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Science Teacher Education: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Designed for aspiring educators, this program equips students with the advanced knowledge and pedagogical expertise needed to teach science across diverse academic settings. It emphasizes a comprehensive understanding of core scientific disciplines, preparing graduates to inspire and guide learners in both classroom and laboratory environments.

  • Biology: Explores the structure, function, growth, evolution, and distribution of living organisms, providing foundational knowledge for teaching life sciences.
  • Chemistry: Focuses on the composition, properties, and reactions of matter, enabling educators to deliver rigorous instruction in chemical principles and laboratory practices.
  • Physics: Investigates matter, energy, motion, and forces, fostering a deep conceptual grasp essential for teaching the laws governing the physical universe.
  • Earth and Space Science: Examines the systems and processes shaping the planet, atmosphere, and cosmos, supporting instruction in environmental and astronomical topics.
  • Scientific Inquiry and Methodology: Develops skills in designing experiments, analyzing data, and applying the scientific method to real-world problems.
  • Educational Pedagogy and Curriculum Development: Integrates teaching strategies, assessment techniques, and standards-based lesson planning tailored to science education at K–12 levels.

Science Teacher Education Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

1,022
Total Graduates (2023-2024)
163
Universities & Colleges
10
Career Pathways
Career & Salary Outlook Schools Offering This Program Related Programs

Science Teacher Education Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Science Teacher Education degrees, including Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary and Physics Teachers, Postsecondary. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 1,867,850 professionals.

National Average Salaries

Occupation Median Salary Salary Range Total Employment Hourly Rate
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1051 $101,390 $53,310 - $199,260 11,480 N/A
Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1043 $100,830 $58,670 - $154,630 1,310 N/A
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1054 $97,360 $54,880 - $169,740 13,590 N/A
Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1053 $87,710 $50,670 - $164,290 7,130 N/A
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1041 $86,350 $49,080 - $160,870 8,700 N/A
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1052 $86,220 $52,870 - $171,600 20,390 N/A
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1042 $83,460 $50,760 - $169,560 53,250 N/A
Education Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1081 $72,090 $38,650 - $126,450 59,090 N/A
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 25-2031 $64,580 $47,330 - $104,670 1,072,540 N/A
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 25-2022 $62,970 $47,050 - $100,980 620,370 N/A

Salary Comparison

Science Teacher Education Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $61,972 in Florida to $111,774 in California—a 80% difference. The highest-paying states include California, Michigan, and Maryland. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 1,867,850 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Science Teacher Education by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 100 institutions offering Science Teacher Education programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Science Teacher Education is found at Western Governors University (WGU) (232 graduates), Montana State University (MSU) (36 graduates), East Carolina University (ECU) (26 graduates), University of Georgia (UGA) (24 graduates), and Hamline University (23 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 935 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name Award Levels Graduates Admissions Location Control Website
Western Governors University (WGU)
Bachelor's
Master's
 232 N/A Salt Lake City, Utah Private wgu.edu
Montana State University (MSU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
 36 SAT: 1065-1285
ACT: 21-27 		Bozeman, Montana Public montana.edu
East Carolina University (ECU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
 26 SAT: 1070-1240
ACT: 21-26 		Greenville, North Carolina Public ecu.edu
University of Georgia (UGA)
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (R)
 24 SAT: 1270-1480
ACT: 29-34 		Athens, Georgia Public uga.edu
Hamline University
Postbac Cert.
Master's
 23 SAT: 1133-1391
ACT: 19-28 		Saint Paul, Minnesota Private hamline.edu
Central Michigan University (CMU)
Bachelor's
 21 SAT: 960-1200
ACT: 21-27 		Mount Pleasant, Michigan Public cmich.edu
St Catherine University (St. Kate’s)
Master's
Other Award
 20 SAT: 850-1140
ACT: 20-26 		Saint Paul, Minnesota Private stkate.edu
California State University (CSUN)
Master's
 18 N/A Northridge, California Public csun.edu
Northeastern State University (NSU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
 16 SAT: 866-1136
ACT: 18-23 		Tahlequah, Oklahoma Public nsuok.edu
University of Iowa
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
 14 SAT: 1130-1330
ACT: 21-28 		Iowa City, Iowa Public uiowa.edu
University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
Master's
 13 SAT: 1130-1350
ACT: 25-31 		Chicago, Illinois Public uic.edu
University of Nebraska (UNK)
Master's
 13 SAT: 905-1125
ACT: 19-26 		Kearney, Nebraska Public unk.edu
CUNY Queens College
Master's
 13 SAT: 1010-1290 Queens, New York Public qc.cuny.edu
Teachers College at Columbia University (TC)
Master's
Doctorate (R)
 13 N/A New York, New York Private tc.columbia.edu
Boston University (BU)
Bachelor's
Master's
 12 SAT: 1420-1530
ACT: 32-34 		Boston, Massachusetts Private bu.edu
Western Michigan University (WMU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
 12 N/A Kalamazoo, Michigan Public wmich.edu
Columbia University in the City of New York
Post-Master's
Doctorate (R)
 12 SAT: 1510-1580
ACT: 34-35 		New York, New York Private columbia.edu
CUNY Brooklyn College
Master's
 12 SAT: 950-1340 Brooklyn, New York Public brooklyn.cuny.edu
University of South Florida (USF)
Bachelor's
Master's
 11 SAT: 1130-1320
ACT: 24-29 		Tampa, Florida Public usf.edu
North Carolina State University (NC State)
Bachelor's
 11 SAT: 1300-1470
ACT: 28-32 		Raleigh, North Carolina Public ncsu.edu
Baldwin Wallace University (BW)
Master's
 10 SAT: 1060-1290
ACT: 22-29 		Berea, Ohio Private bw.edu
Rutgers University
Master's
 9 SAT: 1310-1500
ACT: 28-33 		New Brunswick, New Jersey Public newbrunswick.rutgers.edu
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT)
Master's
 9 SAT: 1080-1310
ACT: 20-29 		Socorro, New Mexico Public nmt.edu
University of Washington (UW)
Master's
 9 N/A Seattle, Washington Public washington.edu
University of Wisconsin (UWEC)
Bachelor's
 9 ACT: 22-27 Eau Claire, Wisconsin Public uwec.edu
CUNY Hunter College
Master's
 8 SAT: 1100-1420 New York, New York Public hunter.cuny.edu
Central Washington University (CWU)
Bachelor's
 8 N/A Ellensburg, Washington Public cwu.edu
Auburn University (AU)
Bachelor's
 7 SAT: 1260-1390
ACT: 26-31 		Auburn, Alabama Public auburn.edu
California State University (CSULB)
Master's
 7 N/A Long Beach, California Public csulb.edu
Nova Southeastern University (NSU)
Master's
 7 SAT: 1030-1300
ACT: 19-28 		Fort Lauderdale, Florida Private nova.edu
