Best Bachelor's in Elementary Education Programs in New Jersey

The College of New Jersey builds real subject depth into elementary teaching by requiring a dual major, pairing its Elementary Education BS with an approved content area such as English, mathematics, biology, history, or integrative STEM education. Alongside that content focus and the College Core, the curriculum knits together liberal arts study, education theory, and extensive fieldwork so candidates develop as both scholars and teachers. That fieldwork culminates in a full semester of supervised student teaching, arranged through the Professional Development School Network, with an optional global student teaching experience for those who want to teach abroad. Graduates qualify for New Jersey certification in grades K-6. The program is delivered on campus. Among New Jersey's 15 ranked bachelor's-level programs, this one posts the highest graduation rate at 86%. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in New Jersey.

The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEE) leads to the NJ Elementary Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing at the K-6 grade band. Coursework is paired with course-aligned clinical experiences and a full-year clinical practice internship, structured as a final-year modified cohort: a part-time Clinical Practice I internship of 180 hours with co-requisite methods courses in fall, and a full-time Clinical Practice II internship of 525 hours with a Capstone Seminar in spring. Students who add the LITR minor may earn additional NJ K-12 ELA certification. The Teacher Education Program is CAEP accredited through May 2027 and approved by the NJ State Department of Education. Delivered on campus. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of New Jersey's elementary school teachers.

Rowan University's B.A. in Elementary Education (K-6) is a 120-credit, four-year program in which candidates earn an initial New Jersey teaching license in Elementary Education alongside a dual major or Certificate of Undergraduate Studies in one of several subject areas. Guided field experiences are integrated each semester with professional education coursework, culminating in two full semesters of clinical practice; students apply for a Clinical Practice Year and complete background clearance and TB testing. The New Jersey Instructional Certificate qualifies graduates to teach kindergarten through grade 6. The program is delivered on campus in Glassboro. It carries the lowest in-state tuition among New Jersey's 15 ranked bachelor's-level programs, at $11,812. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in New Jersey.

Seton Hall University's integrated Elementary and Special Education major leads to the Bachelor of Science in Education, a four-year program paired with a second liberal arts major or a content concentration. Candidates complete clinical experiences across the sophomore and junior years in K-2, 3-5, and special education settings, then a two-semester senior clinical practice that ends in full-time student teaching. Completion leads to New Jersey certification as an elementary classroom teacher with a Teacher of Students with Disabilities endorsement. It is delivered on campus. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of New Jersey's elementary school teachers.

Montclair State University's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education reflects a long institutional history in teacher preparation, reaching back to one of the country's first NCATE accreditations in 1954 and continuing today under CAEP, reaccredited from 2021 through 2027. Offered in person through the Department of Teaching and Learning, the program leads to K-6 certification. In keeping with New Jersey rules, it is structured as a double major, so every candidate pairs elementary education with an academic field such as mathematics, English, history, or Spanish, ensuring they enter the classroom with real subject knowledge. That combination of pedagogy and content, backed by decades of accredited practice, gives graduates a broad and credible foundation for elementary teaching. It awards more bachelor's-level elementary education degrees than any of New Jersey's 15 ranked bachelor's-level programs, 125 in the most recent year. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of New Jersey's elementary school teachers.

Monmouth University's Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood and Elementary Education blends elementary preparation with training to support students who have disabilities, so candidates graduate ready for a range of learners. Housed in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the 120-credit program covers the P-6 grade band and leads to initial licensure. Classroom immersion starts as early as sophomore year and builds to 100 hours of supervised clinical experience before candidates take on a six-credit clinical placement in the spring of their final year, once required certification tests are behind them. Students can add ESL and Teacher of Students with Disabilities endorsements to widen their options. Monmouth's initial licensure programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in New Jersey.

Caldwell University's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education is built on the idea that strong elementary teachers know their subjects deeply, so every candidate graduates with two majors, pairing education with a content field such as English, math, or science. Taught on campus through the Department of Education, the program threads field experiences through the coursework and builds steadily toward a full semester of student teaching, giving students a long runway of classroom time before they lead their own. Completion carries K-6 certification and prepares graduates for New Jersey licensure, and the program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Students can extend their reach further with endorsements in PreK-3 or Teacher of Students with Disabilities. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of New Jersey's elementary school teachers.

Kean University's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education is a deeply established program, continuously accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation since 1955, and it aims to send out well-rounded, inclusion-ready teachers. Every major in the 131 to 132 credit degree earns a Teacher of Students with Disabilities endorsement, and those drawn to older students can add a 5-8 endorsement in a subject such as mathematics, English, or biology. Fieldwork starts as early as sophomore year and deepens through a sequence of clinical courses, culminating in a nine-credit Clinical Practice II that puts candidates in charge of real classrooms. Covering the K-6 grade band, the program leads to certification and is offered both in Union and at Kean Ocean in Toms River. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of New Jersey's elementary school teachers.

