Teaching and Education Degree Programs

By Chris Gaglardi
| Last Updated June 9, 2026

Education careers can start in a lot of different places. Some people begin with a certificate, diploma, associate degree, or teacher assistant program. Others need a bachelor's degree, supervised student teaching, state exams, background checks, and a teaching license before they can lead a public K-12 classroom.

That difference matters. A short education program may be a useful step toward childcare, preschool, early childhood education, teacher assistant, paraprofessional, tutoring, or instructional support roles. But it usually is not a shortcut to becoming a licensed public elementary, middle, or high school teacher.

The broader education field still has a lot of movement. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects slower-than-average growth for educational instruction and library occupations from 2024 to 2034, but still expects about 890,300 openings per year, largely because workers retire, change careers, or leave the field. The median annual wage for that occupational group was $59,220 in May 2024.

Compare education career paths before choosing a program so you know which credentials, fieldwork, licensing rules, and state requirements may apply.

Education / Teaching Programs

Early Childhood Education

Teaching & Education Schools

Colorado Christian University

Online

Early Childhood Education - Licensure
Early Childhood Education - Non-Licensure
Elementary Education - Licensure
Elementary Education - Non-Licensure
Special Education, K-12 Generalist - Licensure
Special Education, K-12 Generalist - Non-Licensure

Compare Teaching and Education Career Paths

Teacher helping students in an elementary school classroom. Education careers vary widely in training length, licensing rules, pay, and job outlook. Use the table below as a starting point, then verify requirements in your state before enrolling.

One useful way to think about the field is by pathway: education support, early childhood education, licensed K-12 teaching, career-changer certification, and advanced education roles.

Can You Go to Trade School for Teaching?

Yes, but only for some education paths.

A trade school, career college, community college, or online program may help you prepare for education-support and early-childhood roles like teacher assistant, paraprofessional, childcare worker, preschool teacher, tutor, or classroom aide. Those roles may require a certificate, college credits, an associate degree, a state assessment, background check, CPR/first aid training, or a credential like the Child Development Associate.

But if your goal is to teach in a public elementary, middle, or high school, plan for a longer licensure path. Public K-12 teachers generally need a bachelor's degree and state-issued certification or licensure.

Trade-school-style education programs can make sense for early childhood, childcare, preschool, teacher assistant, paraprofessional, substitute, tutoring, and instructional support pathways.
They usually are not enough by themselves to become a licensed public K-12 teacher.
Career and technical education teaching may be an exception in some states for people with strong industry experience, but requirements vary and still need state approval.

That's the whole trick: pick the program that matches the actual role you want, not the job title you hope the brochure is secretly implying.

Education Career Path Comparison

National wage and outlook data can help you compare paths, but it should not be treated as a personal income promise. Pay and hiring conditions vary by state, district, employer, public/private setting, funding source, union contract, and years of experience.

Comparison of teaching and education career paths by typical credential, bachelor's degree requirement, licensing issue, online feasibility, 2024 median pay, and 2024 to 2034 job outlook.
Career path	Typical education or credential	Bachelor's usually required?	License or certification issue	Online-friendly?	2024 median pay	2024-2034 outlook
Childcare worker	High school diploma, short training, CDA, or state credential may help	No	State/facility rules vary; background checks and safety training are common	Often partly	$15.41/hour	-3%; about 160,200 openings/year
Preschool teacher	Often an associate degree in early childhood education	Sometimes	Requirements vary by state and setting; public programs may require more	Partly	$37,120/year	+4%; about 65,500 openings/year
Teacher assistant	Some college coursework is common	No	Public schools and districts may require college credits, an assessment, or state approval	Partly	$35,240/year	-1%; about 170,400 openings/year
Paraprofessional / paraeducator	Associate degree, college credits, assessment, or state/local pathway	Usually no	Title I and state rules can matter a lot	Partly	Often grouped with teacher assistants	Often grouped with teacher assistants
Substitute teacher	Varies by state and district	Sometimes	Substitute permit, background check, or district approval may be required	Not really	Varies by district	Varies by state/district
Tutor / instructional support	Some college, subject expertise, or employer-specific training	Usually no	Usually less regulated unless school-based	Often yes	$40,090/year	+1%; about 37,100 openings/year
Elementary teacher	Bachelor's degree and teacher preparation	Yes	Public school licensure/certification required	Coursework may be online; student teaching is in person	$62,340/year, except special education	-2%
Middle school teacher	Bachelor's degree and teacher preparation	Yes	Public school licensure/certification required	Coursework may be online; student teaching is in person	$62,970/year	-2%; about 40,500 openings/year
High school teacher	Bachelor's degree, often with subject specialization	Yes	Public school licensure/certification required	Coursework may be online; student teaching is in person	$64,580/year	-2%; about 66,200 openings/year
Special education teacher	Bachelor's degree plus special education preparation	Yes	Public school licensure/certification required, often with special education endorsement	Coursework may be online; fieldwork is in person	$64,270/year	-1%; about 37,800 openings/year
Career and technical education teacher	Bachelor's degree or industry experience, depending on state and setting	Sometimes	Public school certification/licensure may be required	Partly	$62,910/year	-1%; about 15,900 openings/year
Adult education / ESL teacher	Bachelor's degree is common	Often	Requirements vary by program, state, and funding source	Often partly	$59,950/year	-14%; about 3,900 openings/year
School and career counselor	Master's degree is typical	Yes	State credential/licensure often required	Partly	$65,140/year	+4%; about 31,000 openings/year
Preschool or childcare center director	Bachelor's degree or ECE/business credentials, depending on setting	Sometimes	Facility licensing and state rules matter	Partly	$56,270/year	-3%; about 5,500 openings/year
Principal / education administrator	Master's degree and teaching experience	Yes	Administrator/principal license often required	Partly	$104,070/year	-2%; about 20,800 openings/year

Source note: Wage and outlook figures are based on BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook data using May 2024 wage figures and 2024-2034 projections where available. Requirements vary by state, employer, funding source, and school setting.

Education Support Roles That May Not Require a Bachelor's Degree

If you want to work in a school or education setting without committing to a four-year teaching degree right away, support roles may be the most practical place to start.

These roles can include teacher assistant, teacher aide, instructional aide, paraprofessional, paraeducator, special education aide, tutor, substitute teacher, and classroom support worker.

Teacher assistants often help licensed teachers with classroom activities, materials, student supervision, recordkeeping, and small-group support. BLS says teacher assistants typically need some college but no degree, and many roles require at least two years of college coursework.

Paraprofessionals and paraeducators may do similar work, but the title often carries more direct instructional or student-support responsibilities, especially in special education, Title I, or intervention settings. In covered Title I settings, federal regulation says paraprofessionals must meet qualification rules such as completing at least two years of higher education, earning an associate degree or higher, or passing a rigorous state or local academic assessment.

That does not mean every teacher aide job everywhere has the same requirement. It means you need to verify the rules for the exact job setting you want. A private childcare center, public school district, charter school, religious school, and special education program may all use different job titles and hiring standards.

Good fit if you want:

A faster entry point into schools or childcare
Classroom experience before deciding on a teaching degree
A role supporting children, teachers, or students with disabilities
A possible stepping stone toward an associate or bachelor's degree

Watch out for:

Low pay compared with licensed teaching roles
Part-time or school-year-only schedules
State, district, or Title I requirements
Certificates that sound useful but do not satisfy local hiring rules

Before enrolling, ask whether the program prepares you for a specific assessment, credential, state requirement, or job title. "Teacher assistant certificate" sounds nice. "This prepares you for the assessment required by local districts" is a lot more useful.

Early Childhood Education, Preschool, and CDA Pathways

Early childhood education is one of the strongest fits for people who want education-related training without immediately pursuing a full K-12 teaching degree.

