Florida Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide
There are a variety of teacher preparation programs in Florida that prepare students to enter the education field within the state. The school guide found below is designed to efficiently help aspiring teachers who are interested in obtaining a teaching degree in Florida. For specific information on available programs, scroll down to find a table of top-rated teaching programs and a list of nationally accredited teacher preparation programs as well as student reviews. The information on teaching schools in Florida below is meant to serve as a helpful guide for anyone looking to change careers or recent college graduates looking to embark on their first career.
Quick Facts
- There are 73 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Florida.1
- 24 colleges and universities offer an associate’s degree in education.*1
- 59 colleges and universities offer a bachelor’s degree in education.*1
- 28 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.*1
- 6 schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges in 2017.2
- 6 schools ranked in US News Best Graduate Education Programs in 2017.3
- 10 schools ranked in US News Best Online Graduate Education Programs in 2017.4
- 13 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 Florida
Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges 2017*
- Florida International University (#72 in-state, #64 out-of-state)
- Florida State University (#28 in-state, #12 out-of-state)
- University of Central Florida (#51 in-state, #40 out-of-state)
- University of Florida (#7 in-state, #3 out-of-state)
- University of North Florida (#74 in-state, #67 out-of-state)
- University of South Florida (#66 in-state, #27 out-of-state)
*Institution-wide ranking.
US News Best Graduate Education Programs 2017
- University of Florida (#29)
- Florida State University (#52)
- University of Miami (#80)
- University of South Florida (#93)
- University of Central Florida (#99)
- Florida International University (#161)
US News Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2017
- University of Florida (#1)
- Florida State University (#3)
- University of South Florida (#29)
- Florida International University (#66)
- Nova Southeastern University (#84)
- St. Leo University (#149)
- University of Miami (#167)
- Lynn University (#174)
- Florida Atlantic University (#193, tie)
- University of North Florida (#193, tie)
Teacher Preparation Programs Accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Nova Southeastern University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
- University of South Florida-Sarasota Manatee
- University of South Florida-St. Petersburg
- University of West Florida
Read more about the CAEP, NCATE, and TEAC accrediting bodies.
Comparison of Teacher Preparation Programs
We have designed the following table to help you compare teacher preparation programs in Florida according to various factors. All of the schools included are not-for-profit institutions approved by the Florida 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. The Florida Department of Education also provides its own summative ratings of approved educator preparation programs based on a range of factors, with a top possible score of 4.0; we have provided the average institutional score based on all programs included in the report in the table below. We additionally 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 2014-2015 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.?5 | FLDOE Educator Prep Rating (2017)*6 | NCTQ UG Elem. Prog. % (2016)**7 | NCTQ UG Second. Prog. % (2017)**7 | Teacher Prep Prog. Enrollment8 | Teacher Prep Prog. Completers8 | Licensing Exams Pass Rate8 | Net Price ***8 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ave Maria University | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2 | 2 | N/A | $19,088 |
Baptist College | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6 | 9 | N/A | $11,831 |
Barry University | No | 3.30 | N/A | 8% | 42 | 40 | 97% | $21,489 |
Bethune-Cookman University | Yes | 2.80 | 2% | N/A | 27 | 24 | 100% | $16,521 |
Chipola College | No | 3.30 | N/A | 5% | 62 | 39 | 73% | $4,362 |
Clearwater Christian College | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6 | 16 | N/A | N/A |
College of Central Florida | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | 34 | 14 | 100% | $9,337 |
Daytona State College | No | 3.00 | N/A | N/A | 195 | 73 | 100% | $4,364 |
Edward Waters College | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9 | 1 | N/A | $13,918 |
Florida A&M University | Yes | 2.80 | 23% | 7% | 94 | 32 | 100% | $13,096 |
Florida Atlantic University | Yes | 2.95 | 46% | 41% | 670 | 335 | 100% | $11,303 |
Florida College | No | 2.20 | N/A | N/A | 3 | 6 | 87% | $21,704 |
Florida Gulf Coast University | Yes | 2.40 | 11% | 8% | 792 | 150 | 100% | $13,842 |
Florida Institute of Technology | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 | 4 | 99% | $31,582 |
Florida International University | Yes | 3.13 | N/A | 74% | 353 | 254 | 100% | $12,966 |
Florida Memorial University | No | 3.35 | N/A | N/A | 15 | 14 | N/A | $16,655 |
Florida Southern College | No | 2.60 | N/A | N/A | 42 | 57 | 100% | $24,206 |
Florida SouthWestern State College | No | 2.80 | N/A | 1% | 160 | 93 | 97% | $9,748 |
Florida State College at Jacksonville | No | N/A | N/A | 6% | 198 | 72 | 75% | $6,608 |
Florida State University | No | 3.05 | N/A | 79% | 589 | 313 | 100% | $16,506 |
