College/Postsecondary/University Teaching Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
College/Postsecondary/University Teaching maps to BLS occupations averaging about $122,226, with roughly 201,250 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $7,334; common paths include Teaching Assistants, Special Education and Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary.
Key Statistics
College/Postsecondary/University Teaching: what the data shows
Common questions about college/postsecondary/university teaching degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a college/postsecondary/university teaching degree?
A College/Postsecondary/University Teaching program is classified under NCES CIP 13.1214 in the Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods field family (13.12).
A program that prepares individuals to teach at a postsecondary institution. Includes instruction in andragogy, assessment, classroom motivation, instructional design and technology, learner-centered teaching, learning science, syllabus construction, and teaching critical thinking
Types of college/postsecondary/university teaching degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 13.12 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching (CIP 13.1201)
- Early Childhood Education & Teaching (CIP 13.1210)
- Elementary Education & Teaching (CIP 13.1202)
- International Teaching and Learning (CIP 13.1212)
- Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching (CIP 13.1203)
- Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching (CIP 13.1209)
- Montessori Teacher Education (CIP 13.1207)
- Online Educator/Online Teaching (CIP 13.1211)
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods (CIP 13.1213)
- Secondary Education and Teaching (CIP 13.1205)
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other (CIP 13.1299)
- Teacher Education, Multiple Levels (CIP 13.1206)
- Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education (CIP 13.1208)
How long does it take to get a college/postsecondary/university teaching degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 13.1214 in our file:
- 6 Master's (28.6% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 15 Doctorate (71.4% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Teaching Assistants, Special Education (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a college/postsecondary/university teaching degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links College/Postsecondary/University Teaching to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Assistants, Special Education | — | — |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 74,250 | $79,940 |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | 5,260 | $95,770 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 97,890 | $80,190 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | 12,420 | $119,980 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a college/postsecondary/university teaching degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods bachelor's program family: median debt $23,206, median earnings $47,382 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.55.
About 1.6% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $7,334 and median net price is $15,724.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in College/Postsecondary/University Teaching and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$7,334 Median In-State Public
$35,420 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for College/Postsecondary/University Teaching majors are, on average, $7,334 for in-state public colleges, and $35,420 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for College/Postsecondary/University Teaching programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in College/Postsecondary/University Teaching from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in College/Postsecondary/University Teaching.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 3 | Western Governors University | UT | 155,088 |
| 4 | Western Governors University | UT | 155,088 |
| 5 | Western Governors University | UT | 155,088 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering College/Postsecondary/University Teaching programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haskell Indian Nations University | KS | $600 |
| 2 | Haskell Indian Nations University | KS | $600 |
| 3 | Tohono O'odham Community College | AZ | $932 |
| 4 | Tohono O'odham Community College | AZ | $932 |
| 5 | Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute | NM | $1,095 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for College/Postsecondary/University Teaching programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 2 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 3 | Fort Peck Community College | MT | $400 |
| 4 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 5 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | $614 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for College/Postsecondary/University Teaching programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for College/Postsecondary/University Teaching programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 13.12 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching CIP 13.1201
- Early Childhood Education & Teaching CIP 13.1210
- Elementary Education & Teaching CIP 13.1202
- International Teaching and Learning CIP 13.1212
- Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching CIP 13.1203
- Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching CIP 13.1209
- Montessori Teacher Education CIP 13.1207
- Online Educator/Online Teaching CIP 13.1211
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods CIP 13.1213
- Secondary Education and Teaching CIP 13.1205
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other CIP 13.1299
- Teacher Education, Multiple Levels CIP 13.1206
- Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education CIP 13.1208
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 13.1214 in the survey year used in our extract (21 total across levels below).
- 6 Master's (28.6% of IPEDS total)
- 15 Doctorate (71.4% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $122,226. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of College/Postsecondary/University Teaching graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Assistants, Special Education | — | — |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $129,630 | 11,430 |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | $104,536 | 74,250 |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | $126,897 | 5,260 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $130,318 | 97,890 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $155,412 | 12,420 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods CIP family (207 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every College/Postsecondary/University Teaching graduate.
- $23,206 median federal loan debt among completers
- $47,382 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.55 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 1.6% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$122,226 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for College/Postsecondary/University Teaching majors is $122,226.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for College/Postsecondary/University Teaching majors.
Occupations by Share
201,250 2023 Workforce
The number of College/Postsecondary/University Teaching graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in College/Postsecondary/University Teaching by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in College/Postsecondary/University Teaching in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in College/Postsecondary/University Teaching.
Age distribution for College/Postsecondary/University Teaching degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
98 Total Degrees Awarded
23 Male (23.47%)
75 Female (76.53%)
Gender distribution of College/Postsecondary/University Teaching degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
53 White (54.08%)
17 Black or African American (17.35%)
9 Hispanic or Latino (9.18%)
4 Two or More Races (4.08%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of College/Postsecondary/University Teaching degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in College/Postsecondary/University Teaching are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in College/Postsecondary/University Teaching.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the College/Postsecondary/University Teaching field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
College/Postsecondary/University Teaching majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for College/Postsecondary/University Teaching majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for College/Postsecondary/University Teaching majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to teach at a postsecondary institution. Includes instruction in andragogy, assessment, classroom motivation, instructional design and technology, learner-centered teaching, learning science, syllabus construction, and teaching critical thinking
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in College/Postsecondary/University Teaching.
CIP Code
13.1214 - College/Postsecondary/University Teaching
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $23,206 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $47,382, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual College/Postsecondary/University Teaching graduate.
Women earned 76.5% of 98 College/Postsecondary/University Teaching completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $122,226. The largest mapped role by headcount is Teaching Assistants, Special Education (N/A U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $7,334 in-state at public colleges and $35,420 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.