Arizona Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide

This guide to the many teacher preparation programs available in Arizona offers important information to help aspiring teachers find the best way to obtain a teaching degree in Arizona. There are many colleges and universities in Arizona that offer teaching degree programs that focus on preparing future Arizona educators for a career in the classroom. Scroll down to find lists of top-rated teaching programs, a table of accredited, state-approved teacher preparation programs, and student reviews. For young students who are interested in becoming an educator or for anyone who is looking to change their current career, this guide to teaching schools in Arizona will help find the best program that fits specific individual needs in order to become a qualified teacher.

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

Quick Facts

• There are 32 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Arizona.¹
• 20 schools offer an associate’s degree in education.¹
• 11 schools offer a bachelor’s degree in education.¹
• 9 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
• 3 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2022.³
• 3 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Online Master’s in Education Programs 2022.⁴
• 1 educator preparation provider (EPP) is accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP.⁵

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

Comparison of Arizona Schools with Teacher Preparation Programs

We have designed the following table to help you compare teacher preparation programs in Arizona according to various factors. All of the schools included are not-for-profit institutions approved by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) 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 reports under Title II (Teacher Quality) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which 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 Arizona 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 Arizona

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

• Arizona State University (#11 tie)
• University of Arizona (#59 tie)
• Northern Arizona University (#125 tie)

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

• Arizona State University (#8 tie)
• University of Arizona (#41 tie)
• Northern Arizona University (#93 tie)

Select Arizona Schools with Teacher Preparation Degrees

Arizona State University

Arizona State University (ASU) is known for its highly regarded teacher preparation programs offered online and on the Phoenix and Tempe campuses. The Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College (MLFTC) prepares educators at all levels from undergraduate to doctoral. Master’s degree offerings are designed for full-time working professionals who teach during the day and attend college in the evening or online, and many can be completed in as little as 18 months. Undergraduate and graduate majors include Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Physical Education, and Special Education, as well as more specialized degrees such as Learning Design and Technologies, Educational Leadership (Principalship), and Curriculum and Instruction. In order to gain practical experience, MLFTC students have the opportunity to complete internships and/or residencies at one of 450 schools in the community.

University of Arizona

The University of Arizona (U of A), located in Tucson, is home to the state’s first College of Education. The college focuses on preparing classroom teachers, special educators, counselors, principals, and superintendents for employment in the K-12 system and in higher education. Arizona’s College of Education is one of the largest schools on campus and is home to 65 full-time faculty members and 30 adjunct professors, all holding doctoral degrees in related subjects. The College contains four academic departments: Disability & Psychoeducational Studies; Educational Policy Studies & Practice; Educational Psychology; and Teaching, Learning, & Sociocultural Studies. Undergraduate degree programs include Deaf Studies, Early Childhood Education, Literacy, Learning, & Leadership, and Elementary Education (with options in Bilingual, Pathways, and ESL). Graduate programs include School Psychology, several Educational Leadership degree options, and Higher Education. U of A also hosts several initiatives that seek to diversify and strengthen the teacher workforce, such as the Indigenous Teacher Education Project (ITEP).

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.

Arizona Western College
2020 S Avenue 8E
Yuma, AZ 85365-8834
(928) 317-6000
www.azwestern.edu

Central Arizona College
8470 N Overfield Rd
Coolidge, AZ 85128-9030
(520) 494-5444
www.centralaz.edu

Chandler-Gilbert Community College
2626 E Pecos Rd
Chandler, AZ 85225-2499
(480) 732-7000
www.cgc.maricopa.edu

Cochise County Community College District
901 N Colombo Ave
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635-2317
(520) 515-0500
www.cochise.edu

Dine College*
1 Circle Dr
Route 12
Tsaile, AZ 86556
(928) 724-6600
www.dinecollege.edu

Eastern Arizona College
615 N Stadium Ave
Thatcher, AZ 85552-0769
(928) 428-8322
www.eac.edu

Estrella Mountain Community College
3000 N Dysart Rd
Avondale, AZ 85392-1000
(623) 935-8000
www.estrellamountain.edu

GateWay Community College
108 N 40th St
Phoenix, AZ 85034
(602) 392-5000
www.gatewaycc.edu

Glendale Community College-Glendale
6000 W Olive Ave
Glendale, AZ 85302
(623) 845-3000
www.glendale.edu

Mesa Community College
1833 W Southern Ave
Mesa, AZ 85202
(602) 461-7000
www.mesacc.edu

Mohave Community College
1971 Jagerson Ave
Kingman, AZ 86409-1238
(928) 757-4331
www.mohave.edu

Northland Pioneer College
2251 E Navajo Blvd
Holbrook, AZ 86025-0610
(928) 524-7600
www.npc.edu

Paradise Valley Community College
18401 N 32nd St
Phoenix, AZ 85032
(602) 787-6500
www.paradisevalley.edu

Phoenix College
1202 W Thomas Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85013
(602) 264-2492
www.phoenixcollege.edu

Pima Community College*
401 N Bonita Ave
Tucson, AZ 85709-5000
(520) 206-4500
https://www.pima.edu

Rio Salado College
2323 W 14th St
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 517-8000
https://www.rio.maricopa.edu

Scottsdale Community College*
9000 E Chaparral Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85256
(480) 423-6000
www.scottsdalecc.edu

South Mountain Community College
7050 S 24th St
Phoenix, AZ 85042
(602) 243-8135
https://www.southmountaincc.edu

Tohono O’odham Community College
Milepost 125.5
AZ-86
Sells, AZ 85634-3129
(520) 479-2300
https://www.tocc.edu

Yavapai College
1100 E Sheldon St
Prescott, AZ 86301
(928) 445-7300
https://www.yc.edu

Student Reviews

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.

Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287
(480) 965-9011
https://students.asu.edu/

Student Review: “At Arizona State University, the approach to student learning is very much personalized. This is especially important for the preparation of teachers who are getting ready to go into the workforce and do the most important job of all: teaching future generations. I had an amazing experience at Arizona State University in the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Program. Since I already had an undergraduate degree, it was very refreshing to me to be able to take courses that really mattered and that I actually needed in my career; not redoing courses and content I had already done in the past. The professors were very involved in preparing us for real-life teaching scenarios. They took a special interest in our strengths and made the learning relevant. The student teaching and practicums were also top-notch. I am so glad that I chose Arizona State University!” -Student at Arizona State University

Student Review: “I for the most part felt like my program prepared me to be an effective teacher in the classroom. The courses were appropriately rigorous, but the scheduling was insane, and it really should have been a five-year program. The required internships and student teaching were set up for us, so we had plenty of in-class time which was incredibly useful, and for the most part, the classes followed a logical track. However, there were some inconsistencies between the Teacher’s College and the music school that made parts of my degree difficult, such as different requirements for the same classes. The environment in and out of the classroom was very welcoming and helpful, and we were encouraged to build professional relationships with our peers. The staff was mostly friendly and helpful as well.” -Student at Arizona State University

Student Review: “The Arizona State University College of Education was an okay experience for me. I felt that the curriculum was just from an academic standpoint (mostly theory-based courses) but lacked in an overall daily application. Going through the program for three semesters, one learns about the different ways to teach a certain theory but when I got into the classroom for my student teaching I felt that very little I had studied over the past three semesters was applicable. I would rather have had 1-2 semesters of college courses combined with a minimum of 2 semesters of student teaching before graduating. I definitely felt student teaching was the best and most productive part of the ASU College of Education coursework.” -Student at Arizona State University

Student Review: “My time in the Mary Lou Fulton College of Education was a mix of excellent classes and classes that I felt were a waste of my time. Many of the professors were very knowledgeable in their subject and were able to instruct us in a way that was easy to understand. Some professors just tried to impart knowledge and did not try to help us understand the concept. In the later part of the program when it was time for internships the office was extremely disorganized and most of my classmates did not receive their assignments until several weeks into the school year requiring them to have to modify the hours we needed. My student teaching semester went smoothly.” -Student at Arizona State University

Student Review: “The ASU Teacher’s College was a fairly positive experience in which many resources were offered in order for me to achieve success. The advisor’s office had reasonable hours and I had a team of two advisors for my entire college career. My academics were planned year to year and my advisor emailed me before the start of every semester to go over my class schedule and check and see if anything needed to be adjusted. The coursework was reasonable and I rarely felt overworked, especially challenging considering I was working 40 hours a week as well. The only improvement I could see would be that lower division courses were sometimes taught by PhD and Master’s degree seeking students with no education background, which would become glaringly obvious over the duration of the course. Some people are not meant to teach.” -Student at Arizona State University

Northern Arizona University
Knoles Dr
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-4132
(928) 523-9011
https://nau.edu/

Student Review: “The NAU teaching program is the college experience everyone should be looking for. Not only were the professors competent, caring, generous, and attentive, the class sizes were small and the work was thoughtful and never seemed unnecessary. The classes were rarely larger than 15-20 students and each professor was able to give every student the individualized attention and careful study that they need to excel. I found myself challenged but not overwhelmed by the workload. Each and every assignment had a logical purpose and I found that my knowledge of teaching grew with each one. I loved how close knit everyone in the program was after sharing so many experiences together. When I completed my student teaching and moved on to my very own classroom I felt prepared and competent. I would highly recommend the NAU teaching program to anyone who is looking for a good quality education for their money, and an awesome set of professors!” -Student at Northern Arizona University

Student Review: “The Elementary Education program at Northern Arizona University provided a unique learning experience where I learned to become a teacher within a small cohort of my peers. For nearly two years I took all of my required coursework with 19 other individuals in the program. Being in a small group allowed me to not only learn the fundamentals of becoming a great teacher, but also allowed me more face time with instructors, socialization with peers, and experiences within the classroom. Years later I still keep in touch with members of my cohort and we share classroom tips, lesson plans, and experiences that may help one another better our classroom experience for our students.” -Student at Northern Arizona University

Student Review: “While at NAU, I was able to be a part of a cohort of other education students and we went through our classes together. It was amazing! Such a wonderful program! It was great to take all of my classes with the same people and to be able to work together to all become teachers. The program also included numerous opportunities to have actual classroom experience and to be able to use our classroom lessons instead of just talking about it, which I think was a great chance to be more prepared for my own actual classroom. We had the same professors throughout the cohort program as well, which helped us become comfortable with them and helped them to understand us better as well as our strengths and weaknesses. I was incredibly impressed with my cohort program at NAU and would definitely recommend anyone else who was trying to become a teacher to be a part of it! It prepared me so much for my future teaching career!” -Student at Northern Arizona University

Pima Community College
401 N Bonita Ave
Tucson, AZ 85709-5000
(520) 206-4500
https://www.pima.edu/

Student Review: “My biggest complaint with Pima is that there are times where I have to take a course that is required for me at a different campus. There are multiple campuses throughout Tucson and most of my classes are at the main campus. However it seems like at least once a semester I have a class that is 20 miles away from my campus. Other than that everything is just fine. I find my classes to be easier than that of high school and this is definitely the route to go if your paying by yourself for college. I will be transferring to U of A next semester and think that I am well prepared from all of my classes at Pima.” -Blake R., student at Pima Community 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 2022: 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