Best Bachelor's in Elementary Education Programs in Pennsylvania

Temple University's Bachelor of Science in Education in Early and Elementary Education is a 120-credit degree that prepares candidates to teach pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. Offered through the College of Education and Human Development, it gets students into classrooms early, with fieldwork beginning as soon as the second year and deepening into a year-long student teaching experience that includes a 9-credit spring placement in the fourth year. That extended time in schools reflects a program built around practice as much as theory. Students can complete the degree with or without a Special Education concentration, letting them broaden their reach if they choose. Approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the program readies graduates to sit for state certification exams and apply for a Pennsylvania Instructional I Teaching Certificate. It awards more bachelor's-level elementary education degrees than any of Pennsylvania's 14 ranked bachelor's-level programs, 80 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.

Drexel's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education requires 180 to 188 quarter credits and prepares candidates for Pennsylvania certification, primarily Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 4, with middle-level (grades 4-8) certification options. Students complete a six-month cooperative education placement in a professional position tied to their certification area, and must submit clearances and field-placement applications before coursework with classroom-based field components. The catalog describes on-campus candidates; a separate part-time online completion track also exists. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Pennsylvania's elementary school teachers.

Bryn Athyn College of the New Church offers a Bachelor's degree in Education, built as a Dual Certification Program, for candidates who want to reach both young learners and students with special needs. Delivered through the Education Department, it prepares graduates for Early Childhood Education, PreK-4, and Special Education, PreK-8, in a single coordinated degree. Practice is central, with more than 700 hours in schools that begin with a year-long junior placement two full days a week and continue into a senior special education placement and a student teaching practicum. Coursework threads together New Church educational philosophy, developmental stages, special education, and outdoor learning, giving the program a distinctive character. Students not seeking licensure can choose a non-certification option, and graduates are assured admission into Bryn Athyn's Master of Arts in Education. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Pennsylvania's elementary school teachers.

Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia offers a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education for grades PK-4 through its Teacher Education program. Weekly field placements in local elementary classrooms begin in the first year, progressing from observation to co-teaching and culminating in a full-time student teaching placement. The program emphasizes urban education and a preferential option for low-income families. Students can pursue a dual major in special education or a graduate autism spectrum disorder endorsement, and study-abroad options are available in Denmark, Ireland, and Spain. It leads to Pennsylvania Level 1 certification. Among Pennsylvania's 14 ranked bachelor's-level programs, this one posts the highest graduation rate at 79%. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Rather than offering a standalone elementary major, Seton Hill University channels its elementary pathway into a single dual-certification Bachelor of Arts that joins Elementary Education (PreK-4) with Special Education (PreK-12). Housed in the School of Education and Applied Social Sciences, the program is designed for candidates who want to teach across both general and special education settings rather than choose between them. Coursework toward each certification runs in parallel, so students develop inclusive teaching skills as a core part of their preparation, not an add-on. The on-campus experience culminates in a student teaching placement that puts that dual training into practice. Completers emerge prepared for two teaching certifications spanning the elementary and special education grade bands. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Pennsylvania.

Chatham University's Bachelor of Education with a major in PreK-4 Education, offered through the Education Department in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a Pennsylvania licensure pathway that puts students in classrooms early and often. Field placements unfold across four tiers, beginning as soon as the second semester of the first year, and the degree closes with an Integrative Capstone action research project carried out in pre-student-teaching or student-teaching settings. The curriculum leans into trauma-informed teaching, culturally responsive practice, and social justice, reflecting a view of the early-grades teacher as a support for the whole child. Students can broaden their credentials further, adding a Social, Emotional and Behavioral Wellness endorsement or reaching into secondary subject certifications for grades 7-12 and art K-12. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Pennsylvania.

