Best Secondary School Teacher programs in Rhode Island, ranked by enrollment
Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school.
11 schools in Rhode Island run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,932 people a year. The job pays a median of $92,610 in Rhode Island across about 4,910 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Rhode Island that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
38 programs in Rhode Island that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Rhode Island (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 Rhode Island page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 26.0101In Rhode Island → | 439 | 22.7% | 8 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 45.1001In Rhode Island → | 216 | 11.2% | 9 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 3 | CIP 23.0101In Rhode Island → | 165 | 8.5% | 7 | $29,622 | $24,546 |
| 4 | CIP 54.0101In Rhode Island → | 159 | 8.2% | 7 | $31,217 | $24,000 |
| 5 | CIP 40.0801In Rhode Island → | 111 | 5.7% | 4 | $47,156 | $23,490 |
| 6 | CIP 27.0101In Rhode Island → | 100 | 5.2% | 6 | $48,772 | $21,544 |
| 7 | CIP 45.0601In Rhode Island → | 89 | 4.6% | 5 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 8 | CIP 50.0701In Rhode Island → | 67 | 3.5% | 6 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 9 | CIP 40.0501In Rhode Island → | 65 | 3.4% | 6 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 10 | CIP 13.1205In Rhode Island → | 59 | 3.1% | 4 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 11 | CIP 50.0901In Rhode Island → | 58 | 3.0% | 5 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 12 | CIP 13.1401In Rhode Island → | 44 | 2.3% | 2 | $36,305 | $26,250 |
| 13 | CIP 30.0101In Rhode Island → | 41 | 2.1% | 2 | $28,446 | $11,000 |
| 14 | CIP 45.0101In Rhode Island → | 33 | 1.7% | 2 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 15 | CIP 16.0905In Rhode Island → | 28 | 1.4% | 3 | $34,541 | $22,748 |
| 16 | CIP 13.1302In Rhode Island → | 22 | 1.1% | 2 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 17 | CIP 13.1311In Rhode Island → | 22 | 1.1% | 4 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 18 | CIP 13.1315In Rhode Island → | 20 | 1.0% | 3 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 19 | CIP 16.0101In Rhode Island → | 19 | 1.0% | 2 | $27,449 | $20,824 |
| 20 | CIP 13.1328In Rhode Island → | 18 | 0.9% | 3 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 21 | CIP 13.1305In Rhode Island → | 16 | 0.8% | 4 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 22 | CIP 16.0301In Rhode Island → | 16 | 0.8% | 2 | $27,331 | $20,685 |
| 23 | CIP 16.0901In Rhode Island → | 16 | 0.8% | 4 | $34,541 | $22,748 |
| 24 | CIP 13.1312In Rhode Island → | 15 | 0.8% | 3 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 25 | CIP 16.0501In Rhode Island → | 15 | 0.8% | 1 | $44,390 | $23,202 |
| 26 | CIP 13.1206In Rhode Island → | 11 | 0.6% | 1 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 27 | CIP 13.1307In Rhode Island → | 11 | 0.6% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 28 | CIP 13.1316In Rhode Island → | 10 | 0.5% | 2 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 29 | CIP 16.1200In Rhode Island → | 9 | 0.5% | 1 | — | $22,560 |
| 30 | CIP 13.1318In Rhode Island → | 8 | 0.4% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 31 | CIP 13.1203In Rhode Island → | 6 | 0.3% | 1 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 32 | CIP 13.1306In Rhode Island → | 6 | 0.3% | 2 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 33 | CIP 13.1314In Rhode Island → | 5 | 0.3% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 34 | CIP 13.1330In Rhode Island → | 4 | 0.2% | 2 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 35 | CIP 13.1317In Rhode Island → | 3 | 0.2% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 36 | CIP 16.0902In Rhode Island → | 3 | 0.2% | 1 | $34,541 | $22,748 |
| 37 | CIP 13.1322In Rhode Island → | 2 | 0.1% | 2 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 38 | CIP 13.1332In Rhode Island → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
Top 11 schools in Rhode Island
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 8 of the 11 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI Public · 21 feeder programs | 624 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $45,846 | 73% | — | 72% |
| 2 | Brown University Providence, RI Private not-for-profit · 15 feeder programs | 527 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $36,084 | 96% | $14,644 | 5% |
| 3 | Providence College Providence, RI Private not-for-profit · 18 feeder programs | 280 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $39,616 | 86% | $32,048 | 51% |
| 4 | Rhode Island College Providence, RI Public · 28 feeder programs | 188 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $39,910 | 48% | — | 92% |
| 5 | Roger Williams University Bristol, RI Private not-for-profit · 16 feeder programs | 132 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $47,799 | 69% | $34,648 | 88% |
