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2nd Grade Teacher Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a 2nd grade teacher. 2nd grade teachers usually study elementary education, education, or early childhood education. 72% of 2nd grade teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 10,487 real 2nd grade teacher resumes to see exactly what 2nd grade teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for 2nd grade teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online 2nd grade teacher courses to help get the education required to be a 2nd grade teacher.
There are certain 2nd grade teacher certifications that you should consider. These 2nd grade teacher certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).
What education do you need to become a 2nd grade teacher?
What degree do you need to be a 2nd grade teacher?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a 2nd grade teacher?
- Elementary Education, 37%
- Education, 16%
- Psychology, 5%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for 2nd grade teachers
2nd Grade Teacher Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.82% |
| Arizona State University | 8.06% |
| University of Central Florida | 5.75% |
| Florida State University | 5.75% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.41% |
Best majors for 2nd grade teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 36.7% |
| 2 | Education | 16.1% |
| 3 | Early Childhood Education | 8.1% |
| 4 | Psychology | 4.6% |
| 5 | English | 4.5% |
Best colleges for 2nd grade teachers
The best colleges for 2nd grade teachers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
A 2nd grade teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for 2nd grade teachers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become 2nd grade teachers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for 2nd grade teachers
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Welcome to Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you effectively assess student performance virtually, including compliance issues, feedback models, online grade book functions, and data analysis. We will discuss why effective measures of performance and assessment are a crucial component of any virtual program, and the importance of teachers and administrators understanding both the myths and challenges of assessing performance virtually, administering...
3. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)
Informational content for educators and parents to learn about teaching and understanding exceptional children...
4. Mindfulness for Life Coaching Success: Teacher Certificate
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5. Virtual Teacher Final Project
The Final Project will be a hands-on, comprehensive project that practitioners of virtual education can implement in their profession. For this final project, learners will draft a design plan for an online learning module utilizing materials learned from the virtual teacher series. Learners will choose the subject matter, method of delivery, tools, instructional strategies, and assessments, with the goal of creating a module of online or blended instruction that meets the needs of their...
6. The Teacher and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social and emotional learning, or SEL, programs have flourished in schools during the last decade. These programs vary widely but most share a concern for five individual, student competencies: self awareness; self-management; social awareness; relationship skills; and finally responsible decision making. It is important for teachers and parents to know about and understand these programs. While lots of SEL programs emphasize K-12 student social and emotional learning, only a very few programs...
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A group of seven European partners from Catalonia, Belgium, and Wales worked together on the Erasmus+ funded ‘Think Global’ project on global competence. The project seeks to address the following research question through development and piloting of practical classroom activities: What is global competence, and how can it be learned effectively? The Think Global project explores, through international collaboration, how global competence is defined, taught, learned, and measured in the...
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Learn How to Take Your Color Grading to the Next Level and Become a Pro. Made by a Netflix Film Director...
Top 10 most affordable universities for 2nd grade teachers
The most affordable schools for 2nd grade teachers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for 2nd grade teachers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for 2nd grade teachers.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,240
Cost of Attendance
13,991
U
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,587
Cost of Attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for 2nd grade teachers
The hardest universities for 2nd grade teachers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for 2nd grade teachers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for 2nd grade teachers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for 2nd grade teachers
The easiest schools for 2nd grade teachers to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 2nd grade teacher without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for 2nd grade teachers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
92%
SAT Average
1,031
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
81%
SAT Average
999
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
70%
SAT Average
849
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
Average 2nd grade teacher salary by education level
| 2nd Grade Teacher education level | 2nd Grade Teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,595 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,168 |
| Doctorate Degree | $55,128 |
2nd Grade Teacher Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025