Best Bachelor's in Elementary Education Programs in Virginia

UVA's School of Education and Human Development offers a 120-credit Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) in Elementary Education leading to initial Virginia licensure with an Elementary PreK-6 endorsement. The applied program pairs coursework with two clinical placements: Internship I (EDIS 4861, 6 credits), a mentored classroom placement three days per week in the fall, and Internship II (EDIS 4881, 12 credits), full-time daily student teaching from January through April. Students transfer into the program as first- or second-year UVA students or from another institution. Delivered on Grounds. The School holds a seven-year CAEP accreditation term covering its initial teacher education programs. Among Virginia's 22 ranked bachelor's-level programs, this one posts the highest graduation rate at 96%. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Virginia's elementary school teachers.

William & Mary's School of Education offers a four-year BAEd in Elementary Education, a 42-credit program that students typically enter by applying in the spring of their sophomore year. Those who want to broaden their reach can layer on optional specializations in ESL and bilingual education or special education, which expand the credit load but open additional classrooms to teach in. Clinical field experience is a defining thread, beginning early and requiring at least 70 hours across the junior and senior years before candidates take on a 15-week full-time student teaching placement in the spring of senior year. Because required licensure tests are built directly into the degree as graduation requirements, students finish ready for Virginia PK-6 initial licensure without loose ends. The program is campus based. It fits students who value a structured, clinically rich route into elementary teaching with room to specialize. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Virginia's elementary school teachers.

The four-year Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education prepares candidates for Virginia PreK-6 teaching licensure. It builds on general education and select interdisciplinary liberal studies coursework so candidates gain the broad content knowledge needed across the elementary grades. Field-based learning is embedded beginning in the sophomore year, with students spending one full day each week in elementary classrooms. During the senior year, candidates complete two eight-week blocks of student teaching. The program leads directly to PreK-6 licensure. Delivered on campus. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Virginia.

The University of Richmond's Department of Education offers an undergraduate Elementary Education major that leads to Virginia licensure for the PreK-6 grade band. Spanning 13 units, the curriculum reads like a full picture of elementary teaching, covering foundations of education, diverse learners and human development, methods in subjects such as science, social studies, math, and reading, and classroom and behavior management, before finishing with a capstone teaching internship or seminar. The program sets a clear bar, requiring formal admission to the Teacher Preparation Program along with a minimum 3.00 major GPA and no grade below B-. That rigor sits behind a long track record, since the Teacher Preparation Program holds CAEP accreditation and has kept Virginia state-approved status since 1972. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

The BSEd in Elementary Education is a 120-credit undergraduate degree leading to an initial Virginia teaching license for grades PK-6. Candidates complete general and content-specific teaching methods coursework and a year-long field placement in Professional Development School Network schools, spanning a fall practicum (ELED 480) and a spring internship (ELED 490) in the final year. Courses meet once weekly on the Fairfax campus or are delivered hybrid with mixed on-campus and online instruction. An accelerated bachelor's-to-master's option is available. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Virginia's elementary school teachers.

The University of Mary Washington's College of Education offers a B.S. in Education: Elementary Education that prepares candidates for Virginia PreK-6 teacher licensure and keeps the whole path inside the bachelor's degree. Students major in education and start their coursework early, in the second semester of the first year, so professional preparation runs throughout rather than being crammed at the end. Practice is woven in from the start through multiple practicum experiences and teaching labs embedded across courses. All of it builds toward a semester-long, full-time internship in the final term, where candidates teach alongside a mentor teacher with UMW faculty supervision. On completion, the program forwards its licensure recommendation to the Virginia Department of Education. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Virginia's elementary school teachers.

Shenandoah University's Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education is built around time in real classrooms, preparing candidates to teach grades PreK through 6 and earn Virginia licensure. Offered on campus in Winchester through the Division of Education and Leadership, the 122-credit program keeps classes small, averaging around a dozen students, so candidates get close mentoring as they learn. What sets it apart is the sheer volume of practice, with 300 to 500 hours of observation, tutoring, and group teaching before a capstone 14-week student teaching placement. Students who want to broaden their reach can pursue a related track that adds a Special Education endorsement for grades K-6, graduating with dual credentials. Approved by the Virginia Board of Education and accredited by CAEP, the program rewards students who learn best by doing. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Randolph-Macon College's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education is defined by how early and how often candidates get into real classrooms. Preparing students for PK-6 licensure through its Education department, the 91-hour program builds fieldwork from the very first education course, adding 10 to 40 hours each semester through partnerships with seven Richmond-area school divisions. That practice culminates in a student teaching capstone of more than 300 hours across 13 or more weeks. Coursework spans the full elementary range, from mathematics and science to reading, language arts, and exceptional education, so graduates are ready for a generalist classroom. The Virginia-approved, CAEP-accredited program leads to a 10-year Virginia teaching license valid in 46 states, and the college reports 100% teacher placement after graduation. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Virginia.

Roanoke College takes an unusual route into elementary teaching, asking future teachers to major in a liberal arts discipline of their choosing, any field except business administration, and then layer education coursework on top of it. That design gives candidates real depth in a subject while they work toward a Virginia teaching license for grades PK-6. The experience is hands-on from the start, since students in the introductory education course help lead a LEAP tutoring partnership with a local church, and the college keeps its faculty connected to the field through the Copenhaver Institute for educators. A student teaching internship anchors the program and puts candidates in front of real classrooms before they graduate. Approved by the Virginia Department of Education and accredited by CAEP, the path suits students who want a broad academic foundation rather than a single narrow major. A bachelor's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Virginia.

The University of Lynchburg offers a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education leading to PreK-6 licensure. Candidates complete a semester of full-time student teaching with hands-on experience in diverse classroom settings, along with mentorships from trained educators in local school divisions. Students may add a K-6 special education general curriculum endorsement. The program incorporates student-led Professional Learning Communities for collaborative learning, and its licensure is recognized through reciprocity in most of the United States. It is 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 Virginia.

Longwood University's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education sits within the College of Education, Health, and Human Services and prepares students to teach grades PreK-6 in Virginia. Coursework in teaching methods and content areas is paired with classroom field experiences that build across the program, from an early practicum through an integrated methods semester, a partnership semester, and a culminating semester of directed student teaching. Graduates qualify for Virginia elementary teaching licensure. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Sweet Briar College builds its Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Teaching around time in real classrooms, giving candidates more than double the PreK-6 field experience that licensure requires. Rather than studying in a silo, future elementary teachers learn within interdisciplinary cohorts that mix them with peers pursuing other licenses in subjects such as mathematics, history, and the arts. Any student can also add a Special Education endorsement covering the general curriculum in grades K-12, broadening the ages and needs they are ready to serve. The Educator Preparation Program earned national CAEP accreditation in 2024, and the Virginia license it leads to is honored in 52 other states and territories through the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement. The result is a hands-on, classroom-first preparation for teaching young learners. Earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Virginia's elementary school teachers.

Virginia Commonwealth University's Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education, offered through the School of Education, prepares candidates to teach grades PreK-6 across a 120-credit program. Its defining feature is a steady climb into the classroom, moving through three elementary education practicums and into two culminating internships, the first in PK-2 and the second in grades 3-5, so candidates teach progressively younger and older children before they finish. The curriculum spans balanced literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies, all framed by an emphasis on equitable learning for every child. Students can choose a licensure option that meets Virginia's initial licensure requirements or a non-licensure track suited to other plans. Delivered in person with fall or spring entry, the program balances subject-matter teaching with real classroom time. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Liberty University's Elementary Education Interdisciplinary Studies is a fully online Bachelor of Science, and it is worth understanding what it is and is not. Offered through the School of Education across 120 credit hours of eight-week courses that start several times a year, it is a non-licensure degree, meaning it prepares graduates for non-licensed teaching roles or sets them up to move into a licensure program later. That later step might be Liberty's CAEP-approved Master of Arts in Teaching, a natural continuation for those who decide to pursue a classroom credential. Fieldwork still figures in, since EDUC 390 carries 300 supervised hours that count toward Association of Christian Schools International certification. Transfer students bring flexibility to the plan as well, applying up to 75 percent of the degree credits from prior coursework. It awards more bachelor's-level elementary education degrees than any of Virginia's 22 ranked bachelor's-level programs, 348 in the most recent year. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Virginia.

