Alaska Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide
This guide to Alaska teacher preparation programs is meant to provide aspiring teachers with the most relevant options for pursuing teaching degrees in Alaska. There are quite a few well-known colleges and universities in the state that offer programs focused on preparing new teachers for a long career in the educational sector. For more information, scroll down to find lists of top-rated teaching programs, a table of accredited, state-approved teacher preparation programs, and student reviews. Whether you’re entering college for the first time or looking to change your current career, our guide to teaching schools in Alaska can help you find a program that fits your individual needs and personal career goals.
Quick Facts
- There are 6 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Alaska.1
- 4 colleges and universities offer an associate’s degree in education.*1
- 3 colleges and universities offer a bachelor’s degree in education.*1
- 4 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.*1
- No schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019.2
- No schools ranked in Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Education Majors 2020.3
- No schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019.4
- 2 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019.5
- 3 not-for-profit teacher programs are accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP.
*For not-for-profit colleges and universities with teacher degree programs.
Top-Ranked Schools with Education Programs in Alaska
US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019
- University of Alaska-Fairbanks (#177)
- University of Alaska-Southeast (#194)
School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Alaska
Comparison of Teacher Preparation Programs
We have designed the following table to help you compare teacher preparation programs in Alaska according to various factors. All of the schools included are not-for-profit institutions approved by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development for the preparation of teachers. Completing a state-approved teacher preparation program is an important step towards earning licensure.
While accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is not a requirement for licensure, it is included in the following table as CAEP provides a highly-regarded accreditation that is accepted in many states. Read more about the CAEP, NCATE, and TEAC accrediting bodies. We have also included rankings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a research and policy group that scores teacher preparation programs at the national level using key standards chosen to measure students’ preparation for success in teaching. For further information on the NCTQ’s program rankings, please see the notes below the table.
You will also find data on teacher preparation program enrollment, completion, and licensing exam pass rates by institution for the 2017-2018 academic year in this table. These data points are collected from annual US Department of Education records under Title II (Teacher Quality) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which provides for reporting that holds institutions and state departments of education accountable for increasing academic achievement through improvements in teacher quality.
Programs that are not ranked, or for which data is not available, in a given category are denoted as “-“.
State-Approved School | CAEP Accred.?6 | NCTQ Undergrad Elementary Prog. % (2016)**7 | NCTQ Undergrad Secondary Prog. % (2017)**7 | Teacher Prep Prog. Enrollment8 | Teacher Prep Prog. Completers8 | Licensing Exams Pass Rate8 | Net Price***1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska Pacific University | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | $17,866 |
University of Alaska Anchorage | Yes | 9% | — | — | — | — | $12,543 |
University of Alaska Fairbanks | Yes | 99% | — | — | — | — | $9,010 |
University of Alaska Southeast | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | $10,451 |
*The NCTQ rated undergraduate elementary teaching programs in 2016 and undergraduate secondary teaching programs in 2017 by national percentile based on their overall scores on the NCTQ’s standards for teacher education. Schools that do not provide data on all key standards or that fall below the top 50% of schools nationally are not included by the NCTQ in their ratings. Visit the NCTQ website for more information on its standards and methodologies.
**Net price is per year for undergraduate tuition as calculated by the National Center for Education Statistics based on the cost of attendance (tuition, books, room and board, and related expenses) for students who qualify for in-state tuition and fees, less the average financial aid award (including grants and scholarships).
Profiles of Well-Known Schools
University of Alaska Anchorage: The University of Alaska Anchorage is the state’s flagship university and has been educating the state’s future teachers, counselors and administrators since 1954. The College of Education is one of the largest school’s on campus as Education is the second most popular major behind nursing. The University of Alaska Anchorage is unique in that it offers extended pathways to degrees by offering two-year associate’s degrees not typically offered at most universities. The most popular education degree continues to be Elementary Education which prepares students to be classroom instructors at the K-8 levels. Other majors available at UAA include undergraduate and graduate offerings in postsecondary education (including specialty areas such as reading, history, math, science, etc.), counseling, administration, special education and school psychology.
Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Alaska
Alaska Pacific University
4101 University Dr
Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 561-1266
www.alaskapacific.edu
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Dr
Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 786-1800
www.uaa.alaska.edu
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Signers Hall
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7480
(907) 474-7211
www.uaf.edu
University of Alaska Southeast
11120 Glacier Hwy
Juneau, AK 99801-8697
(877) 465-4827
www.uas.alaska.edu
An asterisk (*) denotes a two-year or certificate program in education. While a two-year degree will not qualify graduates for teacher certification, it can be a good starting point for a teaching career. To learn more about what you can do with this degree, see our guide to associate’s degrees in education.
References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Kiplinger’s Best College Values: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Tile
3. The Princeton Review. The Best 385 Colleges, 2020 Edition. The Princeton Review, 2019.
4. US News & World Report Best Graduate Education Schools 2019: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-education-schools/edu-rankings
5. US News & World Report Best Online Graduate Education Schools 2019: https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/education/rankings
6. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP): http://caepnet.org/provider-search
7. National Council on Teacher Quality Teacher Preparation Program Review: https://www.nctq.org/review/home
8. US Department of Education 2018 Title II Reports: https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx