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Most Popular Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools

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2023 Most Popular Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools

732 Schools Ranked
$23,273 Avg Student Debt

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for teaching students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school or bootcamp that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Teaching Degree Search has developed this Most Popular Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 732 schools in the United States to see which graduate certificate programs were the most popular for teaching students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.

Learn more about these popular schools below:

#1

The College of Saint Rose

Albany, New York
987 Total Awards
$15,748 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found The College of Saint Rose to be the most popular school for teaching students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in the United States. Saint Rose is located in Albany, New York and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 987 graduate certificates to qualified students.

Around 80% of those degree recipients were women.

Saint Rose does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 39% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#2

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas
881 Total Awards
$8,411 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 732 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Lamar University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Lamar University is a fairly large public school situated in Beaumont, Texas. It awarded 881 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 80% were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Lamar University. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

674 Total Awards
$6,422 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Arkansas State University - Main Campus is a great place for teaching students working on their graduate certificate. A-State is a public institution located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 674 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 70% were women.

Online graduate courses are available at A-State, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 83% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Arkansas State University - Main Campus

#4

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
473 Total Awards
$10,144 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 732 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Ball State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 473 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 91% were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Ball State. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 91% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Ball State University

#5

Piedmont College

Demorest, Georgia
469 Total Awards
$11,020 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent graduate certificate programs at Piedmont College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular teaching schools in the United States. Piedmont College is located in Demorest, Georgia and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 469 graduate certificates to qualified students.

Of those students who received their degree, 83% were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Piedmont College does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 88% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Piedmont College Report

#6

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia
464 Total Awards
$8,360 Average Tuition & Fees

Liberty University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate teaching programs. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 464 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 79% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Liberty University. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 97% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Liberty University Report

#7

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
437 Total Awards
$7,713 Average Tuition & Fees

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools list. UNC Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 437 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 82% were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UNC Charlotte. In 2019-2020 about 82% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full University of North Carolina at Charlotte Report

#8

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon
429 Total Awards
$16,518 Average Tuition & Fees
$29,312 Avg Student Debt

Portland State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate teaching programs. Portland State University is a public institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 429 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $29,312 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 69% were women.

Portland State University does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 20% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Portland State University

#9

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon
409 Total Awards
$18,120 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Oregon did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for teaching students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #9 on the list. Eugene, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 409 students in 2020-2021.

Around 70% of those degree recipients were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UO does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 9% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on University of Oregon

#10

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon
403 Total Awards
$15,569 Average Tuition & Fees

Oregon State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Oregon State is located in Corvallis, Oregon and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 403 graduate certificates to qualified students.

Of those students who received their degree, 76% were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Oregon State. In fact, around 43% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Oregon State University

#11

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
360 Total Awards
$13,740 Average Tuition & Fees

Washington State University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate teaching programs. Wazzu is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 360 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 81% were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Wazzu. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 30% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#12

University of West Georgia

Carrollton, Georgia
348 Total Awards
$6,488 Average Tuition & Fees

University of West Georgia ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools list. This fairly large public school is located in Carrollton, Georgia, and it awarded 348 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Around 87% of those degree recipients were women.

University of West Georgia does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on University of West Georgia

#13

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
298 Total Awards
$16,644 Average Tuition & Fees

George Mason University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. GMU is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 298 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 85% were women.

Online graduate courses are available at GMU, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 87% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#14

American College of Education

Indianapolis, Indiana
289 Total Awards
$6,600 Average Tuition & Fees

American College of Education landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate teaching programs. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, the medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 289 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 78% were women.

Since the graduate programs at American College of Education are primarily online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.

Read More…

#15

Capella University

Minneapolis, Minnesota
273 Total Awards

With a ranking of #15, Capella University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for teaching students working on their graduate certificate. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 273 students in 2020-2021.

Around 85% of those degree recipients were women.

Capella University is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.

Read full report on Capella University

#16

Viterbo University

La Crosse, Wisconsin
271 Total Awards
$24,230 Avg Student Debt

With a ranking of #16, Viterbo University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for teaching students working on their graduate certificate. Viterbo is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 271 graduate certificates to qualified students.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,230 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 80% were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Viterbo does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 72% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Viterbo University Report

#17

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, Washington
255 Total Awards

Seattle Pacific University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Seattle Pacific University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 255 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.

SPU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 83% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#18

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina
251 Total Awards
$11,796 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #18, Clemson University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for teaching students working on their graduate certificate. Clemson University is a large public school located in Clemson, South Carolina that handed out 251 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 88% were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Clemson. In fact, around 69% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

240 Total Awards
$9,308 Average Tuition & Fees

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate teaching programs. Minnesota State Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 240 graduate certificates to qualified students.

Around 86% of those degree recipients were women.