Early childhood education programs can prepare students to work with young children in settings such as childcare centers, preschools, Head Start or early learning programs, family childcare homes, private early learning centers, pre-K support roles, and child development programs.

BLS says preschool teachers typically need at least an associate degree, though education and training requirements vary based on the setting and state regulations. Preschool teachers had a median annual wage of $37,120 in May 2024, and employment is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034.

Childcare workers usually have lower entry barriers, but pay is also lower. BLS reports a median wage of $15.41 per hour in May 2024 for childcare workers. Employment is projected to decline 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, but about 160,200 openings per year are still projected, mostly from replacement needs.

What is the CDA credential?

The Child Development Associate, or CDA, is a widely recognized early childhood credential. It can be a practical option for people who want to build skills for preschool, childcare, or early learning settings.

The CDA process includes formal early childhood education, professional experience, a professional portfolio, family questionnaires, a verification visit, and an exam. CDA Council materials list 120 hours of formal early childhood education training and 480 hours of work experience in the selected age group and setting as key requirements.

A CDA can be a good answer to the "trade school for teaching" question if your goal is early childhood education or childcare. But it is not the same thing as a bachelor's degree, and it does not automatically qualify you for public K-12 teacher licensure.

Preschool vs. elementary education

Preschool and elementary teaching are not the same pathway. Preschool teachers usually work with children before kindergarten. Requirements depend heavily on whether the setting is private childcare, public pre-K, Head Start, or another early learning program.

Elementary school teachers usually teach kindergarten through grade 5 or 6, depending on the district. Public elementary teachers generally need a bachelor's degree, a teacher preparation program, supervised student teaching, and state licensure.

Explore early childhood education programs to compare training options in this related pathway.

K-12 Teaching Degree and Licensure Pathways

If your goal is to become a public school teacher, the usual path is more formal and more regulated.

Most public K-12 teaching paths include:

Earning a bachelor's degree
Completing an approved teacher preparation program
Finishing supervised student teaching or field experience
Passing state-required exams
Completing a background check or fingerprinting process
Applying for state certification or licensure
Meeting renewal or continuing education requirements later

Public school teachers must usually be licensed or certified by the state where they teach. That applies to elementary, middle, high school, and special education teachers. BLS identifies a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for kindergarten/elementary, middle, high school, and special education teachers, with public school licensure requirements attached.

Private schools may have more flexibility, but that does not mean "no requirements." Many private schools still prefer or require education degrees, subject expertise, classroom experience, background checks, or credentials.

Common teaching degree paths

Elementary education degree: Often designed for people who want to teach multiple subjects to younger students.
Secondary education degree: Usually focused on teaching a specific subject, such as math, science, English, history, or career and technical subjects.
Special education degree: Focuses on teaching students with disabilities and may require specialized licensure or endorsements.
Early childhood education degree: May lead toward preschool, childcare, early learning, or public pre-K roles, depending on the degree level and state requirements.

The important question is not just "Is this an education degree?" It is: Does this program meet the requirements for the state and teaching license I actually need?

That question can save you from paying for a program that gets you a diploma, a bill, and a deeply personal relationship with regret.

Alternative Teacher Certification and Career-Changer Options

Alternative teacher certification is usually designed for people who already have a bachelor's degree but did not complete a traditional undergraduate teacher education program.

Depending on the state, an alternative route may include intensive teacher-preparation coursework, a provisional or temporary teaching credential, mentored classroom teaching, state exams, background checks, ongoing coursework while teaching, and a final recommendation for standard certification.

Alternative certification does not mean "skip licensure." It means taking a different approved route toward licensure.

This can be especially relevant for career changers. Someone with a bachelor's degree in biology, English, math, business, or another field may be able to enter a state-approved alternative certification program instead of starting over with a second bachelor's degree.

What about tradespeople?

Career and technical education teaching is a strong fit for some experienced tradespeople. CTE teachers may teach subjects like welding, automotive technology, culinary arts, construction, healthcare skills, business, agriculture, or information technology.

