Best Education and Teaching Colleges Online
The best online colleges for education and teacher training provide a good alternative to physically attending classes.
For students who want to become teachers
If you want to become a teacher, a good online college is one you can trust. The best universities are open and honest about the specific requirements for gaining a teaching licence in your state. They will only enroll you in a course if it provides a suitable path to becoming a classroom teacher.
For students who are already teaching
If you are already a licensed teacher, online study offers many professional development opportunities. The best colleges are affordable and receive excellent student feedback on their degree programs. They provide useful resources for building education knowledge and skills.
Why Get an Education Degree Online?
Studying online is the most convenient way to get an education degree. It can save both time and money.
- Distance learning allows you to complete an education program without any travel.
- You can squeeze study into any gaps in your weekly schedule, which is great for active teachers or if you are busy with other duties.
- Tuition fees are, on average, lower for online courses.
You also have access to online education degrees from across the country and abroad. You should be able to find the ideal degree for your learning and development needs.
Education degree subjects
You’ll find online education degrees to meet a variety of career goals, whether you’re looking to pursue administrative or leadership roles, instruct adult learners in vocational or higher education settings, or teach children in grades preK–12… choose from a variety of specialized study areas, from early childhood studies and literacy to college teaching and learning.
~ Walden
Online teacher preparation degrees
You can study online for a degree which prepares you to be a classroom teacher, such as a Bachelor of Education or Master of Arts in Teaching.
An online degree fulfills the academic side of teacher training. You will still need to do supervised teaching in a school setting to qualify to be a classroom teacher. And there may be other requirements, such as passing a state examination.
It is important to check that any degree you are considering will, for your state, count towards teaching licensure.
Professional development certificates and degrees
Studying online is a great way to boost your teaching career. You can quietly develop new skills and gain extra qualifications.
Some of the topics you can study as part of an online bachelor, certificate, masters or doctoral program are: administration leadership, competency-based instruction, English language teaching, integrative studies, online teaching, reading and literacy, and special education. You can also do a masters to teach secondary education subjects such as biology, mathematics and social studies.
You’ll find online education degrees to meet a variety of career goals, whether you’re looking to pursue administrative or leadership roles, instruct adult learners in vocational or higher education settings, or teach children in grades preK–12… choose from a variety of specialized study areas, from early childhood studies and literacy to college teaching and learning.
Top Education and Teaching Online Colleges
The best online colleges and schools for education are popular. They offer distance learning courses which are in demand. The best universities also set tuition fees which are relatively cheap and affordable.
Good Colleges has selected the top 3 online universities for education and teacher training. Rankings are based on 4 criteria:
- size of the online university
- depth and variety of education degrees offered
- ratings and feedback from education students
- tuition fees for education degrees.
It is worth noting that only a limited number of online colleges run courses to prepare students for initial registration as a teacher. Generally, the safest and best option for this is to attend a local campus in your state. But suitable online courses are available if getting to a campus is difficult for you.
Capella University School of Education
The School of Education at Capella University has an online professional development program for experienced teachers.
- Qualifications are available through online study at certificate, masters and doctoral levels.
- Capella does not offer courses for initial licensure/certification as a classroom teacher.
Capella allows you to quickly strengthen your teaching skills. Online courses are self-paced and competency based. The topic range is huge and free non-certificate courses are available.
Western Governors University Teachers College
The Teachers College at Western Governors University is the safest online choice for becoming a licensed teacher. The university has been careful to provide teacher training which allows you to gain teaching credentials in your state.
- It has strong regional and national accreditation.
- The School also helps students to meet state registration requirements (including trainee teacher placements).
WGU sets a flat, low 6-monthly fee for online study. It is a cheap option if you are able to complete a reasonable number of units every 6 months. Academic assessment is self-paced and competency based.
University of Phoenix College of Education
The College of Education at Phoenix University has a solid professional development program for experienced teachers. Online Master of Arts and Doctor of Education degrees help you develop advanced teaching skills in your chosen field.
The specialist online university, which is America’s largest, also offers a bachelor degree in early childhood education. This prepares students for state licensure in the teaching of children up to age 8.