Norfolk State University offers a Bachelor of Science Education in Elementary Education through the Department of Early Childhood, Elementary and Special Education in its School of Education. The on-campus program includes field experiences and a full year of directed teaching and seminar, preparing candidates for PreK-6 licensure in Virginia. It is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. It carries the lowest in-state tuition among Virginia's 22 ranked bachelor's-level programs, at $6,076. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Virginia.

Old Dominion University's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education is housed in the Department of Teaching and Learning within the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies. The program offers differentiated grade-level tracks in PreK-3, PreK-6, and 4-6, and core coursework is available both online through ODUGlobal and face-to-face. Candidates complete multiple field placements in elementary classrooms and a learning and research center. The program leads to Virginia teaching licensure for grades PreK-6. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Also offered under the Batten University name, Virginia Wesleyan University's Elementary Education (PreK-6) program prepares candidates for Virginia initial teaching license eligibility through the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies. The on-campus degree is built around a three-gateway licensure system, with more than 400 hours of authentic teaching experience that begins in pre-admission courses and continues through a formal practicum and student teaching. That early and sustained classroom time gives future teachers a strong practical footing. Service-learning partnerships, including The Downstream Collaborative Project and Environmental Explorers Program, connect coursework to the surrounding community. The program is approved by the Virginia Department of Education and accredited by CAEP, and among 2024-25 completers, 87.5% were employed as teachers within their endorsement area during 2025-26. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Virginia.

Bluefield University's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, offered through the School of Education, prepares candidates to teach grades PreK through 6. Students complete field experience embedded across their education courses and a full semester of student teaching in the final term, and graduates pursue Virginia teaching licensure. The program is available both on campus and fully online. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Virginia.

Marymount University's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, offered through the School of Education, aims to send candidates into PK-6 classrooms genuinely ready to teach. The 120-credit degree gives students a choice between a licensure track leading to PK-6 teaching licensure and a non-licensure track, with application to the licensure program coming after the first year or during sophomore year. What sets the program apart is its reach beyond Virginia: the 14-week senior practicum can be fulfilled in part through placements in Europe, South America, or New Zealand, with further service-learning study abroad in Colombia, Panama, and Uganda. Courses run on site, remotely, or in hybrid form, adding scheduling flexibility. The program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Virginia.

Randolph College's Elementary Education, B.S. prepares candidates for a PreK-6 Virginia professional teaching license through the college's Education and Teacher Licensure program. Elementary Education is one of several licensure endorsement areas here, sitting alongside subjects such as Biology, English, Mathematics, and History, so students join a wider community of future teachers. Any student may declare the major, but earning a license means applying separately to the teacher licensure program, and ambitious students can pursue a five-year option that combines the bachelor's, licensure, and a master's degree. Every licensure candidate completes a semester-long student teaching internship, the practical heart of the pathway. In 2024 the college's Educator Preparation Program earned CAEP accreditation, and all of its licensure programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Education. This bachelor's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Virginia.

Virginia Union University offers an interdisciplinary studies Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education through the Department of Teacher Education in the Evelyn Reid Syphax School of Education and Interdisciplinary Studies. The program leads to Virginia teacher licensure with an elementary education endorsement covering grades Pre-K through 6, and it emphasizes culturally responsive teaching practices. The School of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Graduates of this elementary education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

Ferrum College offers a Bachelor of Science in Teacher Education with an Elementary Education emphasis covering Pre-K through grade 6. Housed in the Teacher Education department, the program is approved by the Virginia Board of Education and nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Candidates complete student teaching, and a special education add-on endorsement is available alongside the elementary general curriculum. The degree leads to a Virginia collegiate professional license. As a bachelor's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Virginia.