| 6 | Salve Regina University Newport, RI Private not-for-profit · 11 feeder programs | 85 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $40,525 | 77% | $31,899 | 68% |
| 7 | Community College of Rhode Island Warwick, RI Public · 4 feeder programs | 32 | Art/Art Studies, General | $18,544 | 26% | — | — |
| 8 | Bryant University Smithfield, RI Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 29 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 80% | $38,485 | 65% |
| 9 | Johnson & Wales University - Providence Providence, RI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $29,405 | 55% | $31,634 | 88% |
| 10 | Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Art Teacher Education | — | 89% | $41,764 | 19% |
| 11 | Johnson & Wales University - Online Providence, RI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 0% | $21,981 | 91% |
All 11 schools in Rhode Island
Every school in Rhode Island 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Rhode Island | Kingston | Public | 624 | 21 |
| Brown University | Providence | Private not-for-profit | 527 | 15 |
| Providence College | Providence | Private not-for-profit | 280 | 18 |
| Rhode Island College | Providence | Public | 188 | 28 |
| Roger Williams University | Bristol | Private not-for-profit | 132 | 16 |
| Salve Regina University | Newport | Private not-for-profit | 85 | 11 |
| Community College of Rhode Island | Warwick | Public | 32 | 4 |
| Bryant University | Smithfield | Private not-for-profit | 29 | 4 |
| Johnson & Wales University - Providence | Providence | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 2 |
| Rhode Island School of Design | Providence | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 1 |
| Johnson & Wales University - Online | Providence | Private not-for-profit | 2 | 1 |
What secondary school teachers earn in Rhode Island
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $72,040. Rhode Island pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Rhode Island employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Rhode Island
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 Secondary School Teachers page.
How to become a Secondary 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 Rhode Island
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Secondary School Teachers24 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 13.0201Bilingual and Multilingual Education
- 13.1203Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching
- 13.1205Secondary Education and Teaching
- 13.1206Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
- 13.1207Montessori Teacher Education
- 13.1208Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education(no graduates reported)
- 13.1211Online Educator/Online Teaching
- 13.1212International Teaching and Learning
- 13.1213Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods
- 13.1302Art Teacher Education
- 13.1304Driver and Safety Teacher Education
- 13.1305English/Language Arts Teacher Education
- 13.1306Foreign Language Teacher Education
- 13.1307Health Teacher Education
- 13.1308Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education
- 13.1309Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education
- 13.1311Mathematics Teacher Education
- 13.1312Music Teacher Education
- 13.1314Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
- 13.1315Reading Teacher Education
- 13.1316Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
- 13.1317Social Science Teacher Education
- 13.1318Social Studies Teacher Education
- 13.1321Computer Teacher Education
- 13.1322Biology Teacher Education
Common questions
Answers for people weighing secondary school teachers programs in Rhode Island.
What degree do you need to become a Secondary 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 Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which awarded 439 degrees in Rhode Island in 2024-25, 22.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Secondary School Teacher?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 38 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Political Science and Government, English Language and Literature, Teacher Education and Professional Development, plus 16 more. Together they graduate about 1,932 people a year in Rhode Island.
How much do secondary school teachers earn in Rhode Island?+
The median is $92,610 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 28.6% above the U.S. median of $72,040. 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 secondary school teachers growing?+
BLS projects a -1.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 66,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Rhode Island?+
11 institutions in Rhode Island reported graduates from at least one of the 38 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 secondary school teachers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Teacher, English Teacher, Social Studies Teacher, Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-2031.
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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