Best Bachelor's in Elementary Education Programs in Maine

Husson University's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education prepares candidates to teach grades K-6, with coursework tied closely to the State of Maine Learning Results and a clear route to licensure. Delivered through the School of Education and Counseling, the program layers its clinical work gradually, starting with a non-credited clinical experience, moving through three short practicums, and finishing with a full semester of student teaching paired with a teaching seminar. That steady build means students spend real time in schools long before their final placement. Beyond the classroom mechanics, learners add 12 credits of content electives to deepen background in subjects that interest them. A capstone portfolio in the last semester pulls the whole experience together and asks students to reflect on how far they have come. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Maine.

At its Biddeford campus, the University of New England offers a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with Certification that leads to Maine K-6 teaching credentials. What sets the rhythm of the program is early, continuous classroom time: field experiences begin in the very first semester and continue every term, moving through classroom support, Response to Intervention, educational evaluations, and after-school work before a 15-week student teaching internship in a local public school. Housed in the School of Education, the degree also gives students room to shape their focus, whether by adding a Physical Education concentration that carries PE certification or minors in Education and Special Education. Certification reciprocity with most states and study abroad options round out a program built around real practice. Among Maine's 9 ranked bachelor's-level programs, this one posts the highest graduation rate at 68%. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Maine.

Saint Joseph's College of Maine's Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education is a combined licensure degree that the college describes as the only one of its kind in Maine, brought together after years of offering the two fields as separate concentrations. Its defining feature is a four-year field model that deepens each year, from freshman classroom visits and volunteering, to a full-semester sophomore practicum, a junior internship two days a week with real lesson planning and teaching, and finally a 15-week intensive student teaching placement as seniors. Because students can student teach in elementary education, special education, or both, the degree opens a path to dual certification. The program is anchored in the Education Department. Undergraduates who want to keep going can Fast Track toward the college's MSEd through a hybrid graduate course. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Maine's elementary school teachers.

The University of Southern Maine's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, offered through the School of Education and Human Development, leads to State of Maine K-6 certification across 120 credits. Fieldwork starts in the first year and grows steadily toward a year-long senior internship, during which candidates teach in two different grade levels and schools and log 20 to 40 hours of direct instruction each week. That range of placements means graduates have already taught more than one kind of classroom before they ever run their own. The program offers blended and in-person options, giving students some flexibility in how they get there. Nationally accredited by CAEP and state-approved by the Maine Department of Education, USM points to more than 145 years of teacher training behind the degree. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Maine.

The University of Maine's Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education prepares candidates to teach kindergarten through grade 8, and it puts them in front of school-aged children from the very first year. That early start sets the tone for a program rich in practice, with student teaching and internships spread across local, state, and regional partner schools. Students rarely stop at general preparation; many pair the major with an area of specialization such as mathematics, science, or special education, often as a double major. The full path runs to at least 120 credits and is housed in the College of Education and Human Development. Its teacher preparation programs are accredited by CAEP and lead to licensure. It awards more bachelor's-level elementary education degrees than any of Maine's 9 ranked bachelor's-level programs, 57 in the most recent year. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Thomas College offers its Elementary Education BS through the Lunder School of Education, preparing students to teach kindergarten through sixth grade. Coursework builds toward Maine professional certification, and students gain classroom experience through field placements and student teaching. Licensure runs through state approval from the Maine Department of Education. The college partners with EducateMaine, connecting students with Maine and County Teachers of the Year. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Maine.

The University of Maine at Augusta's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education leads to State of Maine K-6 certification, with an additional PK-3 Early Elementary credential available as a concentration. Offered through the Education Department, the degree gives students meaningful choice, with concentrations spanning early childhood teaching, early elementary, elementary, and special education so they can shape the focus to their interests. Preparation moves through observations, field experiences, and student teaching, keeping candidates in real classrooms as they build skill. The department's guiding framework emphasizes learner diversity, content and pedagogical knowledge, strong instructional practices, lifelong learning, and professionalism, with reflection woven throughout the experience. Access is a real strength here, since courses run online, on campus in Augusta and Bangor, and at UMA Centers, with evening and delayed-viewing options. That flexibility makes it well suited to students balancing school with work or family. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Designed for future K-6 teachers, the University of Maine at Presque Isle's on-campus Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education leads to Maine teacher certification while letting candidates shape a focus of their own. Each major pairs the core teaching preparation with a subject-area concentration in areas such as mathematics, science, or special education, and the Early Childhood option adds an endorsement covering K-3 and birth through school-age programming. Candidates move through a progression of field experiences that builds toward a full semester of student teaching alongside a supervising mentor as the capstone. The program's conceptual framework keeps ideas like reflection, diversity, and instructional strategies at the heart of that preparation. Approved by the Maine Department of Education, it offers a grounded, classroom-connected path into elementary teaching. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Maine.

The University of Maine at Farmington's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education prepares candidates to teach across a wide K-8 span, and it builds their confidence through practice that deepens year by year. Field placements progress from a First Practicum to an Advanced Practicum, typically in the third year, before a senior-year student teaching capstone puts candidates in a public school or early childhood setting for sixteen weeks. Students can widen their credentials with minors and certifications in areas such as Special Education, English Language Learning, and coaching. UMF carries more than 160 years of teacher preparation history and in 2017 became the first program in Maine to earn CAEP national accreditation, later renewed through 2031. The degree leads to teaching licensure. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Maine.