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college/postsecondary/university teaching

A program that prepares individuals to teach at a postsecondary institution. Includes instruction in andragogy, assessment, classroom motivation, instructional design and technology, learner-centered teaching, learning science, syllabus construction, and teaching critical thinking. Examples: [University and College Teaching]

Types of Degrees college/postsecondary/university teaching Majors Are Earning

Those studying college/postsecondary/university teaching may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	94
Doctor’s Degree	4

What college/postsecondary/university teaching Majors Need to Know

Coursework for college/postsecondary/university teaching build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that college/postsecondary/university teaching graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in college/postsecondary/university teaching emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.3 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a college/postsecondary/university teaching program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to college/postsecondary/university teaching careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, college/postsecondary/university teaching graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.7 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.5 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by college/postsecondary/university teaching professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
VoiceThread	Computer based training software	—
Geogebra	Analytical or scientific software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for college/postsecondary/university teaching graduates include:

• Continuing Education Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Educational Administration Teacher
• Primary Education Professor
• Education Professor
• Faculty Member
• Science Education Professor
• Educational Leadership Professor
• Professor
• Education Teacher
• Lecturer
• Physical Education Instructor
• Outdoor Education Instructor
• Music Education Professor
• Instructor

What Can You Do With a college/postsecondary/university teaching Degree?

Graduates with a degree in college/postsecondary/university teaching commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	2.4%	$98,329	$80,157–$116,500

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to college/postsecondary/university teaching graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	89.8%
Master’s degree	9.4%
Bachelor’s degree	0.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in college/postsecondary/university teaching?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 76.5% of college/postsecondary/university teaching degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	75	76.5%
Men	23	23.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of college/postsecondary/university teaching graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	53	54.1%
Hispanic or Latino	9	9.2%
Black or African American	17	17.3%
Two or More Races	4	4.1%
Race Unknown	4	4.1%
International Students	11	11.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do college/postsecondary/university teaching Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of college/postsecondary/university teaching graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$44,857
4 years	$43,846
5 years	$48,879

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,879 — roughly 9% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online college/postsecondary/university teaching Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for college/postsecondary/university teaching. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in college/postsecondary/university teaching Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, college/postsecondary/university teaching graduates earn a median of $43,846 four years after completion — roughly 15% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	108,054
Elementary Education and Teaching	42,205
Curriculum and Instruction	21,331
Secondary Education and Teaching	10,594
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other	6,573
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	2,976
Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching	2,616
Art Teacher Education	1,860
Agricultural Teacher Education	1,051
Bilingual and Multilingual Education	932
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching	901

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.