Best Elementary School Teacher programs in Virginia, ranked by enrollment
Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school.
31 schools in Virginia run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,813 people a year. The job pays a median of $65,550 in Virginia across about 37,880 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Virginia that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
4 programs in Virginia that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Virginia (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 Virginia page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 13.1202In Virginia → | 1,211 | 66.8% | 26 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 2 | CIP 13.1210In Virginia → | 403 | 22.2% | 11 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 3 | CIP 13.1401In Virginia → | 124 | 6.8% | 9 | $36,305 | $26,250 |
| 4 | CIP 13.1206In Virginia → | 75 | 4.1% | 5 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
Top 25 schools in Virginia
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 3 of the 31 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 1,001 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $31,136 | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 2 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 176 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 80% | — | 72% |
| 3 | Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 131 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 46% | — | 90% |
| 4 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 82 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | — | 68% | — | 87% |
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 57 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 63% | — | 93% |
| 6 | Shenandoah University Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 53 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | — | 67% | $27,455 | 77% |
| 7 | Longwood University Farmville, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 48 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 61% | — | 90% |
| 8 | University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 41 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 66% | — | 80% |
| 9 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 31 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 96% | — | 17% |
| 10 | Regent University Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 28 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | $33,534 | 57% | $18,677 | 38% |
| 11 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 86% | — | 55% |
| 12 | William & Mary Williamsburg, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 89% | — | 34% |
| 13 | University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 85% | $24,049 | 22% |
| 14 | Mary Baldwin University Staunton, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | — | 39% | $18,500 | — |
| 15 | Virginia Union University Richmond, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 13 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | — | 34% | $21,249 | 98% |
| 16 | Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 38% | — | 88% |
| 17 | Roanoke College Salem, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 10 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 67% | $24,604 | 83% |
| 18 | Bluefield University Bluefield, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 9 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | — | 18% | $22,057 | 59% |
| 19 | Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | $23,210 | 24% | $12,786 | — |
| 20 | Columbia College Vienna, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | — | 80% | $10,583 | — |
| 21 | Randolph College Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 46% | $18,525 | 94% |
| 22 | Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 70% | $26,498 | 87% |
| 23 | Virginia State University Petersburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 39% | — | 89% |
| 24 | Marymount University Arlington, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 54% | $25,803 | 93% |
| 25 | University of Lynchburg Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Elementary Education and Teaching | — | 57% | $19,488 | 43% |
All 31 schools in Virginia
Every school in Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty University | Lynchburg | Private not-for-profit | 1,001 | 3 |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg | Public | 176 | 3 |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk | Public | 131 | 3 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax | Public | 82 | 2 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond | Public | 57 | 3 |
| Shenandoah University | Winchester | Private not-for-profit | 53 | 2 |
| Longwood University | Farmville | Public | 48 | 3 |
| University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg | Public | 41 | 1 |
| University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville | Public | 31 | 3 |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach | Private not-for-profit | 28 | 3 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg | Public | 23 | 1 |
| William & Mary | Williamsburg | Public | 17 | 2 |
| University of Richmond | University of Richmond | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 1 |
| Mary Baldwin University | Staunton | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 1 |
| Virginia Union University | Richmond | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 2 |
What elementary school teachers earn in Virginia
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $63,970. Virginia pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Virginia
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 Virginia
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 Virginia.
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 1,211 degrees in Virginia in 2024-25, 66.8% 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 4 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 1,813 people a year in Virginia.
How much do elementary school teachers earn in Virginia?+
The median is $65,550 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 2.5% 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 Virginia?+
31 institutions in Virginia reported graduates from at least one of the 4 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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