BLS says public school CTE teachers may need state-issued certification or licensure, and the median annual wage for career and technical education teachers was $62,910 in May 2024. Employment is projected to decline 1 percent from 2024 to 2034, but about 15,900 openings per year are projected.

Some states allow documented industry experience to play a major role in CTE teacher certification. Others require a degree, exams, pedagogy coursework, or a formal teacher-preparation route. If you are a tradesperson thinking about teaching, start with your state department of education, not some random page promising a magic credential and a commemorative tote bag.

Online Teaching and Education Programs

Online education programs can be useful, especially for working adults. Many courses in child development, education theory, classroom management, curriculum planning, and instructional methods can be completed online.

But education is not purely theoretical. If a program leads toward teacher licensure, student teaching or fieldwork usually has to happen in a real school or classroom setting. Public school teacher preparation commonly includes supervised classroom experience and state licensure requirements.

Before choosing an online teaching or education program, ask:

Is this program licensure-track or non-licensure?
Does it meet the teacher certification requirements in my state?
Will the school help arrange local student teaching or field placement?
Does the program prepare for required state exams?
Is the institution accredited?
Is the teacher preparation program approved by the right state agency?
If the school is based in another state, will my state accept the program?

Online can be convenient. It should not be a blindfold.

Salary and Job Outlook for Education Careers

Education careers are not all growing at the same rate. Some roles are projected to grow, some are flat, and some are projected to decline.

That does not automatically mean "no jobs." In education, many openings come from replacement demand: workers retiring, changing occupations, or leaving the labor force. BLS projects about 890,300 openings per year across educational instruction and library occupations from 2024 to 2034, despite slower-than-average overall employment growth for the group.

Preschool teachers are projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034.
Elementary, middle, and high school teachers are each projected to decline 2 percent, but BLS still projects tens of thousands of annual openings for these groups.
Special education teachers are projected to decline 1 percent, with about 37,800 openings per year.
Adult basic and secondary education and ESL teachers are projected to decline 14 percent, so that path deserves extra caution.

Pay also varies by role. Lower-barrier education-support jobs often pay much less than licensed teaching, counseling, or administrative roles. Location, public vs. private setting, union contracts, years of experience, and state funding all matter.

Use national wage data as a starting point, not a personal income promise. Your local school district, childcare center, or state labor market may tell a different story.

How to Choose a Teaching or Education Program

The best education program depends on the job you actually want.

A short certificate may be useful if your goal is childcare, preschool support, CDA preparation, or teacher assistant work. An associate degree may be a better fit for preschool teaching, paraprofessional roles, or transfer toward a bachelor's degree. A bachelor's degree and approved teacher-preparation program are usually necessary if your goal is public K-12 teaching.

Before enrolling, check these details:

Program goal: Does the program prepare you for teacher assistant work, early childhood education, childcare, K-12 teaching, substitute teaching, special education support, or something else?
Credential awarded: Will you earn a certificate, diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, or exam-prep certificate?
Licensure alignment: If your goal requires a license, does the program meet your state's requirements?
Field experience: Does the program include practicum, observation hours, student teaching, or local placement support?
Accreditation and approval: Is the school accredited? If it is a teacher-preparation program, is it approved for the state where you want to teach?
Transfer options: Can credits transfer into an associate or bachelor's degree later?
Exam preparation: Does the program prepare you for CDA, ParaPro-style assessments, state teacher exams, or other required assessments?
Total cost: Ask about tuition, books, fees, exam costs, background checks, fingerprinting, transportation, and unpaid fieldwork.
Career support: What jobs have graduates actually obtained? Does the school help with placement, resumes, interviews, or local employer connections?

Questions to Ask Schools Before Enrolling

Use these before requesting information, speaking with admissions, or signing anything expensive.