Piedmont University
Master's
 7 SAT: 1038-1245
ACT: 18-25 		Demorest, Georgia Private piedmont.edu
Northern Michigan University (NMU)
Bachelor's
 7 N/A Marquette, Michigan Public nmu.edu
Martin Luther College (MLC)
Bachelor's
 7 ACT: 21-28 New Ulm, Minnesota Private mlc-wels.edu
Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO)
Bachelor's
Master's
 7 ACT: 15-20 Cape Girardeau, Missouri Public semo.edu
SUNY Buffalo State University
Master's
 7 SAT: 980-1240 Buffalo, New York Public suny.buffalostate.edu
Kent State University
Bachelor's
 7 SAT: 1010-1240
ACT: 18-25 		Kent, Ohio Public kent.edu
Brown University
Master's
 7 SAT: 1510-1580
ACT: 34-35 		Providence, Rhode Island Private brown.edu
Western Washington University (WWU)
Bachelor's
 7 SAT: 1150-1390
ACT: 24-31 		Bellingham, Washington Public wwu.edu
San Diego State University (SDSU)
Doctorate (R)
 6 N/A San Diego, California Public sdsu.edu
San Jose State University (SJSU)
Master's
 6 N/A San Jose, California Public sjsu.edu
Colorado School of Mines
Master's
 6 SAT: 1320-1480
ACT: 29-33 		Golden, Colorado Public mines.edu
University of Northern Colorado (UNCO)
Master's
 6 SAT: 950-1190
ACT: 21-26 		Greeley, Colorado Public unco.edu
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Bachelor's
 6 SAT: 1000-1200
ACT: 21-29 		University, Mississippi Public olemiss.edu
University of Akron
Bachelor's
 6 SAT: 900-1190
ACT: 17-25 		Akron, Ohio Public uakron.edu
Ashland University
Bachelor's
 6 SAT: 1035-1208
ACT: 20-25 		Ashland, Ohio Private ashland.edu
Wilkes University
Master's
 6 SAT: 1020-1250
ACT: 22-29 		Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Private wilkes.edu
University of Vermont (UVM)
Bachelor's
 6 SAT: 1290-1440
ACT: 30-32 		Burlington, Vermont Public uvm.edu
University of Wisconsin (UWO)
Bachelor's
 6 ACT: 18-25 Oshkosh, Wisconsin Public uwosh.edu
Northern Arizona University (NAU)
Bachelor's
Master's
 5 N/A Flagstaff, Arizona Public nau.edu
University of California (UCD)
Postbac Cert.
 5 N/A Davis, California Public ucdavis.edu
Georgia State University
Master's
 5 SAT: 940-1180
ACT: 19-26 		Atlanta, Georgia Public gsu.edu
University of Louisville (UofL)
Master's
 5 SAT: 1040-1270
ACT: 19-27 		Louisville, Kentucky Public louisville.edu
Cambridge College
Postbac Cert.
Master's
 5 N/A Boston, Massachusetts Private cambridgecollege.edu
Hope College
Bachelor's
 5 SAT: 1100-1340
ACT: 25-31 		Holland, Michigan Private hope.edu
University of Southern Mississippi (USM)
Master's
Doctorate (R)
 5 ACT: 20-29 Hattiesburg, Mississippi Public usm.edu
CUNY Lehman College
Postbac Cert.
Master's
 5 SAT: 850-1150 Bronx, New York Public lehman.edu
Brigham Young University (BYU)
Bachelor's
 5 SAT: 1270-1460
ACT: 28-32 		Provo, Utah Private byu.edu
Utah State University (USU)
Bachelor's
 5 SAT: 1070-1290
ACT: 20-28 		Logan, Utah Public usu.edu
Indiana State University (ISU)
Bachelor's
 4 N/A Terre Haute, Indiana Public indstate.edu
Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU)
Bachelor's
 4 SAT: 920-1170
ACT: 18-26 		University Center, Michigan Public svsu.edu
Spring Arbor University (SAU)
Bachelor's
 4 SAT: 1010-1240 Spring Arbor, Michigan Private arbor.edu
Bemidji State University (BSU)
Bachelor's
 4 ACT: 18-24 Bemidji, Minnesota Public bemidjistate.edu
Truman State University
Master's
 4 SAT: 1170-1370
ACT: 25-31 		Kirksville, Missouri Public truman.edu
Western Carolina University (WCU)
Bachelor's
 4 SAT: 1080-1270
ACT: 19-25 		Cullowhee, North Carolina Public wcu.edu
Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC)
Bachelor's
 4 N/A Belcourt, North Dakota Private tm.edu
University of Pennsylvania (Penn)
Master's
 4 SAT: 1510-1570
ACT: 34-36 		Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Private upenn.edu
University of Pittsburgh
Master's
 4 SAT: 1280-1460
ACT: 29-33 		Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Public pitt.edu
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Ship)
Master's
 4 ACT: 16-28 Shippensburg, Pennsylvania Public ship.edu
Clemson University
Bachelor's
 4 SAT: 1240-1410
ACT: 28-32 		Clemson, South Carolina Public clemson.edu
Texas Christian University (TCU)
Bachelor's
Doctorate (R)
 4 SAT: 1140-1350
ACT: 26-31 		Fort Worth, Texas Private tcu.edu
University of Lynchburg
Master's
 4 SAT: 980-1230 Lynchburg, Virginia Private lynchburg.edu
American College of Education (ACE)
Master's
 4 N/A Indianapolis, Indiana Private ace.edu
