Best Elementary School Teacher programs in New York, ranked by enrollment
Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school.
80 schools in New York run programs that feed this job, graduating 5,470 people a year. The job pays a median of $85,760 in New York across about 101,410 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in New York that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
8 programs in New York that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in New York (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own New York page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 13.1202In New York → | 2,817 | 51.5% | 62 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 2 | CIP 13.1210In New York → | 1,027 | 18.8% | 32 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 3 | CIP 13.1401In New York → | 852 | 15.6% | 37 | $36,305 | $26,250 |
| 4 | CIP 13.1206In New York → | 498 | 9.1% | 8 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 5 | CIP 13.0201In New York → | 268 | 4.9% | 26 | $56,738 | $19,664 |
| 6 | CIP 13.1213In New York → | 4 | 0.1% | 2 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 7 | CIP 13.1211In New York → | 3 | 0.1% | 2 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 8 | Environmental Educationmain feeder CIP 13.1338In New York → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
Top 25 schools in New York
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 24 of the 80 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Relay Graduate School of Education New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 400 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY Public · 3 feeder programs | 320 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | $37,223 | 54% | — | 58% |
| 3 | Bryant & Stratton College - Online Orchard Park, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 306 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | $19,888 | 23% | $14,394 | — |
| 4 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY Public · 4 feeder programs | 290 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $37,414 | 53% | — | 64% |
| 5 | State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, NY Public · 3 feeder programs | 260 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $37,979 | 68% | — | 60% |
| 6 | CUNY City College New York, NY Public · 4 feeder programs | 239 | Bilingual and Multilingual Education | — | 57% | — | 60% |
| 7 | Niagara University Niagara University, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 226 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 75% | $17,048 | 87% |
| 8 | SUNY College at Potsdam Potsdam, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 221 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $36,487 | 45% | — | 78% |
| 9 | Mercy University Dobbs Ferry, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 209 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | — | 46% | $17,604 | 86% |
| 10 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY Public · 4 feeder programs | 183 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | $36,410 | 57% | — | 54% |
| 11 | State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY Public · 3 feeder programs | 165 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $28,929 | 72% | — | 62% |
| 12 | SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY Public · 2 feeder programs | 136 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $30,410 | 69% | — | 70% |
| 13 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 129 | Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor | — | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 14 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 129 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 59% | — | 78% |
| 15 | SUNY Buffalo State University Buffalo, NY Public · 3 feeder programs | 127 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $36,654 | 33% | — | 73% |
| 16 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY Public · 4 feeder programs | 115 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 75% | — | 74% |
| 17 | St. John's University - New York Queens, NY Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 105 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $39,295 | 66% | $27,359 | 83% |
| 18 | Pace University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 97 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | — | 60% | $29,994 | 76% |
| 19 | Teachers College at Columbia University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 97 | Bilingual and Multilingual Education | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | Long Island University Brookville, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 89 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $32,187 | 57% | $24,639 | 86% |
| 21 | College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY Public · 3 feeder programs | 88 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $41,997 | 34% | — | 92% |
| 22 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY Public · 4 feeder programs | 86 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | — | 51% | — | 57% |
| 23 | SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 86 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $31,188 | 71% | — | 66% |
| 24 | Boricua College New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 82 | Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor | — | 81% | $14,705 | — |
| 25 | State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, NY Public · 2 feeder programs | 76 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $35,577 | 60% | — | 81% |
All 80 schools in New York
Every school in New York with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relay Graduate School of Education | New York | Private not-for-profit | 400 | 1 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | Brooklyn | Public | 320 | 3 |
| Bryant & Stratton College - Online | Orchard Park | Private not-for-profit | 306 | 1 |
| CUNY Queens College | Queens | Public | 290 | 4 |
| State University of New York at Cortland | Cortland | Public | 260 | 3 |
| CUNY City College | New York | Public | 239 | 4 |
| Niagara University | Niagara University | Private not-for-profit | 226 | 3 |
| SUNY College at Potsdam | Potsdam | Public | 221 | 1 |
| Mercy University | Dobbs Ferry | Private not-for-profit | 209 | 4 |
| CUNY Hunter College | New York | Public | 183 | 4 |
| State University of New York at New Paltz | New Paltz | Public | 165 | 3 |
| SUNY Oneonta | Oneonta | Public | 136 | 2 |
| New York University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 129 | 3 |
| State University of New York at Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | Public | 129 | 1 |
| SUNY Buffalo State University | Buffalo | Public | 127 | 3 |
What elementary school teachers earn in New York
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $63,970. New York pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in New York
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Elementary School Teachers page.
How to become a Elementary School Teacher
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in New York
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 15 majors mapped to Elementary School Teachers13 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 13.0201Bilingual and Multilingual Education
- 13.1202Elementary Education and Teaching
- 13.1206Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
- 13.1207Montessori Teacher Education
- 13.1208Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education(no graduates reported)
- 13.1210Early Childhood Education and Teaching
- 13.1211Online Educator/Online Teaching
- 13.1212International Teaching and Learning
- 13.1213Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods
- 13.1338Environmental Education
- 13.1339Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education
- 13.1401Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
- 13.1402Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language(no graduates reported)
- 13.1499Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other
- 45.0199Social Sciences, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing elementary school teachers programs in New York.
What degree do you need to become an Elementary School Teacher?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Elementary Education and Teaching, which awarded 2,817 degrees in New York in 2024-25, 51.5% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Elementary School Teacher?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are Teacher Education and Professional Development, Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Bilingual, Teacher Education and Professional Development. Together they graduate about 5,470 people a year in New York.
How much do elementary school teachers earn in New York?+
The median is $85,760 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 34.1% above the U.S. median of $63,970. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for elementary school teachers growing?+
BLS projects a -2.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 91,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in New York?+
80 institutions in New York reported graduates from at least one of the 8 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do elementary school teachers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Teacher, Classroom Teacher, Elementary Teacher, Elementary School Teacher among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-2021.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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