What exact career path is this program designed for?
Is this a licensure-track or non-licensure program?
Does this program meet my state's requirements?
What credential will I earn when I finish?
Does the program include practicum, fieldwork, student teaching, or observation hours?
Will the school help arrange local classroom placement?
Does the program prepare for any required exam or assessment?
Are credits transferable to another college or degree program?
What are the total costs beyond tuition?
What jobs have recent graduates actually gotten?
Are there requirements I must complete separately after graduation?
Who should I contact at my state department of education to verify this pathway?

This is the part where being annoying is good. Ask the blunt questions now so you do not discover the fine print after your wallet has been mugged by optimism.

FAQs About Teaching and Education Programs

Can you go to trade school for teaching?

You can use trade-school-style or career-college training for some education-related roles, especially teacher assistant, paraprofessional, childcare, preschool, early childhood education, and tutoring support. But a short certificate or diploma usually is not enough to become a licensed public K-12 teacher.

What degree do you need to become a teacher?

Public K-12 teachers generally need at least a bachelor's degree, a teacher preparation program, supervised student teaching, state exams, background checks, and state certification or licensure. Requirements vary by state and teaching area.

Can I become a teacher without a bachelor's degree?

For public elementary, middle, and high school teaching, usually no. Some childcare, preschool, teacher assistant, paraprofessional, substitute, private school, and CTE roles may have different requirements. CTE teaching may allow industry experience to count toward certification in some states.

What education jobs can I get without a bachelor's degree?

Possible options include childcare worker, teacher assistant, paraprofessional, instructional aide, tutor, substitute teacher in some districts, preschool support worker, and early childhood education roles. Requirements vary by employer, state, and school setting.

Is a teacher assistant the same as a paraprofessional?

The terms overlap, but they are not always identical. Teacher assistants often support classroom activities and licensed teachers. Paraprofessionals or paraeducators may provide more direct instructional, behavioral, language, or special education support. Districts and states may define the titles differently.

Do paraprofessionals need certification?

Sometimes. Requirements depend on the state, district, funding source, and job duties. In covered Title I settings, federal rules require paraprofessionals to meet qualification standards such as two years of higher education, an associate degree, or a formal state or local assessment.

What is the CDA credential?

The Child Development Associate credential is an early childhood education credential for people working with young children. CDA Council materials list 120 hours of formal early childhood education and 480 hours of work experience as key requirements, along with a professional portfolio, verification visit, and exam.

Can I get a teaching degree online?

Many education courses can be completed online, but licensure-track teaching programs usually require in-person student teaching or fieldwork. Always ask whether the online program meets the certification requirements in your state.

Are online teaching degrees respected?

They can be, if the school is properly accredited and the program meets state requirements for your intended credential. The important issue is not whether coursework is online. It is whether the program is legitimate, approved where needed, and aligned with your state's licensure rules.

What is alternative teacher certification?

Alternative teacher certification is a state-approved route for people who want to become licensed teachers without completing a traditional undergraduate teacher education program. It is often designed for people who already have a bachelor's degree or, in some CTE cases, strong industry experience.

Can a tradesperson become a teacher?

Sometimes. Experienced tradespeople may qualify for career and technical education teaching pathways, depending on the state, subject area, employer, and certification rules. Industry experience can matter a lot, but it does not erase state requirements.

Is early childhood education the same as elementary education?

No. Early childhood education usually focuses on younger children, often before kindergarten or in the early grades depending on the program. Elementary education usually prepares teachers for public elementary classrooms and generally requires a bachelor's degree and state licensure.

Sources and Methodology

Career wage and outlook information on this page is based primarily on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook data using May 2024 wage figures and 2024-2034 employment projections. Credential and training notes are based on BLS occupational profiles, federal paraprofessional qualification rules, CDA Council credential materials, and general state-licensure principles.

Because education requirements vary by state, district, employer, funding source, and school setting, this page should be treated as a planning guide, not a licensing guarantee. Before enrolling in a program, verify requirements with your state department of education, the school you are considering, and any local district or employer you hope to work for.