Waynesburg University's Early Childhood Education (PreK-4) program leads to a B.A. through the Education Department and prepares candidates for Pennsylvania teacher certification in the PreK-4 grade band. Field experiences are integrated with coursework beginning freshman year. Students may pursue a dual-certification option that adds Special Education Certification (PreK-12) to the Early Childhood credential. The teacher preparation programs are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The degree is delivered on campus. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Rosemont College offers a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with PK-4 certification through its Teacher Education program. Students combine major coursework with extensive field experience in schools, capped by a semester-long student teaching practicum, and graduate prepared for Pennsylvania teaching licensure. Candidates may add PK-12 special education certification, and overlapping requirements let them fold in a minor in ethics and leadership, philosophy, or psychology. Classes meet on campus. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Pennsylvania.

The University of Valley Forge offers a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education (PreK-4) through its Education Department, delivered on campus. The major includes a two-semester student teaching experience in the final year under a mentor teacher and university supervisor. Separate public, private, and non-certification tracks are available, along with optional dual certification in Special Education (PreK-12). The certification track leads to Pennsylvania PreK-4 Instructional I certification. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Cairn University's BS in Education prepares candidates to teach the early grades, PK-4, and layers a faith-based credential onto state licensure through its School of Education. At 154 credits, the pathway is deliberately dual, leading to a Pennsylvania State PK-4 Instructional I certificate alongside Association of Christian Schools International K-8 certification. Classroom time starts right away, with observations in the first semester and student teaching spread across varied placements that may be public or private, suburban or urban. Students who want broader reach can add certification in areas such as Special Education PK-12 or TESOL PK-12, plus fifth and sixth grade. Those looking to move quickly can follow a dual-level route that condenses the bachelor's and an MS in Education into five years. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Pennsylvania.

Built for students who want to teach the youngest learners, Wilkes University's Elementary and Early Childhood Education BA leads to Pennsylvania PreK-4 certification through the School of Education. What sets the pace is how early candidates get into real classrooms, with fieldwork beginning as soon as the first semester and building toward 250 hours in schools before student teaching. Those culminating seven-week placements are arranged close to home in Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, with an option to teach in Casa Grande, Arizona. The 124-credit curriculum folds in an 18-credit reading minor, so literacy runs through the whole degree rather than sitting to one side. Students who want to broaden their reach can add a dual Special Education certification track, and Professional Development School partnerships give the fieldwork a steady, structured home. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Pennsylvania.

King's College's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education prepares candidates for Pennsylvania PK-4 certification through an on-campus program approved by the state education department. Supervised full-time student teaching arrives in the senior year, with placements in early childhood and elementary schools within about 30 miles of campus, keeping candidates connected to nearby communities. A standout option lets students double major in Elementary Education PK-4 and Special Education PK-12, broadening the classrooms they are prepared to lead. For those drawn to STEM, a Noyce Scholar track can cover two years of free tuition, making the degree especially attractive to future science and math teachers. Accelerated master's and study abroad opportunities round out a program with several distinct paths forward. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Pennsylvania.

Point Park University's Bachelor of Arts in Education, PK-4 puts future teachers in the middle of a city, drawing on its downtown Pittsburgh location for hands-on learning. Offered through the School of Education, it leads to Pennsylvania Instructional I certification, and students observe at schools within walking distance of campus before student teaching in local districts. The program leans into STEM: it folds in the Pennsylvania Integrative STEM Endorsement with no extra courses, and two Matt's Maker Space Lab classrooms give candidates a place to practice maker-style instruction. Students who want to broaden their reach can add an optional Special Education dual certification covering Pre-K through grade 8. Coursework is flexible, available on campus or fully online in eight-week asynchronous terms. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Pennsylvania.

Penn State Harrisburg's Bachelor of Elementary Education, offered through the Teacher Education Programs at Capital College, leads to Instructional I certification from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students tailor the roughly 120 to 123 credits by selecting a concentration, choosing either PK-4 Early Childhood Education or a Grades 4-8 focus in an area such as mathematics, reading, or social studies. Classroom experience deepens steadily, building through junior and senior placements before culminating in nine credits of student teaching. The on-campus schedule keeps candidates in courses three or four days a week and in nearby school placements two to three days weekly, so theory and practice stay closely linked. Students who want to expand their reach can pursue add-on certifications in Special Education and ESL, and the program reports accreditation by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. It carries the lowest in-state tuition among Pennsylvania's 14 ranked bachelor's-level programs, at $15,388. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.