Minnesota State Mankato does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 40% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#20

Valdosta State University

Valdosta, Georgia
227 Total Awards
$6,784 Average Tuition & Fees

Valdosta State University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate teaching programs. This fairly large public school is located in Valdosta, Georgia, and it awarded 227 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 78% were women.

VSU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 90% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Valdosta State University Report

#20

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York
227 Total Awards
$13,838 Average Tuition & Fees

Stony Brook University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for teaching students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in Stony Brook, New York, the large public school handed out 227 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.

Around 70% of those degree recipients were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at SUNY Stony Brook. In 2019-2020 about 71% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Stony Brook University Report

#22

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia
217 Total Awards
$7,224 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #22, Kennesaw State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for teaching students working on their graduate certificate. This large public school is located in Kennesaw, Georgia, and it awarded 217 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Around 81% of those degree recipients were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since KSU Georgia does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 88% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Kennesaw State University Report

#23

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
212 Total Awards
$8,872 Average Tuition & Fees
$18,102 Avg Student Debt

With a ranking of #23, University of Central Florida did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for teaching students working on their graduate certificate. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 212 students in 2020-2021.

Graduate Certificate recipients from UCF accumulate an average of $18,102 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 86% of those degree recipients were women.

Online graduate courses are available at UCF, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 79% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full University of Central Florida Report

#24

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
196 Total Awards
$8,007 Average Tuition & Fees

Appalachian State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Appalachian State is a large public school situated in Boone, North Carolina. It awarded 196 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 84% were women.

One thing to take note of is that Appalachian State does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 86% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Appalachian State University

#25

McDaniel College

Westminster, Maryland
192 Total Awards
$9,568 Average Tuition & Fees
$17,375 Avg Student Debt

McDaniel College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Teaching Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. McDaniel is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Westminster, Maryland. It awarded 192 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Graduate Certificate recipients from McDaniel accumulate an average of $17,375 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 86% were women.

Since the graduate programs at McDaniel are primarily online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.

Full McDaniel College Report

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of West Alabama

Livingston, Alabama
#28

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia
#28

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, California
#30

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#31

Northcentral University

San Diego, California
#32

Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, New Hampshire
#34

Hunter College

New York, New York
#35

University of California - Irvine

Irvine, California
#35

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, Oregon
#37

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut
#38

Hamline University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#39

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#40

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, Utah
#41

Central Connecticut State University

New Britain, Connecticut
#42

Adelphi University

Garden City, New York
#43

University of Rochester

Rochester, New York
#44

Gardner - Webb University

Boiling Springs, North Carolina
#46

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina
#47

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia
#47

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#49

Missouri State University - Springfield

Springfield, Missouri
#50

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
#50

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, Tennessee

To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:

Rank School Location
53 Worcester State University Worcester, MA
54 National Louis University Chicago, IL
55 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
55 Bank Street College of Education New York, NY
55 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
58 Regis University Denver, CO
58 The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN
60 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
61 American International College Springfield, MA
61 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
63 Butler University Indianapolis, IN
64 Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ
65 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
66 Belhaven University Jackson, MS
66 The City College of New York New York, NY
68 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
69 Lehman College Bronx, NY
69 Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Winona, MN
71 University of Denver Denver, CO
72 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
73 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
74 Touro College New York, NY
75 Duke University Durham, NC
75 Auburn University Auburn, AL
77 Point Park University Pittsburgh, PA
77 Nicholls State University Thibodaux, LA
79 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
79 Salem State University Salem, MA
79 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
79 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
79 Creighton University Omaha, NE
79 Midland University Fremont, NE
85 Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL
85 Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL
85 Jackson State University Jackson, MS
85 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO
89 Concordia University, Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN
90 Sacred Heart University Fairfield, CT
90 California University of Pennsylvania California, PA
90 Thomas University Thomasville, GA
90 St John’s University - New York Queens, NY
90 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
90 University of New England Biddeford, ME
96 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
96 Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA
98 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
98 Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL
98 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
98 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
102 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
102 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
104 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
104 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
106 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
106 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
106 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
109 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
109 Henderson State University Arkadelphia, AR

Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our most popular teaching schools ranking:

Rank School Location
111 Montana State University Bozeman, MT
111 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
113 Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT
113 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
113 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
116 Plymouth State University Plymouth, NH
116 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT
116 Lipscomb University Nashville, TN
119 Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO
120 Harvard University Cambridge, MA
120 LIU Post Brookville, NY
120 University of Maine Orono, ME
120 Mercy College Dobbs Ferry, NY
124 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
124 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
126 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
127 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
127 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
129 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY
129 Antioch University - New England Keene, NH
129 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
132 SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY
132 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
134 University of Bridgeport Bridgeport, CT
134 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
134 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
134 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
138 Alverno College Milwaukee, WI
138 International Institute for Restorative Practices Bethlehem, PA
138 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
141 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
141 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
141 Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY
144 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
144 Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA
146 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
146 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
146 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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