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2024 Best Elementary Education Bachelor's Degree Schools

623 Colleges in the United States
30,802 Bachelor's Degrees
Elementary Education is of the hottest bachelor's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #14 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 623 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of elementary education. Combined, these schools handed out 30,802 bachelor's degrees in elementary education to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Elementary Education School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Elementary Education Bachelor's Degree Schools Your choice of elementary education for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality elementary teaching program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for elementary education students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Elementary Education Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Elementary Education in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Elementary Teaching

1
58 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in elementary education has to check out University of Maryland - College Park. Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from University of Maryland - College Park

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
89 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in elementary education has to check out The College of New Jersey. TCNJ is a medium-sized public college located in the large suburb of Ewing.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from The College of New Jersey

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great decision for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in elementary education. UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
90 Annual Graduates

Indiana University - Bloomington is a great option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Indiana University - Bloomington

5
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
83 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Las Vegas, UNLV is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from University of Nevada - Las Vegas

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
288 Annual Graduates

UNI is a medium-sized public university located in the small city of Cedar Falls.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from University of Northern Iowa

7
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
24 Annual Graduates

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from New York University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
20 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Bellingham, WWU is a public university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Western Washington University

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Newark, UD is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from University of Delaware

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
182 Annual Graduates

Wazzu is a very large public university located in the town of Pullman.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Washington State University

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
27 Annual Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Loyola University Chicago

12
385 Annual Graduates

CWU is a medium-sized public university located in the distant town of Ellensburg.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Central Washington University

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
278 Annual Graduates

NAU is a very large public university located in the small city of Flagstaff.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Northern Arizona University

14
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, MD
76 Annual Graduates

Towson is a large public university located in the small city of Towson.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Towson University

15
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Annual Graduates

UARK is a fairly large public university located in the city of Fayetteville.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from University of Arkansas

16
83 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Purdue University - Main Campus

17
87 Annual Graduates

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

18
129 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Brigham Young University - Provo

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
294 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Orlando, UCF is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from University of Central Florida

20
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Annual Graduates

Clemson is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Clemson.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Clemson University

21
Rider crest
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
67 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Rider is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Rider University

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
198 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Arizona State University - Tempe

23
195 Annual Graduates

Iowa State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Ames.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Iowa State University

24
63 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Honolulu, UH Manoa is a public university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from University of Hawaii at Manoa

25
248 Annual Graduates

Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Normal.More information about a bachelor’s in elementary education from Illinois State University

Rest of the Top 50 Best Elementary Education Bachelor's Degree Schools

26
27
28
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
29
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
30
31
32

33

34
35
36
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS
37
38
39
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
40
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY
41

42

43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Messiah crest
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, PA

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Elementary Education Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 623 different United States elementary education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Bradley University Peoria, IL
51 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
52 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
53 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
54 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
55 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
56 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
57 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
58 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
59 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
60 Auburn University Auburn, AL
61 Samford University Birmingham, AL
61 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
62 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
63 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
64 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
65 Hunter College New York, NY
66 Concordia University, Nebraska Seward, NE
67 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
68 Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD
69 Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT
70 Martin Luther College New Ulm, MN
71 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
72 Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA
73 Saint Martin’s University Lacey, WA
74 Drake University Des Moines, IA
75 Boston University Boston, MA
76 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
77 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
78 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
79 Winona State University Winona, MN
80 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
81 Dordt University Sioux Center, IA
82 Wichita State University Wichita, KS
83 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
84 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
85 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
86 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
87 Concordia University, Chicago River Forest, IL
88 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
89 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
90 Heritage University Toppenish, WA
91 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
92 Mercer University Macon, GA
93 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Elementary Education Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
94 Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL
95 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
96 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
97 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
98 Harding University Searcy, AR
99 College of Charleston Charleston, SC
100 Kean University Union, NJ
101 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
102 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
103 National University San Diego, CA
104 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
105 American University Washington, DC
106 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
107 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA
108 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
109 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
110 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
111 Viterbo University La Crosse, WI
112 Chaminade University of Honolulu Honolulu, HI
113 Aurora University Aurora, IL
114 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
115 National Louis University Chicago, IL
116 Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI
117 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
118 Valley City State University Valley City, ND
119 Queens College Queens, NY
120 Lewis University Romeoville, IL
121 Carroll University Waukesha, WI
122 Emporia State University Emporia, KS
123 Northwestern College Orange City, IA
124 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ

Elementary Education by Region

View the Best Elementary Education Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 13 majors within the Teacher Education Grade Specific area of study, Elementary Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Early Childhood Education 13,917
Secondary Education 3,547
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching 2,324
Teacher Education 1,991
Kindergarten/Preschool Education & Teaching 864
Teacher Development & Methodology 169
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods 37
Montessori Teacher Education 9
Adult & Continuing Education 4

Notes and References

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