Rider University's Elementary Education B.A. sits in the Department of Teacher Education and leads to K-6 licensure. The program requires 120 to 125 credits depending on the pathway chosen: a second major in Arts & Sciences, or one of two stand-alone majors, Elementary Education: Multidisciplinary Studies or Elementary Education: STEM Studies. The STEM pathway includes middle-school fieldwork, optional middle school certification, and partners with the Beyond100K initiative. Mediated field experiences run throughout the program and culminate in a full semester of full-time student teaching with a faculty mentor. An optional special education minor can satisfy New Jersey requirements for a Teacher of Students with Disabilities endorsement. The program holds CAEP accreditation. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Centenary University's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education: Liberal Arts, offered on campus through the School of Education and Humanities, leads to K-6 New Jersey teacher certification and is designed to sit atop a broad academic foundation. To meet state rules, candidates pair the program with an underlying liberal arts or sciences major or at least 60 liberal arts credits, and they can widen their reach with dual certification as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities or a Preschool-Grade 3 add-on. Fieldwork runs through the whole program rather than arriving at the end, since every education course carries a hands-on component that grows from tutoring toward leading a full class, capped by a clinical experience and clinical internship. Placements draw on more than 80 school districts within about an hour of campus, giving students real variety. Centenary reports that 40% of graduates begin as special education teachers, well above the 10% state average. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in New Jersey.

Felician University's Bachelor of Arts in Education is built for students who want to teach across both general and special education classrooms. Offered on campus through the School of Education, the four-year program leads to initial New Jersey licensure in elementary education for grades K through 6 and as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities, with an option to add a middle school endorsement for grades 5 through 8. The path is hands-on from the start, opening with classroom observation and lesson planning in the first year and building toward student teaching in both general and special education settings. Students who want to deepen their subject knowledge can pursue optional co-majors in mathematics, biology, or art. Traditional, cohort, and working-adult delivery models make the degree workable for a range of students. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in New Jersey.

Saint Peter's University brings elementary teacher preparation fully online with its Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, offered through the Caulfield School of Education. The program points candidates toward the New Jersey K-6 teaching certificate, and along the way K-6 students also complete coursework toward Preschool through Grade 3 certification, widening the ages they are ready to teach. Those who want to reach older students can pursue a middle school option covering grades 6 through 8 by adding a subject sequence. Even in an online format, clinical experiences and elementary student teaching are built into the major, so candidates still gain supervised classroom practice. The educator preparation program is accredited by AAQEP. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Pillar College's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education carries a distinction the college is proud of, standing as the only such degree offered by a college in Newark. Set within the School of Humanities and Culture, it grows a student's time in front of children steadily across four years, moving from early placements in Christian, private, and public schools to a full clinical residency alongside cooperating teachers. That build gives future teachers real classroom footing well before they graduate. Candidates who choose the K-6 licensure track finish ready for teacher certification, while a non-licensure option paired with a counseling minor serves those drawn to work with children in other settings. The result is a program flexible enough to fit more than one path into education. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

For students set on teaching kindergarten through grade 6, William Paterson University's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education offers a well-rounded route that keeps one foot in the classroom throughout. Delivered on campus through the Department of Teacher Education: PreK-12, the program deliberately pairs its education sequence with a liberal arts or sciences major, so candidates graduate with real content grounding rather than pedagogy alone. Field-based clinical practice in schools runs alongside that coursework, giving students steady exposure to the work before they lead a room of their own. The degree leads to New Jersey teacher certification and can be extended with add-ons such as bilingual and ESL endorsements or a minor for teaching students with disabilities. Holding CAEP accreditation, it is a flexible, broadly grounded foundation for elementary teaching. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in New Jersey.

New Jersey City University's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (K-6) with a Literacy Focus, housed in the Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe College of Education, is currently discontinued and no longer accepting new admissions, though its design shows what it once offered aspiring teachers. The program balanced 39 education credits with 60 liberal arts credits or an arts and sciences co-major, keeping subject depth alongside teaching preparation. Classroom readiness came through Clinical Practice I and II, together with a paid teacher intern option that let candidates earn while they learned. Students could broaden their reach by adding optional ESL, Bilingual and Bicultural, or combined endorsements. Graduates were eligible for the Elementary Teacher Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing, a K-6 licensure pathway that was accredited under CAEP. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in New Jersey.