Arkansas Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide

The information below is intended to be an informative guide to the many teacher preparation programs found in Arkansas. For aspiring teachers looking to obtain a teaching degree in Arkansas, the information found on this page focuses on the various options available. Fortunately, there are many teaching schools in Arkansas that prepare aspiring teachers to work in the education sector. Scroll down to find lists of top-rated teaching programs, a table of accredited, state-approved teacher preparation programs, and student reviews. For anyone looking to become a new teacher or advance in their current educator position, this guide can help you locate the best program that fits your individual career goals.

Quick Facts

• There are 39 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Arkansas.¹
• 21 colleges and universities offer an associate’s degree in education.*¹
• 20 colleges and universities offer a bachelor’s degree in education.*¹
• 12 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.*¹
• 1 school ranked 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
• 7 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019.⁵
• 18 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 Arkansas

Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019*

• University of Arkansas (#197)

*Institution-wide ranking.

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

• University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (#53 tie)
• Arkansas State University-Jonesboro (#195-258)
• Arkansas Tech University (#195-258)
• Harding University (#195-258)

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

• University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (#46 tie)
• Arkansas State University-Jonesboro (#115 tie)
• University of Central Arkansas (#169 tie)
• Arkansas Tech University (#228-299)
• Harding University (#228-299)
• John Brown University (#228-299)
• Southern Arkansas University (#228-299)

School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Arkansas

Comparison of Teacher Preparation Programs

We have designed the following table to help you compare teacher preparation programs in Arkansas according to various factors. All of the schools included are not-for-profit institutions approved by the Arkansas 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 Arkansas: The University of Arkansas houses its education programs within the unique College of Education and Health Professionals. The School is the largest at the university featuring over 3,500 students and 100 full-time faculty members. The School offers the standard degrees such as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Elementary Education, Special Education and Secondary Education, but also confers specialized degrees in education including a Bachelor of Science in Career and Technical Education with concentrations in Business Education, Family and Consumer Sciences Education or Technology Education. Other unique offerings within the UA College of Education include Bachelor of Science in Education in Communication Disorders, Bachelor of Science in Education in Community Health Education and a Masters in Education in Higher Education. These unique programs show the university’s flexibility and commitment to offering programs on the cutting edge of education in order to offer their students relevant degrees.

Arkansas State University: Arkansas State University is home to the state’s flagship education department which is housed within the College of Education. The College of Education, known as COE, is widely regarded as one of the top teacher preparation programs in the state. The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) as well as the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the Council on Rehabilitative Counseling (CORE). The university’s full-time faculty members are thoroughly engaged in research, but unlike many other academic institutions, they also focus heavily on undergraduate instruction. This ensures undergraduates receive personal instruction from full-time, tenured faculty members that have years of experience and research in the industry. Departments within the COE include the Center for Excellence in Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Special Education, Department of Health and Sports Science, Department of Psychology and Counseling and The Department of Teacher Education.

University of Central Arkansas: Preparing teachers has been a part of the University of Central Arkansas’ (UCA) mission since its founding as the Arkansas Normal School in 1907. The UCA College of Education is dedicated to preparing professional educators in content area and specialist fields including educational leadership, instructional technologies, school counseling, library media, higher education student personnel administration, and other related professional fields. The college offers five distinct undergraduate programs in Elementary Education, Middle Level, Secondary Education, Special Education, and STEMteach as well as 12 graduate programs at the master’s and doctoral levels. Students are supported throughout their academic careers by the College of Education’s Office of Candidate Services, which provides comprehensive advising services as well as licensure application support. UCA graduates routinely score above the state and/or national averages on indicators of candidate success, including licensure exams. According to Arkansas Department of Education surveys, UCA teacher education graduates give higher ratings to their programs than do graduates from any other teacher preparation program in the state.

Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Arkansas

Arkansas Northeastern College*
2501 S Division
Blytheville, AR 72316-1109
(870) 762-1020

Arkansas State University-Beebe
1000 Iowa St
Beebe, AR 72012-1000
(501) 882-3600
www.asub.edu

Arkansas State University-Main Campus
2105 E Aggie Rd
State University, AR 72467
(870) 972-2100
www.astate.edu

Student Review: “I really enjoy going to Arkansas State University. The campus is bright and very beautiful, and the people are polite and friendly. I think the campus is not too big and not too small, its just right. I also like the diversity of the campus. The mixture of different races and many international students makes everyone feel accepted. Most teachers I’ve taken have been very nice with good flexibility. The class sizes are small so it’s easy to interact with your professor in case you need help. The food and cafeteria are great because you can eat free at the buffet or you can eat in the union which has Chik-Fil-A, pizza, tacos, and more. The only complaint I would have with the school is the Internet service because it is very slow.” -Charles H., student at Arkansas State University

Arkansas Tech University
Administration Bldg 200
1509 N Boulder Ave
Russellville, AR 72801-2222
(479) 968-0389
www.atu.edu

Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas*
183 Hwy 399
De Queen, AR 71832
(870) 584-4471
www.cccua.edu

East Arkansas Community College*
1700 Newcastle Rd
Forrest City, AR 72335
(870) 633-4480

Harding University
915 E Market Ave
Searcy, AR 72143
(501) 279-4000
www.harding.edu

Henderson State University
1100 Henderson St
Arkadelphia, AR 71999-0001
(870) 230-5000
www.getreddie.com/

John Brown University
2000 W University St
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
(479) 524-9500
www.jbu.edu

Mid-South Community College*
2000 W Broadway
West Memphis, AR 72301-3829
(870) 733-6722

National Park Community College*
101 College Dr
Hot Springs, AR 71913
(501) 760-4222
www.npcc.edu

North Arkansas College*
1515 Pioneer Dr
Harrison, AR 72601-5508
(870) 743-3000
www.northark.edu

Ouachita Baptist University
410 Ouachita St
Arkadelphia, AR 71998-0001
(870) 245-5000

Ouachita Technical College*
One College Cir
Malvern, AR 72104-0816
(501) 337-5000

Ozarka College*
218 College Dr
Melbourne, AR 72556-0010
(870) 368-7371

Pulaski Technical College*
3000 W Scenic Dr
North Little Rock, AR 72118-3347
(501) 812-2200

Rich Mountain Community College*
1100 College Dr
Mena, AR 71953
(479) 394-7622

South Arkansas Community College*
300 S West Ave
El Dorado, AR 71731-7010
(870) 862-8131
www.southark.edu

Southeast Arkansas College*
1900 Hazel
Pine Bluff, AR 71603
(870) 543-5900
www.seark.edu

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
100 E University
Magnolia, AR 71753
(870) 235-4000
www.saumag.edu

Southern Arkansas University Tech*
100 Carr Rd
Camden, AR 71701-1906
(870) 574-4500

University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville*
2005 White Dr
Batesville, AR 72503-3350
(870) 612-2000

University of Arkansas Community College-Hope*
2500 S Main
Hope, AR 71802-0140
(870) 777-5722

University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton*
1537 University Blvd.
Morrilton, AR 72110
(501) 977-2000
www.uaccm.edu

University of Arkansas Main Campus
Administration Bldg 425
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-2000
www.uark.edu

Student Review: “The University of Arkansas is a beautiful campus nestled in the hills of the Ozarks. I was very satisfied with the quality of the education. The campus is actively growing with multiple new buildings being erected. The city of Fayetteville is remarkably well cultured due in part to the amount of wealth brought to the area by Wal-Mart, Tyson, and JB Hunt. The student body is active and many opportunities exist to get connected to other students on campus. The on-campus food choices are limited and not the greatest, but multiple off-campus eateries are easily accessible on foot.” -Corey T., student at University of Arkansas

University of Arkansas at Little Rock
2801 S University Ave
Little Rock, AR 72204
(501) 569-3000
www.ualr.edu

University of Arkansas at Monticello
Highway 425 S
Monticello, AR 71656
(870) 367-6811
www.uamont.edu

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
1200 N University Mail Slot 4789
Pine Bluff, AR 71601
(870) 575-8000

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
5210 Grand Ave
Fort Smith, AR 72913-3649
(479) 788-7000
www.uafortsmith.edu

University of Central Arkansas
201 Donaghey Ave
Conway, AR 72035-0001
(501) 450-5000
www.beabear.com

University of the Ozarks
415 N College Ave
Clarksville, AR 72830
(479) 979-1000
www.ozarks.edu

Williams Baptist College
60 W Fulbright Ave
Walnut Ridge, AR 72476
(870) 886-6741
www.wbcoll.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