Best Elementary School Teacher programs in Tennessee, ranked by enrollment
Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school.
32 schools in Tennessee run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,186 people a year. The job pays a median of $59,980 in Tennessee across about 28,240 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Tennessee that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
5 programs in Tennessee that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Tennessee (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 Tennessee page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 13.1206In Tennessee → | 570 | 48.1% | 12 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 2 | CIP 13.1202In Tennessee → | 414 | 34.9% | 25 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 3 | CIP 13.1210In Tennessee → | 98 | 8.3% | 11 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 4 | CIP 13.1401In Tennessee → | 95 | 8.0% | 11 | $36,305 | $26,250 |
| 5 | CIP 13.1211In Tennessee → | 9 | 0.8% | 1 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
Top 25 schools in Tennessee
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 13 of the 32 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Tennessee - Martin Martin, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 156 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | $41,834 | 53% | — | 88% |
| 2 | The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 117 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | $39,481 | 50% | — | 81% |
| 3 | East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 109 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | $40,276 | 53% | — | 86% |
| 4 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 101 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $39,034 | 58% | — | 76% |
| 5 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 100 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | $41,743 | 40% | — | 96% |
| 6 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Public · 4 feeder programs | 89 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $42,657 | 54% | — | 69% |
| 7 | Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 59 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | — | 55% | $11,063 | 87% |
| 8 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 43 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 53% | $14,286 | 69% |
| 9 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 41 | Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor | — | 72% | $24,309 | 68% |
| 10 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 39 | Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor | — | 94% | $14,854 | 6% |
| 11 | Lee University Cleveland, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 38 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $44,397 | 63% | $18,918 | 71% |
| 12 | Tennessee State University Nashville, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 36 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | $34,756 | 34% | — | 70% |
| 13 | Belmont University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 29 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 71% | $29,246 | 95% |
| 14 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 27 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | $33,502 | 51% | — | 72% |
| 15 | Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 25 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $43,283 | 49% | $24,187 | 65% |
| 16 | Bryan College - Dayton Dayton, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 50% | $16,130 | — |
| 17 | Carson - Newman University Jefferson City, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 19 | Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor | — | 53% | $19,537 | 90% |
| 18 | King University Bristol, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $36,576 | 48% | $23,546 | 100% |
| 19 | Freed - Hardeman University Henderson, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 15 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | $40,936 | 71% | $19,418 | 60% |
| 20 | Johnson University Knoxville, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 15 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | — | 57% | $19,333 | 65% |
| 21 | Tennessee Wesleyan University Athens, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 48% | $14,614 | 69% |
| 22 | The University of Tennessee Southern Pulaski, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 37% | — | 87% |
| 23 | Cumberland University Lebanon, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 46% | $19,206 | 67% |
| 24 | Maryville College Maryville, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 50% | $20,489 | 61% |
| 25 | Union University Jackson, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 66% | $25,882 | 60% |
All 32 schools in Tennessee
Every school in Tennessee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Tennessee - Martin | Martin | Public | 156 | 1 |
| The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Public | 117 | 3 |
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City | Public | 109 | 3 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville | Public | 101 | 2 |
| Austin Peay State University | Clarksville | Public | 100 | 2 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | Public | 89 | 4 |
| Christian Brothers University | Memphis | Private not-for-profit | 59 | 1 |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 43 | 2 |
| Lipscomb University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 41 | 2 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 39 | 3 |
| Lee University | Cleveland | Private not-for-profit | 38 | 3 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville | Public | 36 | 3 |
| Belmont University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 29 | 3 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis | Public | 27 | 2 |
| Southern Adventist University | Collegedale | Private not-for-profit | 25 | 2 |
What elementary school teachers earn in Tennessee
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $63,970. Tennessee pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Tennessee
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 Tennessee
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 Tennessee.
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 Teacher Education, Multiple Levels, which awarded 570 degrees in Tennessee in 2024-25, 48.1% 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 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Teacher Education and Professional Development, Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language. Together they graduate about 1,186 people a year in Tennessee.
How much do elementary school teachers earn in Tennessee?+
The median is $59,980 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 6.2% below 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 Tennessee?+
32 institutions in Tennessee reported graduates from at least one of the 5 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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