Best Bachelor's in Elementary Education Programs in Montana

Carroll College's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education prepares candidates for K-8 licensure in Montana through a Teacher Education Program approved by the Montana Office of Public Instruction and aligned to Montana Teaching Standards and INTASC standards. What defines the program is how early and how often students get into real classrooms: field experiences and supervised practicums run throughout the curriculum, with candidates logging more than 120 hours in K-12 settings starting freshman year before a full-day, 15-week directed student teaching placement. That steady exposure means graduates enter their own classrooms already comfortable in the role. Students can broaden their credentials across areas such as Elementary K-8, Special Education P-12, and Secondary 5-12, and add major and minor endorsements. Instruction is traditional and on-campus in Helena. Among Montana's 10 ranked bachelor's-level programs, this one posts the highest graduation rate at 69%. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Montana.

Montana State University's B.S. in Elementary Education prepares candidates for K-8 teaching licensure and carries strong credentials, with national CAEP accreditation and approval from the Montana Board of Public Education. Offered through the Department of Education, the 120-credit program asks for 42 credits in upper-division courses and deliberately builds a broad foundation, connecting STEM with language arts, social studies, the arts, and health so future teachers are ready for the many subjects an elementary day covers. Classroom practice runs deep, including service-learning, two K-8 practicum semesters, and a 12-credit student teaching term in the final year. Students can add focus through specializations in areas such as mathematics, science, or special education without extra licensure requirements. The program also emphasizes the history and contemporary status of American Indians and tribes in Montana, and it is taught on campus. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Rocky Mountain College's Bachelor's in Elementary Education is a hands-on, classroom-first path toward K-8 licensure in Montana. Students begin working in schools early and return every year after, and the college reports placing all of its student teachers in Billings-area classrooms, keeping the fieldwork close and connected to the community. Reading instruction is a clear point of pride: the program earned an A+ rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality for grounding candidates in the science of reading, from phonemic awareness and phonics through fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Students who want to deepen that strength can add a K-12 reading endorsement. For future elementary teachers who want steady, real-world preparation, the on-campus program keeps practice at the center. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Montana's elementary school teachers.

Designed for aspiring elementary teachers who need to study from where they live, Montana State University-Northern's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education is delivered online and recommends graduates for a Standard Class II Educator License to teach kindergarten through grade eight. The 86-credit program pairs general education and subject-matter coursework with 23 credits in a teaching minor or concentration, and students shape their focus by choosing a K-12 licensure minor such as art or reading, or two non-licensure concentrations. Classroom practice deepens across three practicum stages before a 12-credit student teaching capstone, which candidates reach after earning full admission to Level Two. Traditional and apprenticeship tracks let learners fit the degree to their circumstances. EdExcellence Forums and a Teachers' Lounge add mentorship and peer support along the way. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Montana.

The University of Montana-Western offers a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, available fully online through Project REAL (Rural Experience, Authentic Learning) and on-campus via the Experience One block-schedule model. Project REAL targets paraprofessionals, emergency hires, and place-based Montana students already working in schools, letting them become licensed educators without relocating by pairing online coursework with in-school lab hours and coaching. The on-campus track emphasizes hands-on field experiences from the start plus a paid year-long Montana Teacher Residency student teaching option. A Special Education concentration and minors such as Literacy K-12 and Early Childhood Education are available. The program holds CAEP accreditation. It awards more bachelor's-level elementary education degrees than any of Montana's 10 ranked bachelor's-level programs, 53 in the most recent year. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Montana's elementary school teachers.

Stone Child College, a tribally controlled college of the Chippewa Cree Tribe in Box Elder, Montana, offers a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education leading to K-8 licensure. The 131-credit degree builds on a 65-credit associate in the same field, adding 62 upper-division credits so students can move from a two-year start to a full teaching degree in one place. Fieldwork is extensive: candidates complete clinical experiences in grades K-3 and 4-8 at eight hours a week, logging 260 practicum hours and holding a current First Aid and CPR card before a 12-credit student teaching term. What distinguishes the program is its grounding in culturally responsive teaching, Montana Indian education, and the Cree language. The bachelor's earned approval from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in 2017 and is delivered on campus through the Education Department. It carries the lowest in-state tuition among Montana's 10 ranked bachelor's-level programs, at $2,520. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Montana.

Montana State University Billings offers the Elementary Education Broadfield major, a Bachelor of Science in Education based in the College of Education. The program leads to an initial teaching license for elementary classrooms. Students may add a second major in Special Education for grades P-12, combining that initial license with a special education endorsement. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Montana.

The University of Montana's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, offered through the Department of Teaching and Learning in the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education, licenses graduates to teach kindergarten through grade 8. It is a field-based program at heart, requiring at least 120 credits across content, general education, and professional licensure coursework while sending students into schools again and again. Clinical experience builds in three tiers, roughly 54 hours in grades K-2, 60 in grades 3-5, and 80 in grades 5-8, before culminating in 640 hours of full-time student teaching. Candidates typically apply to the Teacher Education Program at the end of their sophomore year and must earn a C-minus or better in required courses to continue toward licensure. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Montana's elementary school teachers.

The University of Providence offers a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education through its Education Department in Great Falls, Montana. The on-campus program prepares candidates for K-8 licensure and can be completed in four years. Field experiences run throughout the curriculum, and the coursework deliberately incorporates trauma-informed teaching and restorative practices. The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Salish Kootenai College's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education is a K-8 licensure pathway built as one continuous 194-credit journey, with the first 100 credits earning an associate stage and 94 more completing the bachelor's. Students spend their early terms meeting foundational requirements before entering the Teacher Education Program for the more intensive third- and fourth-year coursework. A distinctive Native Language Emphasis lets candidates weave Indigenous language into their preparation, reflecting the college's roots and community. Housed in the Division of Education, the program carries state approval from the Montana Board of Public Education and the Office of Public Instruction. Finishing the degree earns a recommendation for Montana K-8 licensure once all state requirements are met, though licensure is never guaranteed. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Montana.