Indian River State College | No | 4.00 | N/A | N/A | 254 | 46 | 100% | $1,235 |
Jacksonville University | No | 2.40 | N/A | N/A | 13 | 7 | N/A | $29,004 |
Lynn University | No | 3.50 | N/A | N/A | 11 | 4 | N/A | $36,530 |
Miami Dade College | No | 2.60 | N/A | N/A | 424 | 124 | 100% | $7,675 |
National Louis University | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Northwest Florida State College | No | 3.20 | N/A | 5% | 77 | 23 | 100% | $8,751 |
Nova Southeastern University | Yes | 3.40 | 25% | N/A | 1117 | 51 | 100% | $25,344 |
Palm Beach Atlantic University | No | 3.40 | N/A | 82% | 51 | 27 | 100% | $23,444 |
Polk State College | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | 193 | N/A | N/A | $8,512 |
Rollins College | No | 3.50 | N/A | N/A | 51 | 15 | 100% | $35,726 |
Saint Leo University | No | 3.07 | 54% | N/A | 311 | 189 | 100% | $21,296 |
South Florida State College | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $5,114 |
Southeastern University | No | 2.10 | 3% | 13% | 56 | 32 | 100% | $22,093 |
Southern Technical College | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | 58 | 4 | N/A | $18,465 |
Stetson University | Yes | 2.8 | N/A | N/A | 45 | 27 | 100% | $27,287 |
St. Johns River State College | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | 146 | 24 | 96% | $6,486 |
St. Petersburg College | No | 3.03 | N/A | N/A | 375 | 110 | 100% | $7,089 |
Trinity International University | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
University of Central Florida | Yes | 3.35 | 90% | N/A | 1682 | 696 | 100% | $15,533 |
University of Florida | No | 3.26 | N/A | 86% | 461 | 168 | 100% | $14,761 |
University of Miami | No | N/A | 81% | 89% | 14 | 27 | 100% | $37,424 |
University of North Florida | Yes | 3.10 | N/A | 66% | 693 | 181 | 100% | $13,484 |
University of South Florida | Yes | 2.80 | N/A | N/A | 933 | 433 | 100% | $11,398 |
University of South Florida-Sarasota Manatee | Yes | 3.30 | N/A | N/A | 125 | 32 | 100% | $5,802 |
University of South Florida-St. Petersburg | Yes | 2.53 | N/A | N/A | 202 | 97 | 100% | $11,150 |
University of Tampa | No | 2.86 | N/A | 66% | 97 | 49 | 100% | $29,372 |
University of West Florida | Yes | 3.06 | N/A | 21% | 1779 | 112 | 99% | $11,175 |
Warner University | No | 3.00 | N/A | 1% | 3 | 13 | 100% | $17,309 |
*The Florida Department of Education Summative Rating Score is program-based and current as of 2017, the date the report was published for the 2014-2015 academic year. You can read more about summative program ratings through the Florida Department of Education website.
**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 Central Florida: The University of Central Florida is home to the UCF College of Education. The College is dedicated to preparing new and existing education practitioners to face the rigors and challenges of educating today’s society with the right methods and skills sets. The College seeks to adequately serve all stakeholders including students, staff, community members and learning partners in the state of Florida and the world. The undergraduate offerings include nearly 20 majors while the graduate program includes nearly 60 different majors. Students at the undergraduate level enjoy coursework taught by world-renowned and engaging faculty members. They also spend plenty of time getting practical experience through observation and involvement in classrooms all throughout Central Florida. UCF is responsible for training many of the state’s best and brightest educators.University of Florida: Located in Gainesville, FL, the University of Florida is home to arguably the best education department in the entire state. The University Of Florida College Of Education was founded in 1906 and has consistently been ranked among the top 25 of public education schools in the country according to most major ranking organizations. Nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students make up the student body in the College of Education making it one of the biggest in the entire university. Students are able to choose from 21 bachelors and graduate degree programs that include eight specialty areas such as Counseling, Administration, Educational Technology, Special Education, K-12 Education, Literacy, Research and Assessment, and School Psychology. The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and has been so since 1954.
School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Florida
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
Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Florida
Baptist College of Florida
5400 College Dr
Graceville, FL 32440
(850) 263-3261
https://www.baptistcollege.edu/
Barry University
11300 NE 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33161-6695
(305) 899-3000
https://www.barry.edu/
Bethune-Cookman University
640 Dr Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3099
(386) 481-2000
www.cookman.edu
Brevard Community College*
1519 Clearlake Rd
Cocoa, FL 32922
(321) 632-1111
www.brevardcc.edu
Central Florida Community College*
3001 SW College Rd
Ocala, FL 34474
(352) 873-5800
www.cf.edu
Chipola College
3094 Indian Cir
Marianna, FL 32446-2053
(850) 526-2761
www.chipola.edu
Clearwater Christian College
3400 Gulf to Bay Blvd
Clearwater, FL 33759-4595
(727) 726-1153
www.clearwater.edu
Daytona State College
1200 W International Speedway Blvd
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
(386) 506-3000
https://www.daytonastate.edu/

