3 Best Colleges for Teaching and Education Majors in Florida

The best colleges for teaching and education majors in Florida are led by the state’s most prestigious public universities and the top-ranked private school in Florida. There’s no shortage of great universities and great education programs in Florida, but the top three offer distinctives and academic quality that their contenders can’t match.

Unlike other majors though, teaching jobs don’t vary nearly as much as the job opportunities for other majors such as business administration. For example, a teacher who graduates from Florida’s top university and a community college graduate might find themselves working at the same school for the same salary.

As teaching and education are common majors, you can find established, quality programs at many Florida colleges. Our honorable mentions include Florida Atlantic University (FAU), the University of Tampa, Stetson University, Florida International University (FIU), the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of South Florida, and the University of Miami.

This brings home two important considerations as you decide where to prepare for your career as a teacher. The first is location—if you want to stay in a specific area and your college has good connections with area schools, it may be an even better choice than our top-ranked schools (at least from a career perspective).

The second consideration is the tuition cost. Because teacher salaries aren’t known for being overly generous, you’ll want to do your best to minimize debt. Scholarships are one great way to pay your tuition bills, and we’ve ranked the 14 best online scholarship search engines here.

We’ve also written a guide on how to find lesser-known local scholarships near you, as these often have less competition. As an aspiring teacher, it’s clear that you have motivations to help people and aren’t just chasing the money, so you can use that to your advantage in scholarship applications. You can also check out our 15-step process to write knockout scholarship essays.

All right, with all that said, the best colleges for teaching and education majors in Florida are the best for a reason! Your college classes and experiences will shape your personal teaching style for your entire career, and there’s certainly value in going to the one of these great schools. Let’s get to the countdown!

Best Colleges for Teaching and Education Majors in Florida

3. Rollins College

Rollins College is a liberal arts college based just outside Orlando. Liberal arts colleges tend to be excellent in the more broad fields such as education, as having a deep understanding of the world and people is very helpful for teachers.

At Rollins, you aren’t just getting a liberal arts education—you’re getting a top-quality academic education from the college U.S. News ranked 1st among all South Regional Colleges.

The Rollins College Department of Education “is committed to the preparation of outstanding teachers who are firmly grounded in the liberal arts tradition and have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to excel as educators in schools around the world”.

You might notice the international vibe of the mission statement, and that’s not by accident, as Rollins emphasizes international trips so that teachers are equipped to “educate global citizens” themselves.

With 14 Florida state-approved programs in education, Rollins College offers the smaller atmosphere of a private liberal arts college, while also giving you great connections to Orlando schools. Delivering a great and well-rounded experience, Rollins College places 3rd among the best colleges for teaching and education majors in Florida.

2. Florida State University

Florida State ranks among America’s top 30 schools in education, and does some really cool and creative things with their education programs. The FSU College of Education “offers a unique combination of global-class academics and a close-knit, student-focused community for an exclusive educational experience”.

Their core distinctives are:

• Student-Focused
• Innovation
• FSU Family
• The Heart of it All

This last distinctive references FSU’s location in Tallahassee, “surrounded by the state’s educational movers and shakers”. Emphasizing research opportunities, job readiness, and cutting-edge teaching technology, FSU’s programs are perhaps the most innovative in the state.

This is exemplified by Florida State University’s FSU-Teach program, in which students “pursue an undergraduate degree in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Geoscience, Mathematics or Physics AND earn a second major in secondary teaching at the same time”.

The downside of this FSU-Teach program is that you won’t have space for electives if you’d like to graduate on time. The upside is that you’ll get a great double-major from one of the state’s top universities, and qualify for teaching licensure in your chosen field.

With a great location, a great program, and an innovative approach to educating educators, Florida State University comes just short of the gold among the best colleges for teaching and education majors in Florida.

1. University of Florida

The University of Florida regularly ranks among the nation’s top 25 education programs, and U.S. News placed their online degree programs 1st in America, so you don’t even have to be on-campus in Gainesville to enjoy a world-class teaching education. You can read more about the Gators online college programs in our rankings of the 22 best accredited online colleges in America.

The University of Florida boasts highly-respected programs in almost any specialty you can imagine, and are especially known for:

• Special Education
• Educational Administration
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Instructional Media

The newly-created Institute of Advanced Learning Technologies is an example of the Gators’ breadth and innovation in education, as researchers and students work “at the intersection of data mining, computational psychometrics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to dramatically improve learning outcomes”. Whew, this is some advanced and cool stuff.

Students interested in STEM education can also take advantage of UF’s great science programs. The course availability and degree flexibility are two more aspects that set apart Florida’s most prestigious College of Education.

Despite the fierce competition from FSU and Rollins College, the University of Florida still reigns atop the best colleges for teaching and education majors in Florida.