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2024 Best Secondary Education Schools

373 Colleges in the United States
10,547 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded
Ranked #84 in popularity, secondary education is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 373 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Secondary Education Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 10,547 degrees in secondary education during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Secondary Education School

Best Secondary Education Schools Your choice of secondary education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Secondary Education School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Secondary Education Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Secondary Teaching
Bachelor's Degrees in Secondary Teaching
Master's Degrees in Secondary Teaching
Doctor's Degrees in Secondary Teaching

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Secondary Education Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Secondary Education in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the secondary teaching degree levels they offer. 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 in Secondary Teaching

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MD

It's difficult to beat University of Maryland - College Park if you want to pursue a degree in secondary education. Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were approximately 20 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from University of Maryland - College Park

2
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In TN
37 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat Vanderbilt University if you wish to pursue a degree in secondary education. Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 37 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Vanderbilt University

3
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NY
94 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

It is hard to beat New York University if you wish to pursue a degree in secondary education. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were about 94 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from New York University

4
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NV
61 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in secondary education needs to check out University of Nevada - Las Vegas. Located in the medium-sized city of Las Vegas, UNLV is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #149 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNLV is a great university overall.

There were about 61 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at UNLV in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in secondary education from University of Nevada - Las Vegas

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IN
75 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were approximately 75 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Indiana University - Bloomington

6
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In AR
85.7% Growth in Graduates

UARK is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Fayetteville. This university ranks 1st out of 34 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arkansas.

There were about 7 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at UARK in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from University of Arkansas

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NJ
60.0% Growth in Graduates

TCNJ is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Ewing. This college ranks 5th out of 44 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were about 20 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at TCNJ in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in secondary education from The College of New Jersey

8
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CA
51 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 51 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Santa Clara University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In FL
77 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Orlando, UCF is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 77 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in secondary education from University of Central Florida

10
Rider crest
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NJ
32 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Lawrenceville, Rider is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 12th out of 44 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were roughly 32 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at Rider in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Rider University

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IL

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 29 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Loyola University Chicago

12
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In HI
44 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Honolulu, UH Manoa is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 12 colleges for overall quality in the state of Hawaii.

There were about 44 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at UH Manoa in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from University of Hawaii at Manoa

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In OH
32.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #184 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UDayton is a great university overall.

There were approximately 25 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at UDayton in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from University of Dayton

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In WA
49 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Bellingham, WWU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were approximately 49 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at WWU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Western Washington University

15
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In SC
48 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Clemson is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Clemson. A Best Colleges rank of #107 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Clemson is a great university overall.

There were about 48 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at Clemson in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Clemson University

16
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In KS
67 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Manhattan, K -State is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 47 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were approximately 67 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at K -State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Kansas State University

17
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CA
206 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Redlands. This university ranks 45th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 206 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at University of Redlands in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from University of Redlands

18
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In AZ
287 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #119 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were approximately 287 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Arizona State University - Tempe

19
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In IL

Located in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 11th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 7 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Wheaton College Illinois

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
63 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

NLU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. This university ranks 17th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 63 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at NLU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in secondary education from National Louis University

21

Located in the large city of Lincoln, UNL is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #138 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.More information about a degree in secondary education from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MO
128 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

Missouri State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Springfield. This university ranks 11th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 128 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at Missouri State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Missouri State University - Springfield

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In GA
69 Secondary Teaching Degrees Awarded

GaSou is a very large public university located in the town of Statesboro. This university ranks 13th out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were approximately 69 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at GaSou in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from Georgia Southern University

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In IL

UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 8 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in secondary education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

25
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
22nd Most Popular In IL

DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. This university ranks 7th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 1 secondary education students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in secondary education from DePaul University

Rest of the Top Best Secondary Education Schools

26
27
28
29
30
31
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
32

33

34
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
35
36
37
38
39
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
40
Augustana Sioux Falls crest
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, SD
41

42

43
44
45
46
47
48
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS
49
50

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Secondary Education Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 373 different United States secondary education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
52 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
53 Dordt University Sioux Center, IA
54 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
55 Drake University Des Moines, IA

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Secondary Education students that almost earned our Best Secondary Education Schools award.

Rank College Location
56 Samford University Birmingham, AL
57 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
58 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
59 Creighton University Omaha, NE
60 American University Washington, DC
61 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
62 Washington State University Pullman, WA
63 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
64 Concordia University, Chicago River Forest, IL
65 College of Charleston Charleston, SC
66 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
67 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
68 Widener University Chester, PA
69 Villanova University Villanova, PA
70 Pacific University Forest Grove, OR
71 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
72 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
73 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
74 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ

Secondary Education by Region

View the Best Secondary Education 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 >

Secondary Education is one of 13 different types of Teacher Education Grade Specific programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Elementary Education 43,003
Early Childhood Education 32,920
Teacher Education 9,949
Teacher Development & Methodology 6,165
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching 3,517
Kindergarten/Preschool Education & Teaching 2,450
Adult & Continuing Education 1,074
Montessori Teacher Education 252
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods 140
College/Postsecondary/University Teaching 105

View All Secondary Teaching Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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