergrad in any field, then join an accredited teaching program.

But education isn’t only about teacher prep. It’s an academic discipline that connects sociology, politics, history, and psychology to explore topics like social mobility and global policy. Some universities even offer undergraduate majors or minors in education.

Why Education Is So Broad

Studying education means diving into big-picture questions—from social mobility to international policy—using methods from social science, psychology, history, and more. And while many schools focus on teacher certification, others let undergrads major or minor in education studies.

The Best U.S. Universities for Education Degrees

5. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

The Education & Social Transformation major at UCLA explores education issues through the lens of social justice. Undergraduates can minor in Education Studies, which covers research challenges and the politics behind U.S. education.

Grad students have five master’s and doctoral education options, such as higher education and organizational change, human development and psychology, social research and methods, social sciences and comparative education, and urban schooling (PhD only).

If you’re going the professional route, there’s an MEd or EdD that lasts between one and two years.

4. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

Michigan–Ann Arbor offers two bachelor’s education paths: elementary or secondary. The elementary track gives you a BA in education, while the secondary path starts in junior year and leads to both a degree and secondary teaching certification.

Grad programs include a Master’s in Higher Education (covering institutional research, policy, and student access), Education Studies (with courses on learning design and tech), and a PhD in areas like education & psychology or higher education. Alumni often go on to careers as education consultants, policymakers, or research specialists.

3. Harvard University

Harvard focuses mostly on grad-level education but undergrads can also take education-related classes and minors. Their master’s options include education policy & analysis, leadership & entrepreneurship, human development, and learning design & technology.

For doctorates, Harvard offers an EdL (doctor of education leadership) over three years and a five-year PhD in Education, geared toward research.

Since 2018, undergrads can take electives in educational studies through the Faculty of Arts & Sciences—think courses like education in the economy, universities’ social responsibilities, and education & culture.

2. Stanford University

Stanford gives undergrads a minor in education that covers research, theory, and classroom practice—great for those later planning to do grad work. There’s even the option for an honors track that includes extra coursework and a thesis.

Their master’s programs (lasting nine to eighteen months) include the Stanford Teacher Education Program, plus areas like curriculum + teacher education, policy/organization/leadership, learning design + tech, international comparative education, and education data science.

Doctoral students undergo research apprenticeships in programs like elementary education, teacher education, and sociology of education.

1. University of California, Berkeley

UC Berkeley doesn’t offer an undergrad major in education, but students can minor in it. Full programs start at grad level via the Graduate School of Education.

The master’s degree can be done in two ways: either 20 semester units plus a thesis or 24 semester units plus a written exam.

There are two doctoral tracks: a PhD for research-focused folks, and an EdD for those aiming at leadership roles. The EdD emphasizes leadership, human development, program evaluation, and assessment, and typically includes two years of hands-on field work.

Complete U.S. Universities List for Education Degrees (2024)

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