University of California (UCSC)
Bachelor's
 3 N/A Santa Cruz, California Public ucsc.edu
Indian River State College (IRSC)
Bachelor's
 3 N/A Fort Pierce, Florida Public irsc.edu
Lesley University
Master's
 3 N/A Cambridge, Massachusetts Private lesley.edu
Eastern Michigan University (EMU)
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 920-1170
ACT: 18-27 		Ypsilanti, Michigan Public emich.edu
Cornerstone University (CU)
Bachelor's
 3 N/A Grand Rapids, Michigan Private cornerstone.edu
University of Michigan
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 990-1255
ACT: 24-28 		Dearborn, Michigan Public umdearborn.edu
University of Minnesota (UMD)
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 1180-1350
ACT: 23-28 		Duluth, Minnesota Public d.umn.edu
University of Nebraska (UNL)
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 1098-1330
ACT: 22-28 		Lincoln, Nebraska Public unl.edu
Wayne State College (WSC)
Bachelor's
 3 N/A Wayne, Nebraska Public wsc.edu
Rider University
Postbac Cert.
 3 SAT: 1100-1320
ACT: 27-31 		Lawrenceville, New Jersey Private rider.edu
CUNY City College (CCNY)
Master's
 3 SAT: 1070-1430 New York, New York Public ccny.cuny.edu
University of North Dakota (UND)
Bachelor's
 3 N/A Grand Forks, North Dakota Public und.edu
Cleveland State University (CSU)
Master's
 3 N/A Cleveland, Ohio Public csuohio.edu
The University of Findlay (UF)
Bachelor's
 3 N/A Findlay, Ohio Private findlay.edu
Miami University
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 1220-1390
ACT: 25-30 		Oxford, Ohio Public miamioh.edu
University of Oklahoma (OU)
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 1140-1330
ACT: 23-29 		Norman, Oklahoma Public ou.edu
Lewis & Clark College
Master's
 3 N/A Portland, Oregon Private lclark.edu
Oregon State University (OSU)
Postbac Cert.
 3 SAT: 1140-1400
ACT: 24-31 		Corvallis, Oregon Public oregonstate.edu
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
 3 SAT: 970-1180
ACT: 20-27 		Indiana, Pennsylvania Public iup.edu
Rhode Island College (RIC)
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 870-1120 Providence, Rhode Island Public ric.edu
Odessa College
Associate's
 3 N/A Odessa, Texas Public odessa.edu
Wayland Baptist University (WBU)
Bachelor's
 3 N/A Plainview, Texas Private wbu.edu
Walden University
Postbac Cert.
 2 N/A Minneapolis, Minnesota Private waldenu.edu
Eastern Illinois University (EIU)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 880-1090 Charleston, Illinois Public eiu.edu
Morningside University
Bachelor's
 2 N/A Sioux City, Iowa Private morningside.edu
Upper Iowa University (UIU)
Bachelor's
 2 ACT: 17-23 Fayette, Iowa Private uiu.edu
Louisiana Tech University (LA Tech)
Other Award
 2 SAT: 1100-1310
ACT: 21-27 		Ruston, Louisiana Public latech.edu
University of Maine (UMF)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 995-1245 Farmington, Maine Public umf.maine.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Science Teacher Education programs

How much can I earn with a Science Teacher Education degree?

Salaries for Science Teacher Education graduates vary by role and location. Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $101,390 annually, while Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary earn around $100,830. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $111,774 compared to $61,972 in Florida. Approximately 1,867,850 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Science Teacher Education programs?

Currently 163 accredited institutions offer Science Teacher Education degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Western Governors University (WGU) (232 graduates), Montana State University (MSU) (36 graduates), and East Carolina University (ECU) (26 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Science Teacher Education growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 1,863 in 2010 to a peak of 1,247 in 2020, before declining slightly to 1,022 in 2023-24. This represents a 45% decrease overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with consistent demand, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Science Teacher Education degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary, and Physics Teachers, Postsecondary. Related occupations employ approximately 1,867,850 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

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