Flagler College
74 King St
Saint Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 829-6481
http://www.flagler.edu/

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL 32307
(850) 599-3000
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Rd
Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991
(561) 297-3000
http://www.fau.edu/


Florida College
119 North Glen Arven Ave
Temple Terrace, FL 33617
(813) 988-5131
http://www.floridacollege.edu/

Florida Institute of Technology
150 West University Blvd
Melbourne, FL 32901-6975
(321) 674-8000
Florida International University
11200 SW 8 Street
Miami, FL 33199
(305) 348-2000
https://www.fiu.edu/


Florida Memorial University
15800 NW 42 Ave
Miami Gardens, FL 33054-6199
(305) 626-3600
Florida Southern College
111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr
Lakeland, FL 33801-5698
(863) 680-4111
www.flsouthern.edu
Florida State University
211 Westcott Bldg
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1037
(850) 644-2525
http://www.fsu.edu/




Gulf Coast Community College*
5230 West Highway 98
Panama City, FL 32401
(850) 769-1551
www.gulfcoast.edu
Hillsborough Community College
1206 N Park Rd
Plant City, FL 33563
(813) 253-7000
https://www.hccfl.edu/

Hobe Sound Bible College
11298 SE Gomez
Hobe Sound, FL 33455-1065
(772) 546-5534
www.hsbc.edu
Indian River State College
3209 Virginia Ave
Fort Pierce, FL 34981-5596
(772) 462-4772
Jacksonville University
2800 University Blvd N
Jacksonville, FL 32211-3394
(904) 256-8000
Lake Sumter Community College*
1405 County Rd 526A
Sumterville, FL 33585
(352) 568-0001
http://www.lssc.edu/Pages/default.aspx


Manatee Community College*
5840 26th St W
Bradenton, FL 34207
(941) 752-5000
Miami Dade College
300 NE 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33132-2297
(305) 237-8888
http://www.mdc.edu/

Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314-7796
(954) 262-7300
www.nova.edu
Palm Beach Atlantic University-West Palm Beach
901 S Flagler Drive
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561) 803-2000
www.pba.edu
Palm Beach Community College*
4200 Congress Ave
Lake Worth, FL 33461-4796
(561) 967-7222
www.pbcc.edu
Pensacola Junior College*
1000 College Blvd
Pensacola, FL 32504-8998
(850) 484-1000
www.pjc.edu
Saint Thomas University
16401 NW 37th Ave
Miami Gardens, FL 33054-6459
(305) 625-6000
www.stu.edu
South Florida Community College*
600 W College Dr
Avon Park, FL 33825-9356
(863) 453-6661
Southeastern University-Lakeland
1000 Longfellow Blvd
Lakeland, FL 33801-6034
(863) 667-5000
www.seuniversity.edu
St. Petersburg College
14025 58th Street N
Clearwater, FL 33760
(727) 341-4772
https://go.spcollege.edu/tsc/

Stetson University
421 N Woodland Blvd
DeLand, FL 32723
(386) 822-7000
www.stetson.edu
University of Tampa
401 W Kennedy Blvd
Tampa, FL 33606-1490
(813) 253-3333
www.ut.edu
University of West Florida
11000 University Pkwy
Pensacola, FL 32514-5750
(850) 474-2000
https://uwf.edu/

University of Central Florida
4000 Central Florida Blvd
Orlando, FL 32816
(407) 823-2000
https://www.ucf.edu/





University of Florida
355 Tigert Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611-3115
(352) 392-3261
http://www.ufl.edu/


University of Miami
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL 33124
(305) 284-2211
www.miami.edu
University of North Florida
1 UNF Dr
Jacksonville, FL 32224-2645
(904) 620-1000
http://www.unf.edu/



University of South Florida
4202 E Fowler Ave
Tampa, FL 33620-9951
(813) 974-2011
https://www.usf.edu/


University of West Florida
110000, University Pkwy
Pensacola, FL 32514
(850) 474-2230
https://uwf.edu/

Valencia College*
PO Box 3028
Orlando, FL 32802
(407) 299-5000
http://valenciacollege.edu/



Warner University
13895 Hwy 27
Lake Wales, FL 33859-8797
(863) 638-1426
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-kiplinger-s-best-values-in-public-colleges/
3. 2017 US News Best Graduate Education Schools: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-education-schools/edu-rankings
4. 2017 US News Best Online Graduate Education Schools: https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/education/rankings
5. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP): http://caepnet.org/provider-search
6. Florida Department of Education: http://www.fldoe.org/teaching/preparation/additional-resources.stml
7. National Council on Teacher Quality 2014-2016 Teacher Preparation Program Review: https://www.nctq.org/review/home
8. US Department of Education 2016 Title II Reports: https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx