Best Bachelor's in Elementary Education Programs in Massachusetts

Boston College's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, offered through the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, prepares candidates to teach grades 1 through 6, including students with mild disabilities. Its roughly 54 credits of education coursework move through a dozen core courses covering child development, learning theories, and methods in subjects such as reading, mathematics, and science, so candidates build a well-rounded teaching foundation. Practice ramps up gradually, beginning with two once-a-week pre-practicum placements before a full, five-day-a-week semester-long practicum guided by both school-based and university-based mentors. That mentored, step-by-step immersion gives candidates real classroom footing before they lead their own. The program meets Massachusetts state requirements and, together with the MTEL exams, leads to an initial Massachusetts license. Instruction is campus based. Among Massachusetts's 20 ranked bachelor's-level programs, this one posts the highest graduation rate at 91%. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Boston University's Wheelock College Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education prepares candidates for Massachusetts initial licensure in grades 1 through 6 across a 131-credit program that pairs BU Hub and subject-matter study with professional coursework. Classroom experience starts early, with one-day-a-week placements in the first year, and builds toward a full-time senior practicum that students can complete in the greater Boston area or, distinctively, in London or Sydney. That option to student-teach abroad gives the program an unusually global flavor for elementary preparation. Prospective students should note a recent change: as of fall 2022, new applicants are admitted instead to the BS in Education and Human Development, with elementary education continuing as a specialization within it. Students already enrolled in this degree complete it as designed. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Stonehill's Elementary Education major is an on-campus B.A. that leads to initial licensure from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to teach grades 1 to 6. The coursework reflects the breadth expected of an elementary teacher, moving across child development, mathematics, hands-on science laboratory work, literature, history, and government as the Commonwealth requires. What makes the preparation feel grounded is how early practice begins, with field placements starting as soon as the first semester and set alongside both general and special education teachers, so candidates see inclusive classrooms from the outset. That experience builds steadily toward a full-semester senior practicum. To complete licensure, candidates must also pass the required MTEL tests. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Gordon College's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, offered through its Herschend School of Education, qualifies graduates for an initial Massachusetts teaching license and a comparable license across all 50 states via reciprocity. Candidates complete over 100 hours of field-based experience beginning freshman year and a semester-long student teaching practicum or internship. The program emphasizes evidence-based literacy and math instruction. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Wheaton College's Elementary Education major sits inside a liberal arts curriculum and prepares candidates for initial Massachusetts licensure to teach grades 1 to 6. The coursework covers the craft of elementary teaching, from lesson planning and curriculum design to assessment and inclusive classroom practice, always tied back to teaching the core subjects. Field experience is where the program really builds, growing sequentially from about 25 hours of sophomore-year fieldwork through junior and senior pre-practicum placements to a final-semester student-teaching assignment at partner schools such as Yelle Elementary in Norton. Licensure also calls for additional liberal arts coursework and passing the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure. Students who want to broaden their reach can add a Teaching Multilingual Learners minor. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

UMass Lowell's Bachelor of Arts in Education, Elementary and Moderate Disabilities option is a dual-license program for candidates who want to teach across both general and special education settings, earning two Massachusetts initial licenses at once: elementary education, grades 1 to 6, and moderate disabilities, PreK to grade 8. The 120-credit degree, offered through the School of Education, grounds candidates in five methods courses and adds focused study of family engagement and emergent bilingual learners, reflecting the realities of today's classrooms. Practice sits at the core, with two senior-year practica that together total 600 hours of classroom experience, assessed through the state's CAP instrument. Licensure also depends on passing the relevant MTEL exams. All of it is delivered on campus. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Massachusetts's elementary school teachers.

At Emmanuel College, the Elementary Education program leads to Massachusetts Initial Licensure for grades 1 to 6 and expects candidates to double major, pairing their education studies with a liberal studies major that deepens the content knowledge young learners depend on. The design is unusually hands-on from the start, placing students in schools during their very first year and continuing through site experiences across nearly three dozen partner schools around Greater Boston. That steady presence in real classrooms, all within reach of the Boston campus, gives candidates time to grow into the role well before student teaching. The program is delivered on campus with local field placements. Emmanuel's teacher preparation programs carry approval from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

At the College of Our Lady of the Elms, the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education prepares candidates to teach grades 1 through 6 and gets them into classrooms from the very first semester. The Division of Education anchors the degree in 66 credits of major coursework, guiding students through pre-practicum courses and into a 12-credit Elementary Initial Practicum where they take on real teaching responsibility. Delivered on campus in a traditional format, the program is approved for both initial and professional educator licensure preparation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. That approval, the college notes, qualifies graduates to teach in Massachusetts and more than forty states and territories. Students who want a different emphasis can look to the Division's other tracks in areas such as early childhood, ESL, and special education. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Lasell University's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education leads to licensure for grades 1 through 6 and puts students in front of children almost immediately. Through the School of Humanities, Education, Justice and Social Sciences, classroom time starts in the first semester with tutoring hours and builds through pre-practicum placements each semester, culminating in a fall pre-practicum and a full spring practicum during senior year. That fieldwork spreads across sixteen partner schools in Boston-area districts and includes two early childhood settings, so candidates see a real range of learners. TeachLivE simulation technology lets them rehearse tricky classroom moments in a low-stakes space, and the program folds in an Early Childhood focus option and an SEI endorsement alongside the required MTEL exams. Students who want to keep going can add a fifth year toward a Master of Education. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Western New England University's Elementary Education program leads to a Bachelor of Arts and Massachusetts licensure to teach grades 1 to 6, and it is designed as a double major so candidates pair education with a subject such as English, history, mathematical sciences, or psychology. That structure gives future teachers real depth in an academic field alongside their professional training. Offered on campus through the Department of Education, the program builds classroom experience gradually, opening with 75 hours of pre-practicum study as early as freshman year and progressing to a 300-hour student teaching practicum in local elementary schools during the fall of senior year. It is state-approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with reciprocity in roughly 40 states through the NASDTEC Interstate Contract. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Westfield State University's Bachelor of Science in Education with Elementary Education Licensure is a thorough, practice-heavy route to Massachusetts initial licensure in grades 1 to 6. Offered through the College of Professional Studies, the major is substantial at 107 to 108 credits beyond general education, and it carries both AAQEP accreditation and Massachusetts DESE approval. Candidates advance through a deliberate clinical arc, moving from Field Experiences 1 through 3 into an elementary practicum and seminar, including a full-year senior placement that puts them in classrooms all year long. Along the way they declare a 15-credit Area of Focus to add academic depth. An Accelerated Dual Degree option lets students begin graduate work early, finish the B.S.E. in four years, and add an M.Ed. in Moderate Disabilities in one more. Instruction is on campus. It awards more bachelor's-level elementary education degrees than any of Massachusetts's 20 ranked bachelor's-level programs, 45 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.

Worcester State University's Elementary Education major, offered as a B.A. or B.S. through the Department of Education, prepares candidates for initial licensure to teach grades 1 through 6. Students pair the major with a minor or second major and move through staged fieldwork, from early classroom observation courses to methods coursework and a full practicum in an elementary school. Placements take students into urban, rural, and suburban schools. The program is campus based. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Fitchburg State University's Elementary Education BSE is an on-campus day program that carries candidates toward initial Massachusetts licensure for grades 1 to 6. Its strength is time in real classrooms, with multiple field-based experiences in elementary settings supervised by mentor teachers and university faculty, alongside a required practicum and a student teaching internship in approved schools. For those who want to keep going, an optional 4+1 pathway adds a one-year M.Ed. in Pedagogy and Learning and a second license in Early Childhood Education for PreK-2 or in Moderate Disabilities, all with minimal added time. The degree is offered through the Education Department in the School of Education. It holds full AAQEP accreditation through December 31, 2030. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Anna Maria College does not offer a standalone Elementary Education major. Students seeking elementary licensure enroll in the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies through the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and add an Education concentration that combines History and Education coursework. According to the college, Liberal Studies majors may prepare for a teaching career this way, and the concentration leads to licensure as a teacher of Elementary Education for grades 1-6. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Bridgewater State University's Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education leads to initial Massachusetts licensure for grades 1 to 6 and carries national recognition through 2026 for meeting all ACEI Standards. Students can follow the standard track or add a special education concentration that opens optional early acceptance into the MEd for PreK-8 moderate disabilities licensure, giving them room to broaden their credentials. The learning leans hands-on, combining mixed-reality teaching simulations with field experiences and even an option to student teach abroad. Housed in the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education, the program keeps its curriculum identical across daytime, evening, and online formats, with classes averaging about 20 students. Roughly 80 percent of graduates are still teaching in Massachusetts public schools two years after finishing. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Massachusetts's elementary school teachers.

Framingham State University offers a Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education through its Education Department, leading to Massachusetts initial licensure for grades 1 through 6. Coursework carries pre-practicum components across several courses, followed by full-time, full-semester student teaching in a public school classroom. The program is approved for licensure by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Classes are held on campus in Framingham. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Lesley University's Elementary Teacher program leads to initial teacher licensure and is notable for how early and how much it puts students in real classrooms. Across its 120 credits, which blend general education, education coursework, liberal arts requirements tied to teaching, and a generous band of electives, a full 21 credits go to field experience. Those guaranteed internships start in the very first year at partner schools in Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston, along with area charter schools, so candidates grow up as teachers over four years rather than parachuting in at the end. The mix of coursework and steady classroom time gives the program a hands-on, apprenticeship-like feel. Students can study full-time or part-time on campus and begin in either the fall or the spring. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Massachusetts's elementary school teachers.

Salem State University's Justice in Elementary Education pathway is a Bachelor of Science in the McKeown School of Education, whose programs are approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and nationally accredited by CAEP. Students choose between an early childhood focus covering preschool through grade two and an elementary focus for grades one through six, then pair that concentration with a minor. It is worth understanding the structure up front: the bachelor's degree alone does not grant a license, and graduates go on to complete a matching M.Ed., where the culminating fieldwork happens, after some required summer coursework. The program encourages students to pass all their MTEL exams by graduation. Full-time and part-time options make it workable for those juggling athletics, work, family, or leadership roles. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.

Eastern Nazarene College, in Quincy, Massachusetts, is winding down its operations, and its undergraduate education program is no longer available. In June 2024 the college's Board of Trustees voted to prepare for closure, and the institution stopped accepting new students for Fall 2024. It is completing operations through the 2024-25 academic year under teach-out agreements with Gordon College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and Trevecca Nazarene University, which allow enrolled students to finish their studies. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Massachusetts's elementary school teachers.

Curry College's Elementary Education major prepares candidates to teach all subjects in general education classrooms across grades 1-6, following a state credential track through its Education Department. This selective program keeps students in local schools one to two days a week, and an on-campus Education Resource Center backs them up with support for lesson planning and student teaching. Licensure hinges on passing the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure, and the program reported a 100% MTEL pass rate for 2021-2022. Students who want a different emphasis can follow an Education Support Professional track that adds specialized small-group literacy and math support. A fifth-year M.Ed. option extends the path further, letting students leave with a bachelor's, a master's, and two credentials in elementary and moderate disabilities teaching. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Massachusetts.