Best Associate's in Elementary Education Programs in Oregon

Treasure Valley Community College offers an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer that advisors can shape with an emphasis in Elementary Education. It is a transfer pathway rather than a teaching license: the first two years of coursework transfer as a block and satisfy freshman and sophomore requirements at Oregon's public universities. That lets students lower the cost of a bachelor's degree before transferring to complete their teaching preparation. Among Oregon's 6 ranked associate's-level programs, this one posts the highest graduation rate at 37%. This associate-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as teaching assistants in Oregon.

Blue Mountain Community College offers the Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT) with an Elementary Education focus, a two-year transfer degree rather than a direct licensure program. Through its Grow Your Own pathway, students can transfer to Eastern Oregon University to finish a bachelor's degree while remaining in eastern Oregon, earning endorsements in Elementary-Multiple Subjects and ESOL. After completing the bachelor's degree, graduates are eligible to teach at the elementary level. A associate-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among teaching assistants in Oregon.

Chemeketa Community College's Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree in Elementary Education is a two-year transfer pathway rather than a licensure degree. It blends selected education courses, practicum experience, and general education classes so students can transfer as juniors into an Oregon bachelor's program. A partnership with Western Oregon University leads to a B.S. in Education with an Early Childhood and Elementary concentration and teacher licensure. The program is delivered on campus. Graduates of this elementary education program at the associate level often go on to work as teaching assistants.

Rogue Community College's Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer in Elementary Education is best understood as a carefully mapped transfer pathway rather than a licensure credential in its own right. Offered through the Early Childhood Elementary Education Department, this two-year, 90 credit Major Transfer Map balances 31 to 38 hours of Core Transfer Requirements, another 31 to 38 hours of general education, and 15 to 19 hours of education courses that include a three-credit practicum. The whole block is engineered to move cleanly into a four-year licensure program at an Oregon public university such as Southern Oregon, Western Oregon, Eastern Oregon, or Oregon State. Students headed to the University of Oregon should plan differently, since they enter a non-licensure bachelor's and then pursue a graduate licensure program. For cost-conscious students, it is an affordable first two years toward becoming a teacher. It carries the lowest in-state tuition among Oregon's 6 ranked associate's-level programs, at $4,392. A associate-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among teaching assistants in Oregon.

Linn-Benton Community College offers the Elementary Education Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT), a 90-credit, two-year full-time transfer degree taken on campus. Built on Oregon's statewide Elementary Education Major Transfer Map MOU, it allows direct transfer into elementary education bachelor's programs at Oregon State University or Western Oregon University. The required ED 101A Introduction to Education Practicum and Seminar provides classroom experience in K-12 schools, and coursework is designed to prepare students for the state-required ORELA tests. Students follow the transfer map and meet with an advisor each term. A associate-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among teaching assistants in Oregon.

Clackamas Community College's Elementary Education Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer, or AAOT, is a two-year, 90-credit springboard toward a four-year degree rather than a teaching license of its own. It balances 19 credits of foundational skills, at least 48 general education credits, and 15 credits of elementary-education coursework, along with career technical electives. Because the curriculum is aligned with Oregon's public universities, students transfer in with junior standing, and each of those universities accepts at least three of the five education courses toward major requirements. That alignment is the point, since it smooths the jump to a bachelor's. A partnership with Eastern Oregon University goes a step further, letting students finish their degree onsite at the Oregon City campus. A associate-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among teaching assistants in Oregon.