Arizona Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide

This guide to the many teacher preparation programs available in Arizona offers important information to help aspiring teachers find the best way to obtain a teaching degree in Arizona. There are many colleges and universities in Arizona that offer teaching degree programs that focus on preparing future Arizona educators for a career in the classroom. Scroll down to find lists of top-rated teaching programs, a table of accredited, state-approved teacher preparation programs, and student reviews. For young students who are interested in becoming an educator or for anyone who is looking to change their current career, this guide to teaching schools in Arizona will help find the best program that fits specific individual needs in order to become a qualified teacher.

Quick Facts

• There are 34 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Arizona.¹
• 21 colleges and universities offer an associate’s degree in education.*¹
• 13 colleges and universities offer a bachelor’s degree in education.*¹
• 11 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.*¹
• 2 schools were in Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019.²
• No schools ranked in Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Education Majors 2020.³
• 4 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019.⁴
• 4 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019.⁵
• 1 not-for-profit teacher program is 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 Arizona

Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019*

• Arizona State University-Tempe (#239)
• Arizona State University-West (#274)

*Institution-wide ranking.

US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019

• Arizona State University (#16)
• University of Arizona (#64 tie)
• Northern Arizona University (#143 tie)
• Northcentral University (#195-258)

US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019

• Arizona State University (#13 tie)
• University of Arizona (#29 tie)
• Northern Arizona University (#126 tie)
• Northcentral University (#228-299)

School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Arizona

Comparison of Teacher Preparation Programs

We have designed the following table to help you compare teacher preparation programs in Arizona according to various factors. All of the schools included are not-for-profit institutions approved by the Arizona Department of Education 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 “-“.

*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 Arizona: The University of Arizona, located in Tucson, is home to the state’s first College of Education. The first class consisted of 145 students who enrolled in the teacher preparation program in 1922. The college focuses on preparing classroom teachers, special educators, counselors, principals and superintendents for the K-12 system as well as higher education. The UA College of Education is one of the largest schools on campus and is home to 60 full-time faculty members and 30 adjunct professors all holding doctoral degrees in related subjects in which they teach. The College features programs that specialize in educating rehabilitation counselors, as well as educators who work with the deaf and blind. Both programs are unique to the state. Joan Ganz Cooney, the creator and founder of Sesame Street, graduated from the University Of Arizona College Of Education.

Arizona State University: Arizona State University is known for its highly regarded teacher preparation programs offered at all of the university’s locations in Phoenix, downtown Phoenix, online, and Tempe. The Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College prepares educators at all levels from undergraduate to doctoral. The College’s graduate offerings, in particular, are typically very highly ranked in the annual edition of US News & World Report ranking publication and have made the list for 12 consecutive years. The College’s master’s degree offerings are known for their rigor, innovation, and flexibility. They are designed for full-time working professionals who teach during the day and attend college in the evening or online. Many of the master’s degrees can be completed in as little as 18 months. Majors include Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Physical Education and Special Education.

School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Arizona

Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Arizona

Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287
(480) 965-9011
https://students.asu.edu/

Student Review: “At Arizona State University, the approach to student learning is very much personalized. This is especially important for the preparation of teachers who are getting ready to go into the work force and do the most important job of all: teaching future generations. I had an amazing experience at Arizona State University in the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Program. Since I already had an undergraduate degree, it was very refreshing to me to be able to take courses that really mattered and that I actually needed in my career; not redoing courses and content I had already done in the past. The professors were very involved in preparing us for real-life teaching scenarios. They took a special interest in our strengths and made the learning relevant. The student teaching and practicums were also top-notch. I am so glad that I chose Arizona State University!” -Student at Arizona State University

Student Review: “I for the most part felt like my program prepared me to be an effective teacher in the classroom. The courses were appropriately rigorous, but the scheduling was insane, and it really should have been a five-year program. The required internships and student teaching were set up for us, so we had plenty of in-class time which was incredibly useful, and for the most part, the classes followed a logical track. However, there were some inconsistencies between the Teacher’s College and the music school that made parts of my degree difficult, such as different requirements for the same classes. The environment in and out of the classroom was very welcoming and helpful, and we were encouraged to build professional relationships with our peers. The staff was mostly friendly and helpful as well.” -Student at Arizona State University

Student Review: “The Arizona State University College of Education was an okay experience for me. I felt that the curriculum was just from an academic standpoint (mostly theory-based courses) but lacked in an overall daily application. Going through the program for three semesters, one learns about the different ways to teach a certain theory but when I got into the classroom for my student teaching I felt that very little I had studied over the past three semesters was applicable. I would rather have had 1-2 semesters of college courses combined with a minimum of 2 semesters of student teaching before graduating. I definitely felt student teaching was the best and most productive part of the ASU College of Education coursework.” -Student at Arizona State University

