Georgia · Teacher Education and Professional Development

Best colleges for Teacher Education and Professional Development in Georgia

Ranked by graduate earnings

Georgia College & State University, Georgia State University and University of Georgia are the top bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development programs in Georgia by graduate earnings. Georgia College & State University leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $47,513, College Scorecard. University of West Georgia, Georgia Southern University and Kennesaw State University award the most Teacher Education and Professional Development degrees in Georgia: 704, 703 and 474 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 63 Georgia colleges offer Teacher Education and Professional Development and award 5,831 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Teacher Education and Professional Development program, specifically focusing on various levels and methods, prepares individuals for careers in education. This program is designed for those who aspire to teach or work in educational…

Institutions
63
offering CIP 13.12
States & territories
57
with a program page
Degrees / yr
5,831
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$46,077
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
26
College Scorecard
Median net price
$20,980
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
43%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
$47,920
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville Public · Bachelor's degree
$47,51320664%—$26,000
2Georgia State University
Atlanta Public · Bachelor's degree
$46,90313253%—$26,750
3University of Georgia
Athens Public · Bachelor's degree
$46,16230690%—$18,229
4University of North Georgia
Dahlonega Public · Bachelor's degree
$46,09923937%—$19,500
5Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw Public · Bachelor's degree
$46,07747452%—$27,000
6Berry College
Mount Berry Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$43,3762069%$20,108$25,750
7Augusta University
Augusta Public · Bachelor's degree
$42,4193349%—$29,579
8Columbus State University
Columbus Public · Bachelor's degree
$41,78014142%—$30,977
9University of West Georgia
Carrollton Public · Bachelor's degree
$41,74470443%—$25,217
10Piedmont University
Demorest Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$41,6639447%$20,049$30,026

Top 3 certificate and associate programs

Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Georgia Northwestern Technical College
Rome Public · Associate degree
$21,7406843%——
2Georgia Military College
Milledgeville Public · Associate degree
$21,5917438%—$11,116
3Gwinnett Technical College
Lawrenceville Public · Associate degree
$20,9793432%—$22,670

Colleges awarding the most Teacher Education and Professional Development degrees in Georgia

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of West Georgia
Carrollton Public
704$41,744
2Georgia Southern University
Statesboro Public
703$40,641
3Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw Public
474$46,077
4Valdosta State University
Valdosta Public
372$39,692
5Mercer University
Macon Private not-for-profit
313$39,715
6University of Georgia
Athens Public
306$46,162
7Georgia Southwestern State University
Americus Public
285$38,973
8University of North Georgia
Dahlonega Public
239$46,099
9Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville Public
206$47,513
10Columbus State University
Columbus Public
141$41,780
Show the other 53 Georgia colleges offering Teacher Education and Professional Development
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Middle Georgia State UniversityMaconPublic142
Georgia State UniversityAtlantaPublic132
Brenau UniversityGainesvillePrivate not-for-profit131
Piedmont UniversityDemorestPrivate not-for-profit94
Shorter UniversityRomePrivate not-for-profit85
Georgia Military CollegeMilledgevillePublic74
Georgia Gwinnett CollegeLawrencevillePublic73
Gordon State CollegeBarnesvillePublic69
Georgia Northwestern Technical CollegeRomePublic68
Albany State UniversityAlbanyPublic67
Dalton State CollegeDaltonPublic67
Thomas UniversityThomasvillePrivate not-for-profit58
Southern Regional Technical CollegeThomasvillePublic55
South Georgia Technical CollegeAmericusPublic48
Southern Crescent Technical CollegeGriffinPublic46
College of Coastal GeorgiaBrunswickPublic45
Chattahoochee Technical CollegeMariettaPublic44
South Georgia State CollegeDouglasPublic43
Lanier Technical CollegeGainesvillePublic38
Emmanuel UniversityFranklin SpringsPrivate not-for-profit37
Athens Technical CollegeAthensPublic37
Central Georgia Technical CollegeWarner RobinsPublic36
Albany Technical CollegeAlbanyPublic35
Gwinnett Technical CollegeLawrencevillePublic34
Augusta UniversityAugustaPublic33
Clark Atlanta UniversityAtlantaPrivate not-for-profit32
Georgia Piedmont Technical CollegeClarkstonPublic32
Wiregrass Georgia Technical CollegeValdostaPublic28
Covenant CollegeLookout MountainPrivate not-for-profit26
North Georgia Technical CollegeClarkesvillePublic26
Atlanta Technical CollegeAtlantaPublic24
East Georgia State CollegeSwainsboroPublic24
Fort Valley State UniversityFort ValleyPublic23
Young Harris CollegeYoung HarrisPrivate not-for-profit22
Ogeechee Technical CollegeStatesboroPublic21
Berry CollegeMount BerryPrivate not-for-profit20
West Georgia Technical CollegeWacoPublic20
Truett McConnell UniversityClevelandPrivate not-for-profit20
Columbus Technical CollegeColumbusPublic19
Reinhardt UniversityWaleskaPrivate not-for-profit18
Wesleyan CollegeMaconPrivate not-for-profit18
Spelman CollegeAtlantaPrivate not-for-profit17
LaGrange CollegeLagrangePrivate not-for-profit16
Savannah Technical CollegeSavannahPublic12
Oconee Fall Line Technical CollegeSandersvillePublic12
Clayton State UniversityMorrowPublic11
Coastal Pines Technical CollegeWaycrossPublic10
Augusta Technical CollegeAugustaPublic9
Savannah State UniversitySavannahPublic9
Point UniversityWest PointPrivate not-for-profit8
Brewton-Parker Christian UniversityMount VernonPrivate not-for-profit7
Southeastern Technical CollegeVidaliaPublic7
Toccoa Falls CollegeToccoa FallsPrivate not-for-profit6

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2011).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.1%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~65,500
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$37,120
typically Associate's degree

Top skills

SpeakingActive ListeningLearning StrategiesReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingMonitoring

What Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education earn in Georgia

Jobs in Georgia
16,850
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$47,920
median $43,920
Best-paying metro
$62,070
Albany, GA

Related careers

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
$70,720 avg · 43,820 jobs
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$69,780 avg · 23,610 jobs
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
$47,920 avg · 16,850 jobs
Teachers and Instructors, All Other
$62,420 avg · 16,370 jobs
Training and Development Specialists
$74,290 avg · 16,200 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Teacher Education and Professional Development programs in Georgia.

Which Georgia colleges award the most Teacher Education and Professional Development degrees?+

University of West Georgia (704 graduates a year), Georgia Southern University (703 graduates a year) and Kennesaw State University (474 graduates a year) award the most Teacher Education and Professional Development degrees in Georgia, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 63 Georgia colleges offer Teacher Education and Professional Development.

What is the best college for Teacher Education and Professional Development in Georgia?+

By graduate earnings, Georgia College & State University leads among bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development programs in Georgia, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $47,513, College Scorecard. Georgia State University and University of Georgia follow. By degrees awarded, University of West Georgia is the largest, with 704 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Teacher Education and Professional Development program in Georgia has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Georgia College & State University tops the list at $47,513. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education earn in Georgia?+

The average annual wage for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education in Georgia is $47,920 (median $43,920), across about 16,850 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Teacher Education and Professional Development program?+

The Teacher Education and Professional Development program, specifically focusing on various levels and methods, prepares individuals for careers in education. This program is designed for those who aspire to teach or work in educational…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop speaking, active listening, learning strategies, reading comprehension, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education?+

The national job outlook is about +4.1% growth with around 65,500 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Teacher Education and Professional Development in other statesDistrict of ColumbiaNew JerseyAlaskaMarylandHawaiiUtahNevadaDelaware

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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