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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Elementary Education

1,208 Ranked Colleges
43,003 Degrees Awarded
$19,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 43,003 people earned their degree in elementary education, making the major the 17th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major” ranking, we looked at 1,208 colleges that offer a degree in elementary education. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in elementary education.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Elementary Education Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Elementary Teaching Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The elementary teaching school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for elementary teaching students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Elementary Education

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major. Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wendell, North Carolina. It awarded 4 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Elementary Education at Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College

2
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Stone Child College
Box Elder, Montana

Out of the 1,208 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Stone Child College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Box Elder, Montana, this small public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2020-2021.

Full Stone Child College Elementary Education Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend College of the Marshall Islands. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major. College of the Marshall Islands is a small school located in Majuro, that handed out 71 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Full College of the Marshall Islands Elementary Education Report

4
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Martin Luther College
New Ulm, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Martin Luther College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Ulm, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full MLC Elementary Education Report

5
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College of Menominee Nation
Keshena, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend College of Menominee Nation. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. This small school is located in Keshena, Wisconsin, and it awarded 6 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Full College of Menominee Nation Elementary Education Report

6
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Blue Mountain College
Blue Mountain, Mississippi

With a ranking of #6, Blue Mountain College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. Blue Mountain College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Blue Mountain, Mississippi. It awarded 47 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Blue Mountain College Elementary Education Report

7
Valley City State University crest
Valley City State University
Valley City, North Dakota

Valley City State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking. Valley City, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Valley City State University

8
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Boricua College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #8, Boricua College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Boricua College Elementary Education Report

9

Whitworth University - Adult Degree Programs landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking. Whitworth University - Adult Degree Programs is a private not-for-profit institution located in Spokane, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Whitworth University - Adult Degree Programs Elementary Education Report

9

Allegheny Wesleyan College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. This small school is located in Salem, Ohio, and it awarded 1 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Elementary Education at Allegheny Wesleyan College

11
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Medaille College
Buffalo, New York

Medaille College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. Medaille is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 114 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Elementary Education at Medaille College

12
Hobe Sound Bible College crest
Hobe Sound Bible College
Hobe Sound, Florida

With a ranking of #12, Hobe Sound Bible College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. Located in Hobe Sound, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Hobe Sound Bible College

13
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Blackfeet Community College
Browning, Montana

Blackfeet Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. BCC is located in Browning, Montana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

Full Blackfeet Community College Elementary Education Report

14
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Mayville State University
Mayville, North Dakota

Mayville State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking, coming in at #14. Mayville State University is a public institution located in Mayville, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Mayville State University Elementary Education Report

15
Crowley's Ridge College crest
Crowley's Ridge College
Paragould, Arkansas

With a ranking of #15, Crowley’s Ridge College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. Paragould, Arkansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Crowley’s Ridge College

16
Sinte Gleska University crest
Sinte Gleska University
Mission, South Dakota

Sinte Gleska University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. Sinte Gleska University is a small school located in Mission, South Dakota that handed out 1 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Elementary Education at Sinte Gleska University

17
Heritage University crest
Heritage University
Toppenish, Washington

Heritage University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking, coming in at #17. Heritage University is a small school located in Toppenish, Washington that handed out 46 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Heritage University Elementary Education Report

18
University of West Alabama crest
University of West Alabama
Livingston, Alabama

University of West Alabama did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Livingston, Alabama, this medium-sized public school awarded 313 degrees to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Elementary Education at University of West Alabama

19

American Samoa Community College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking. ASCC is a public institution located in PagoPago, . The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full American Samoa Community College Elementary Education Report

20
Trinity College of Florida crest
Trinity College of Florida
Trinity, Florida

Trinity College of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking, coming in at #20. Trinity, Florida is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Trinity College of Florida

21
Delta State University crest
Delta State University
Cleveland, Mississippi

Delta State University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major list. Delta State University is a public institution located in Cleveland, Mississippi. The school has a small population, and it awarded 127 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Delta State University

22
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Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, and it awarded 48 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Trinity Christian

23

Georgia Southwestern State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking. Americus, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 193 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full GSW Elementary Education Report

24

University of Wisconsin - Superior landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Superior is a small school located in Superior, Wisconsin that handed out 89 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Full UW - Superior Elementary Education Report

25
Athens State University crest
Athens State University
Athens, Alabama

Athens State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major ranking. This small school is located in Athens, Alabama, and it awarded 109 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Elementary Education at Athens State University

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
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Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa
28
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Sierra Nevada College
Incline Village, Nevada
29
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Truett McConnell University
Cleveland, Georgia
30
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Piedmont College
Demorest, Georgia
31
32
33
SUNY Potsdam crest
SUNY Potsdam
Potsdam, New York
34
35
Lees - McRae College crest
Lees - McRae College
Banner Elk, North Carolina
36
37
St. Andrews crest
St. Andrews University
Laurinburg, North Carolina
38
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Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington
39
Dordt crest
Dordt University
Sioux Center, Iowa
40
Edward Waters College crest
Edward Waters College
Jacksonville, Florida
41
William Carey University crest
William Carey University
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
42
Montevallo crest
University of Montevallo
Montevallo, Alabama
43
Blackburn crest
Blackburn College
Carlinville, Illinois
44
Warner University crest
Warner University
Lake Wales, Florida
45
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
46
Paine College crest
Paine College
Augusta, Georgia
47
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Northern State University
Aberdeen, South Dakota
48
Bluefield State College crest
Bluefield State College
Bluefield, West Virginia
49
50
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Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, Kansas