Student Review: “My time in the Mary Lou Fulton College of Education was a mix of excellent classes and classes that I felt were a waste of my time. Many of the professors were very knowledgeable in their subject and were able to instruct us in a way that was easy to understand. Some professors just tried to impart knowledge and did not try to help us understand the concept. In the later part of the program when it was time for internships the office was extremely disorganized and most of my classmates did not receive their assignments until several weeks into the school year requiring them to have to modify the hours we needed. My student teaching semester went smoothly.” -Student at Arizona State University

Student Review: “The ASU Teacher’s College was a fairly positive experience in which many resources were offered in order for me to achieve success. The advisor’s office had reasonable hours and I had a team of two advisors for my entire college career. My academics were planned year to year and my advisor emailed me before the start of every semester to go over my class schedule and check and see if anything needed to be adjusted. The coursework was reasonable and I rarely felt overworked, especially challenging considering I was working 40 hours a week as well. The only improvement I could see would be that lower division courses were sometimes taught by PhD and Master’s degree seeking students with no education background, which would become glaringly obvious over the duration of the course. Some people are not meant to teach.” -Student at Arizona State University

Cochise College*
4190 W Highway 80
Douglas, AZ 85607-9724
(520) 515-0500
www.cochise.edu

Eastern Arizona College*
615 N Stadium Ave
Thatcher, AZ 85552-0769
(928) 428-8322
www.eac.edu

GateWay Community College*
108 N 40th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034
(602) 392-5000
www.gatewaycc.edu

Glendale Community College-Glendale*
6000 W Olive Ave
Glendale, AZ 85302
(623) 845-3000
www.glendale.edu

Mesa Community College*
1833 W Southern Ave
Mesa, AZ 85202
(602) 461-7000
www.mesacc.edu

Mohave Community College*
1971 Jagerson Ave
Kingman, AZ 86409-1238
(928) 757-4331
www.mohave.edu

Northern Arizona University
Knoles Dr
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-4132
(928) 523-9011
https://nau.edu/

Student Review: “The NAU teaching program is the college experience everyone should be looking for. Not only were the professors competent, caring, generous, and attentive, the class sizes were small and the work was thoughtful and never seemed unnecessary. The classes were rarely larger than 15-20 students and each professor was able to give every student the individualized attention and careful study that they need to excel. I found myself challenged but not overwhelmed by the workload. Each and every assignment had a logical purpose and I found that my knowledge of teaching grew with each one. I loved how close knit everyone in the program was after sharing so many experiences together. When I completed my student teaching and moved on to my very own classroom I felt prepared and competent. I would highly recommend the NAU teaching program to anyone who is looking for a good quality education for their money, and an awesome set of professors!” -Student at Northern Arizona University

Student Review: “The Elementary Education program at Northern Arizona University provided a unique learning experience where I learned to become a teacher within a small cohort of my peers. For nearly two years I took all of my required coursework with 19 other individuals in the program. Being in a small group allowed me to not only learn the fundamentals of becoming a great teacher, but also allowed me more face time with instructors, socialization with peers, and experiences within the classroom. Years later I still keep in touch with members of my cohort and we share classroom tips, lesson plans, and experiences that may help one another better our classroom experience for our students.” -Student at Northern Arizona University

Student Review: “While at NAU, I was able to be a part of a cohort of other education students and we went through our classes together. It was amazing! Such a wonderful program! It was great to take all of my classes with the same people and to be able to work together to all become teachers. The program also included numerous opportunities to have actual classroom experience and to be able to use our classroom lessons instead of just talking about it, which I think was a great chance to be more prepared for my own actual classroom. We had the same professors throughout the cohort program as well, which helped us become comfortable with them and helped them to understand us better as well as our strengths and weaknesses. I was incredibly impressed with my cohort program at NAU and would definitely recommend anyone else who was trying to become a teacher to be a part of it! It prepared me so much for my future teaching career!” -Student at Northern Arizona University

Northland Pioneer College*
2251 E Navajo Blvd
Holbrook, AZ 86025-0610
(928) 524-7600
www.npc.edu

Ottawa University
10020 North 25th Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85021
(602) 371-1188
www.ottawa.edu

Pima Community College*
401 North Bonita Ave
Tucson, AZ 85709-5000
(520) 206-4500
https://www.pima.edu/

Student Review: “My biggest complaint with Pima is that there are times where I have to take a course that is required for me at a different campus. There are multiple campuses throughout Tucson and most of my classes are at the main campus. However it seems like at least once a semester I have a class that is 20 miles away from my campus. Other than that everything is just fine. I find my classes to be easier than that of high school and this is definitely the route to go if your paying by yourself for college. I will be transferring to U of A next semester and think that I am well prepared from all of my classes at Pima.” -Blake R., student at Pima Community College

Prescott College
220 Grove Ave
Prescott, AZ 86301
(877) 350-2100
www.prescott.edu

Scottsdale Community College*
9000 E Chaparral Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85256
(480) 423-6000
www.scottsdalecc.edu

University of Arizona
1401 E University
Tucson, AZ 85721-0066
(520) 621-2211
www.arizona.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