Nebraska Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide

This guide to teaching schools in Nebraska provides key information to help aspiring teachers research options for pursuing a career as an educator. In order to obtain a teaching degree in Nebraska, all teachers are required to complete an accredited teacher preparation program. There are several colleges and universities in the state that offer degree programs to prepare students to work in the classroom or further advance their current role as a teacher. This page includes lists of top-rated teaching programs, a table of accredited, state-approved teacher preparation programs, select school profiles, and student reviews to help assist in the process of choosing a school that is right for you and your career goals as a professional teacher.

Quick Facts

• There are 25 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Nebraska.¹
• 5 schools offer an associate’s degree in education.¹
• 16 schools offer a bachelor’s degree in education.¹
• 19 schools offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.¹
• No schools ranked in Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Education Majors 2022.²
• 2 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2023.³
• 5 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2022.⁴
• 12 educator preparation providers (EPPs) are accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP.⁵

For not-for-profit schools with teacher degree programs.

Table of Contents

Teacher Preparation Program Comparison

Top-Ranked Schools with Education Programs

Select Schools with Teacher Preparation Degrees

Schools with Associate Degrees in Education

Student Reviews

Comparison of Nebraska State Schools with Teacher Preparation Programs

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

You will also find data on teacher preparation program enrollment, completion, and licensing exam pass rates by institution, for both traditional and alternative programs, for the 2018-2019 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. Traditional teacher preparation programs are usually completed as part of a bachelor’s degree program. Alternative certification programs are typically designed for career changers looking to enter the field and lead to a postgraduate certificate or a master’s degree. Many schools in our table offer both traditional and alternative programs. Take a look at our Nebraska traditional and alternative certification guides for more information.

Finally, we have provided the net price per year for undergraduate tuition, 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).

• — indicates none or not applicable.
• N.Av. indicates data was not available or pass rates were omitted for confidentiality.

Top-Ranked Schools with Education Programs in Nebraska

US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2023

• University of Nebraska Lincoln (#50)
• College of St. Mary (#207-274)

US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2022

• Creighton University (#8 tie)
• University of Nebraska Kearney (#34 tie)
• University of Nebraska Lincoln (#34 tie)
• Concordia University, Nebraska (#205 tie)
• York College (#242-321)

Select Nebraska Schools with Teacher Preparation Degrees

College of Saint Mary

The College of Saint Mary (CSM) is an all-female Catholic institution located in Omaha with roughly 1,000 students. CSM’s Department of Education houses both undergraduate and graduate programs related to education. Students can receive a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education. Bachelor of Art (BA) degrees can be gained in K-12 Education (with endorsements in Art, Theology, or Spanish) and Secondary Education (with a variety of endorsements offered in scientific and arts areas). Students looking for graduate education can obtain a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in K-6 Elementary Education; K-6 Elementary Education/K-6 Special Education; 5-9 Middle Level or 7-12 Secondary Education; or 7-12 Special Education Subject Endorsement. CSM also offers a completely online Doctor of Education (EdD), which can be taken via a full-time or part-time track. In addition to these options, CSM offers a wide variety of endorsements, from a dual Elementary and Special Education option to a Secondary Grades endorsement in Business, Marketing, and Information Technology.

University of Nebraska Lincoln

The College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UN) houses several interrelated departments that offer a substantial number of undergraduate and graduate degrees. The college offers numerous undergraduate programs leading to teaching endorsements in early childhood, elementary, secondary, and special education. Select programs such as the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Early Childhood Education in a Mobile Society, offer online study options for students seeking more flexibility. UN also offers graduate programs focusing on classroom education, school psychology and counseling, and educational administration. For students who already have a bachelor’s degree in another subject and wish to enter a teaching career, UN offers a Master of Arts (MA) leading to initial teaching certification with endorsement areas available in Earth and Space Science Education to Secondary English Education.

Schools with Associate Degrees in Education

While a bachelor’s degree is the minimum educational level required to qualify for state certification, an associate’s degree can be the first step towards a career in education. It can qualify graduates for careers in non-licensed roles in early childhood education, after-school care, and related areas. The credits earned from an accredited associate degree program can also typically be transferred towards a bachelor’s degree. The following Alabama schools offer associate’s degrees in education.¹ Schools with an asterisk (*) also offer four-year teaching programs and/or alternative route to certification programs.

College of Saint Mary*
7000 Mercy Rd
Omaha, NE 68106
(402) 399-2400
www.csm.edu

Little Priest Tribal College
601 E College Rd
Winnebago, NE 68071
(402) 878-2380
www.littlepriest.edu

Nebraska Indian Community College
1111 US 75
Macy, NE 68039
(402) 494-2311
www.thenicc.edu

Northeast Community College
801 E Benjamin Ave
Norfolk, NE 68701
(402) 371-2020
www.northeast.edu

Western Nebraska Community College
1601 E 27th St
Scottsbluff, NE 69361
(308) 635-3606
www.wncc.edu

Student Reviews

Wayne State College
1111 Main St
Wayne, NE 68787
(402) 375-7000
https://www.wsc.edu/

Student Review: “The teacher education program is much better geared toward elementary teachers. Most of the education professors used to teach in elementary classrooms and that is where they get most of their knowledge and experience. However, the needs of secondary and elementary teachers are very different. I also felt that my classes did not adequately prepare me for real classrooms with real students. Until I was student teaching, I was completely wrong about what to expect. That said, I do think that the field experience office was very helpful in my preparation and I appreciated that they made the certification process fairly seamless. If more of the teacher education program were based on actual experience, rather than in educational theory, it would be more beneficial. For example, I have learned that it was next to useless to learn about classroom management by studying a textbook. That knowledge can only come from working with actual students, and different students will always require different approaches.” – Student at Wayne State College

References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. The Princeton Review. The Best 385 Colleges, 2022 Edition. The Princeton Review, 2021.
3. US News & World Report Best Graduate Education Schools 2023: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-education-schools/edu-rankings
4. US News & World Report Best Online Graduate Education Schools 2022: https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/education/rankings
5. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP): http://caepnet.org/provider-search
6. US Department of Education 2020 Title II Report: https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx