Best colleges for Teacher Education and Professional Development in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduate earnings
Lebanon Valley College, Elizabethtown College and Messiah University are the top bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development programs in Pennsylvania by graduate earnings. Lebanon Valley College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $51,300, College Scorecard. Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania Western University and West Chester University of Pennsylvania award the most Teacher Education and Professional Development degrees in Pennsylvania: 322, 270 and 253 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 92 Pennsylvania colleges offer Teacher Education and Professional Development and award 4,199 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…
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.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lebanon Valley College Annville Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $51,300 | 64 | 65% | $24,925 | $27,000 |
| 2 | Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $50,725 | 27 | 76% | $22,907 | $27,000 |
| 3 | Messiah University Mechanicsburg Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $50,389 | 30 | 75% | $25,675 | $27,000 |
| 4 | Drexel University Philadelphia Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $50,312 | 48 | 78% | $36,004 | $32,375 |
| 5 | Temple University Philadelphia Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,825 | 251 | 75% | — | $26,000 |
| 6 | Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Valley Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $47,453 | 73 | 57% | $25,843 | $27,000 |
| 7 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,319 | 66 | 56% | — | $26,435 |
| 8 | DeSales University Center Valley Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $46,852 | 53 | 72% | $26,990 | $27,000 |
| 9 | Holy Family University Philadelphia Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $46,555 | 44 | 61% | $12,163 | $27,000 |
| 10 | Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $45,853 | 51 | 63% | $27,082 | $27,000 |
Top 6 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.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bucks County Community College Newtown Public · Associate degree | $19,993 | 42 | 32% | — | $14,125 |
| 2 | Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg Public · Associate degree | $30,289 | 58 | 21% | — | $16,838 |
| 3 | Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia Public · Associate degree | $28,805 | 74 | 24% | — | $14,000 |
| 4 | Northampton County Area Community College Bethlehem Public · Associate degree | $26,956 | 49 | 24% | — | $13,796 |
| 5 | Delaware County Community College Media Public · Associate degree | $25,854 | 52 | 24% | — | $13,340 |
| 6 | Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell Public · Associate degree | $20,885 | 60 | 28% | — | $14,250 |
Colleges awarding the most Teacher Education and Professional Development degrees in Pennsylvania
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.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University University Park Public | 322 | $45,795 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania Western University California Public | 270 | $38,237 |
| 3 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester Public | 253 | Not reported |
| 4 | Temple University Philadelphia Public | 251 | $47,825 |
| 5 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown Public | 210 | $44,793 |
| 6 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg Public | 199 | $43,291 |
| 7 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville Public | 122 | $45,145 |
| 8 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia Private not-for-profit | 90 | $45,296 |
| 9 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg Public | 86 | $35,557 |
| 10 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock Public | 86 | $37,966 |
ShowHide the other 82 Pennsylvania colleges offering Teacher Education and Professional Development
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Park University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 81 |
| Community College of Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Public | 74 |
| Gwynedd Mercy University | Gwynedd Valley | Private not-for-profit | 73 |
| Carlow University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 70 |
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg | Public | 66 |
| Lebanon Valley College | Annville | Private not-for-profit | 64 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 63 |
| Montgomery County Community College | Blue Bell | Public | 60 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana | Public | 59 |
| Harrisburg Area Community College | Harrisburg | Public | 58 |
| Arcadia University | Glenside | Private not-for-profit | 56 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 56 |
| DeSales University | Center Valley | Private not-for-profit | 53 |
| Delaware County Community College | Media | Public | 52 |
| Wilkes University | Wilkes-Barre | Private not-for-profit | 51 |
| Chestnut Hill College | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 49 |
| Grove City College | Grove City | Private not-for-profit | 49 |
| Northampton County Area Community College | Bethlehem | Public | 49 |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 48 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh | Public | 46 |
| Lackawanna College | Scranton | Private not-for-profit | 45 |
| University of Scranton | Scranton | Private not-for-profit | 45 |
| Eastern University | Saint Davids | Private not-for-profit | 44 |
| Holy Family University | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 44 |
| Bucks County Community College | Newtown | Public | 42 |
| Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Altoona | Altoona | Public | 41 |
| Marywood University | Scranton | Private not-for-profit | 40 |
| Saint Francis University | Loretto | Private not-for-profit | 40 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | Johnstown | Public | 39 |
| Messiah University | Mechanicsburg | Private not-for-profit | 30 |
| Immaculata University | Immaculata | Private not-for-profit | 29 |
| Lancaster Bible College | Lancaster | Private not-for-profit | 28 |
| Pennsylvania State University - World Campus (Online) | University Park | Public | 28 |
| Elizabethtown College | Elizabethtown | Private not-for-profit | 27 |
| Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Harrisburg | Middletown | Public | 27 |
| Cairn University - Langhorne | Langhorne | Private not-for-profit | 27 |
| Lehigh Carbon Community College | Schnecksville | Public | 26 |
| Villanova University | Villanova | Private not-for-profit | 25 |
| Seton Hill University | Greensburg | Private not-for-profit | 24 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg | Greensburg | Public | 23 |
| King's College | Wilkes-Barre | Private not-for-profit | 22 |
| Westmoreland County Community College | Youngwood | Public | 22 |
| Susquehanna University | Selinsgrove | Private not-for-profit | 21 |
| York College of Pennsylvania | York | Private not-for-profit | 21 |
| Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Erie-Behrend College | Erie | Public | 20 |
| Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Abington | Abington | Public | 20 |
| Robert Morris University | Moon Township | Private not-for-profit | 19 |
| Cedar Crest College | Allentown | Private not-for-profit | 18 |
| Mercyhurst University | Erie | Private not-for-profit | 18 |
| La Roche University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 17 |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem | Private not-for-profit | 16 |
| Juniata College | Huntingdon | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | Bradford | Public | 15 |
| Saint Vincent College | Latrobe | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| Widener University | Chester | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| University of Valley Forge | Phoenixville | Private not-for-profit | 14 |
| La Salle University | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 13 |
| Delaware Valley University | Doylestown | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Gannon University | Erie | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Misericordia University | Dallas | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Chatham University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 11 |
| Geneva College | Beaver Falls | Private not-for-profit | 11 |
| Waynesburg University | Waynesburg | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| Wilson College | Chambersburg | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| Mount Aloysius College | Cresson | Private not-for-profit | 9 |
| Albright College | Reading | Private not-for-profit | 8 |
| Bucknell University | Lewisburg | Private not-for-profit | 8 |
| Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Berks | Reading | Public | 8 |
| Washington & Jefferson College | Washington | Private not-for-profit | 7 |
| Manor College | Jenkintown | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| Keystone College | La Plume | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| Pennsylvania Highlands Community College | Johnstown | Public | 5 |
| Alvernia University | Reading | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| Community College of Beaver County | Monaca | Public | 4 |
| Community College of Allegheny County | Pittsburgh | Public | 3 |
| Butler County Community College | Butler | Public | 3 |
| Rosemont College | Rosemont | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | Cheyney | Public | 2 |
| Lincoln University | Lincoln University | Public | 2 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | Bryn Athyn | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Neumann University | Aston | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Northern Pennsylvania Regional College | Warren | Public | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2011).
Top skills
What Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education earn in Pennsylvania
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Teacher Education and Professional Development programs in Pennsylvania.
Which Pennsylvania colleges award the most Teacher Education and Professional Development degrees?+
Pennsylvania State University (322 graduates a year), Pennsylvania Western University (270 graduates a year) and West Chester University of Pennsylvania (253 graduates a year) award the most Teacher Education and Professional Development degrees in Pennsylvania, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 92 Pennsylvania colleges offer Teacher Education and Professional Development.
What is the best college for Teacher Education and Professional Development in Pennsylvania?+
By graduate earnings, Lebanon Valley College leads among bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development programs in Pennsylvania, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $51,300, College Scorecard. Elizabethtown College and Messiah University follow. By degrees awarded, Pennsylvania State University is the largest, with 322 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Teacher Education and Professional Development program in Pennsylvania has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Lebanon Valley College tops the list at $51,300. 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 Pennsylvania?+
The average annual wage for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education in Pennsylvania is $37,250 (median $36,050), across about 22,760 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).
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.
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