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Elementary Teaching Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 SUNY Cortland Cortland, NY
52 Eastern Oregon University La Grande, OR
53 Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD
54 Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies Springfield, MO
55 Northern New Mexico College Espanola, NM
56 Newman University Wichita, KS
57 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
58 William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA
59 East Texas Baptist University Marshall, TX
60 Arkansas State University Mid-South West Memphis, AR
61 Rockford University Rockford, IL
62 Baptist Bible College Springfield, MO
63 Linfield University - McMinnville Campus McMinnville, OR
64 Brenau University Gainesville, GA
65 Metropolitan College of New York New York, NY
Rank College Location
66 The Baptist College of Florida Graceville, FL
67 University of Maine at Farmington Farmington, ME
68 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
69 University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE
70 Niagara University Niagara University, NY
71 Cardinal Stritch University Milwaukee, WI
72 Asbury University Wilmore, KY
73 Dine College Tsaile, AZ
74 Belmont Abbey College Belmont, NC
75 National Louis University Chicago, IL
76 Arizona Christian University Phoenix, AZ
77 Chadron State College Chadron, NE
78 Dalton State College Dalton, GA
79 Rosemont College Rosemont, PA
80 Indiana University - Southeast New Albany, IN
81 Winona State University Winona, MN
82 University of Puerto Rico - Utuado Utuado, PR
83 Williams Baptist University Walnut Ridge, AR
84 Union Bible College Westfield, IN
85 Hastings College Hastings, NE
86 Taylor University Upland, IN
87 LeTourneau University Longview, TX
88 Dickinson State University Dickinson, ND
89 Northwestern College Orange City, IA
90 Wichita State University Wichita, KS
Rank College Location
91 Wartburg College Waverly, IA
92 Trinity International University - Florida Miramar, FL
93 Wayne State College Wayne, NE
94 Whitworth University Spokane, WA
95 United Tribes Technical College Bismarck, ND
95 Antioch University - Seattle Seattle, WA
97 North Central University Minneapolis, MN
98 St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, NY
99 Buffalo State Buffalo, NY
100 Wesleyan College Macon, GA
101 Covenant College Lookout Mountain, GA
102 University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA
103 Trinity Bible College and Graduate School Ellendale, ND
104 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
105 Ottawa University - Ottawa Ottawa, KS
106 Tougaloo College Tougaloo, MS
107 University of Puerto Rico - Ponce Ponce, PR
108 University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Chickasha, OK
108 Southwestern Christian University Bethany, OK
110 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
111 Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA
112 Lubbock Christian University Lubbock, TX
113 Hawaii Pacific University Honolulu, HI
114 Emporia State University Emporia, KS
115 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
Rank College Location
116 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
117 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
118 Gordon College Wenham, MA
118 Emmaus Bible College Dubuque, IA
120 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
121 Cazenovia College Cazenovia, NY
121 York College York, NE
123 Minot State University Minot, ND
124 Greenville University Greenville, IL
125 William Jessup University Rocklin, CA
126 George Fox University Newberg, OR
127 Bushnell University Eugene, OR
128 Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN
129 University of Alaska Southeast Juneau, AK
130 SUNY Fredonia Fredonia, NY
131 Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa, OK
132 Graceland University - Lamoni Lamoni, IA
133 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
134 Eureka College Eureka, IL
135 Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall, MN
136 Bethune - Cookman University Daytona Beach, FL
137 Wittenberg University Springfield, OH
138 Oglala Lakota College Kyle, SD
139 Brandman University Irvine, CA
140 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
Rank College Location
141 Chaminade University of Honolulu Honolulu, HI
142 Mount Marty University Yankton, SD
143 McPherson College McPherson, KS
144 Bacone College Muskogee, OK
144 Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes, KY
146 Nevada State College Henderson, NV
147 Georgia Gwinnett College Lawrenceville, GA
148 Dakota Wesleyan University Mitchell, SD
149 Salish Kootenai College Pablo, MT
150 Indiana University - Northwest Gary, IN
151 Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wesson, MS
152 Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN
153 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
154 Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI
155 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
156 Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL
157 MidAmerica Nazarene University Olathe, KS
158 Delaware Technical Community College - Terry Dover, DE
159 Auburn University at Montgomery Montgomery, AL
160 Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, KY
161 Reinhardt University Waleska, GA
162 Harding University Searcy, AR
163 Peru State College Peru, NE
164 Calvary University Kansas City, MO
164 Cairn University Langhorne, PA
Rank College Location
166 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
167 Bethel College - North Newton North Newton, KS
168 Turtle Mountain Community College Belcourt, ND
169 University of Mobile Mobile, AL
170 Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC
171 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
172 Bethany College Kansas Lindsborg, KS
172 American International College Springfield, MA
174 LaGrange College Lagrange, GA
175 Mercer University Macon, GA
176 Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI
177 Plymouth State University Plymouth, NH
178 Concord University Athens, WV
179 Stillman College Tuscaloosa, AL
180 Bethany College West Virginia Bethany, WV
181 Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT
182 Iowa Wesleyan University Mount Pleasant, IA

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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