Best Teaching Schools and Degrees in Colorado

For aspiring teachers in Colorado, the state requires that all teachers complete an approved teacher preparation program in order to be eligible to work in the state’s education system. Fortunately, there are many teaching schools in Colorado that offer degree programs designed to prepare future teachers for a career in the classroom or further their already established teacher career. For useful information on teaching degrees in Colorado, take a look at our list of accredited teacher preparation programs and student reviews. For anyone looking for information on teaching degrees in Colorado, this guide should help you find the right program for your career goals.

School Facts

There are 35 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Colorado.¹
24 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.¹
Highest graduation rate*: Colorado College, 90%.¹
Highest transfer-out rate*: Colorado Mesa University, 42%.¹
Highest net price per year*: University of Denver, $32,188. ¹
Lowest net price per year*: Colorado Mountain College, $3,429.¹
Annual undergraduate tuition range for teaching degree programs in Colorado*: $ $17,022-$41,892.²
Two schools in the Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges in 2013: Colorado School of Mines (58), University of Colorado at Boulder (88).
Three schools ranked in US News National Universities Rankings in 2013 (top 100): Colorado School of Mines (77), University of Denver (83), University of Colorado-Boulder (97).
10 teacher programs are accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP (see below).*

*For 4-year colleges and universities with teacher degree programs.

Profiles of Well-Known Schools

University of Colorado: The University of Colorado is the flagship institution for the state of Colorado and is home to the nationally recognized UC School of Education. The School of Education is one of the largest on campus and specializes in preparing teachers, administrators and other education professionals within K-20 education. Recently, the School of Education was selected to become a partner in Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, which is a multi-year project aimed at advancing doctoral education at US-based universities. The school was selected as one of just 32 programs to participate. The mission of the UC School of Education involves conducting intensive research into innovative and effective education practices as well as preparing students to be passionate and professional educators that influence their communities and beyond.

University of Northern Colorado: The University of Northern Colorado is home to the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences that has a longstanding reputation for excellent research and scholarship. The College recently was the recipient of the prestigious Christa McAuliffe Award for Exemplary Programs in Teacher Education, which is named after teacher Christa McAuliffe who was tragically killed aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. The College is made up of three schools including the School of Psychological Sciences, Special Education and Teacher Education. The programs are accredited by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, Colorado Department of Education, Council for Exceptional Children, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. UNC faculty and administration within the three schools have recently infused the curriculum with diverse topics that are critical in providing students with an expanded worldview in order to effectively teach in a global classroom.

Top-Rated Teacher Preparation Programs

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) evaluated 1,100 college programs that prepare students for a career as a professional teacher (Teacher Prep Review 2013 Report). According to the organization’s standards, no programs in Colorado made the “honor roll” rating of 3 stars or higher. Read more about the NCTQ Teacher Prep Review 2013 Report.

The following teacher preparation programs in Colorado received the highest ratings by the National Council on Teacher Quality:

The following reviewed schools were cited as problematic (no stars):

Teacher Preparation Programs Accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP

Adams State College
Colorado State University
Colorado State University- Pueblo
Fort Lewis College
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Regis University
University of Colorado At Boulder
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
University of Colorado Denver
University of Northern Colorado

Read more about the CAEP, NCATE, and TEAC accrediting bodies.

School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Colorado

Request free information from the following schools to learn more about your options for choosing a teacher degree program. We recommend you: Request information from one or more of these schools

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Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Colorado

Note: Student Reviews are based on the experiences of a few individuals and it is unlikely that you will have similar results. Please review the “Data, Student Reviews and Other Information” section in our Terms of Use and Disclaimers.

Adams State College
208 Edgemont Blvd
Alamosa, CO 81102
(719) 587-7011

Colorado Christian University
8787 West Alameda Avenue
Lakewood, CO 80226
(303) 963-3000

Colorado College
14. E Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 389-6000
www.coloradocollege.edu

Colorado State University
102 Administration Building
Fort Collins, CO 80523-0100
(970) 491-1101
www.colostate.edu

Front Range Community College
3645 W 112th Ave
Westminster, CO 80031
(303) 466-8811

Metropolitan State College of Denver
Speer Blvd and Colfax Ave
Denver, CO 80217-3362
(303) 556-3876

Montessori Education Center of the Rockies
4745 Walnut Street
Boulder, CO 80301
(303) 494-3002

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
1600 Pierce St
Denver, CO 80214
(303) 753-6046
www.rmcad.edu

University of Colorado at Boulder
Regent Drive at Broadway
Boulder, CO 80309-0017
(303) 492-1411
www.colorado.edu

University of Colorado at Denver
1201 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80204
(303) 556-2400
www.ucdenver.edu

Student Review: “I got my elementary education teaching license from a teacher preparation program at the University of Colorado at Denver. My professors were amazing, and most of them had high standards for research writing, which I feel is important for a program educating future teachers. I learned a lot from my professors about child development and the way children learn. My professors were philosophically aligned with my beliefs about how children learn best and that made my coursework feel very relevant. I had a teaching internship and continue to teach in a Title I (high poverty) school. I feel like my professors and classmates were not as familiar with teaching children of poverty as I would have liked. I have learned far more from my colleagues and mentor teachers about the unique needs of children living in urban poverty than I did from my courses. UCD’s website is not very user-friendly. Registering for and paying for classes online is a pain. The administration was not very responsive to questions when problems arose. My advisor seemed like a great guy, but he seemed overworked. They either need more staff to support student registration or they need to improve the registration process.” -Student at University of Colorado at Denver

University of Denver
2199 S. University Blvd
Denver, CO 80208
(303) 871-2000

University of Northern Colorado
Carter Hall – Rm 4000
Greeley, CO 80639
(970) 351-1890
www.unco.edu

Student Review: “I really enjoyed how structured and explicit the steps in attaining a teaching degree were at UNC. Each semester, you met with your advisor and they would go over a ‘4-year plan’ with you to make sure you were on track to graduate when you planned. It was really nice to get that one on one attention with faculty. Additionally, UNC has great connections with schools in the area, the state and across the nation to make student teaching placement simple and convenient. Staff members work hard to place you in your first or second preferences, which is phenomenal. What I did not like however was how long it took my program to actually get me into a classroom for the first time. Per the degree, most students do not set foot into a K-12 classroom until the second semester of their sophomore year. I think that it is important that students have the opportunity to be exposed to a K-12 classroom earlier in their college career to allow them to decide if this is something that they truly want to pursue. If not, they can change majors without already being halfway done with one.” -Mary C., student at University of Northern Colorado