Best Master's in Elementary Education Programs in Oregon
All 3 Elementary Education master's-level programs in Oregon, ranked overall on graduation rate, affordability, and more, from the IPEDS database.
A master's in elementary education can lead to initial Oregon licensure or advance a licensed teacher's career, and Oregon has 3 accredited elementary education master's programs to compare. This ranking scores every one on the outcomes that actually affect your return: graduation rate, in-state affordability, and selectivity, all pulled from the public federal IPEDS database. Lewis & Clark College ranks first with a score of 62, on a 75 percent graduation rate.
Elementary school teachers in Oregon earn a median of $77,130 a year according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, against a national median of $63,970. Each section below covers a specific decision point, cost and real ROI, Oregon licensure, accreditation, online and accelerated formats, and career outlook, so you can compare elementary education programs in Oregon on the factors that change your outcome rather than on marketing.
- 1
Lewis & Clark College
62score- 14Master's/yr
- $82,330Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching with Preliminary Teaching License: Elementary – Multiple Subjects
- On-campus
About the programLewis & Clark's Master of Arts in Teaching with a Preliminary Teaching License in Elementary Multiple Subjects is a compact, twelve-to-thirteen-month initial-licensure program based in Portland, totaling 40 semester hours. Its defining feature is time in the classroom, as candidates complete at least 640 supervised hours across three field-experience courses, spending a full school year in one Portland-area classroom with a mentor teacher and steadily taking on more responsibility. Coursework rounds out that practice with methods in subjects such as literacy, mathematics, and science, alongside child development, classroom management, special education, and ESOL. Finishing the program brings a recommendation for the Oregon Preliminary Teaching License with a multiple-subjects endorsement covering prekindergarten through grade 8. Small cohorts, capped near twenty, keep the experience close-knit, and the program holds CAEP accreditation. It awards more master's-level elementary education degrees than any of Oregon's 3 ranked master's-level programs, 14 in the most recent year. As a master's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Oregon.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageFor a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 14 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, where elementary teachers earn a median $82,330, roughly $78,096 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market. Institutional standing and accreditation fill out the rest of the score.
Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.
- 2
Eastern Oregon University
40score- 9Master's/yr
- $77,130State teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching (Elementary Education)
- Hybrid
About the programEastern Oregon University's Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education track, leads to Preliminary Oregon Licensure for Elementary Multiple Subjects and a MAT degree. It is a hybrid program running four terms across roughly ten months, from August through June, letting candidates live and student teach anywhere in Oregon for a full academic year while taking hybrid courses and coming to the La Grande campus for one week of face-to-face classes in summer. Student teaching is a full-time in-classroom professional experience integrated throughout. This is an initial-licensure pathway covering the elementary grade band. As a master's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Oregon.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageFor a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 9 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Oregon statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $77,130, roughly $74,622 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market. Institutional standing and accreditation fill out the rest of the score.
Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.
- 3
Bushnell University
28score- $27,180Est. tuition (excl. fees)
- 5Master's/yr
- $64,260Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
- AAQEP-accredited
- Online
About the programThe Master of Arts in Teaching is a 36-credit online program leading to an Oregon preliminary teaching license. Candidates choosing the Multiple Subject Elementary endorsement are prepared to teach preschool through elementary grades. The program can be completed in one year full-time or two years part-time and requires at least 240 hours of field experience building to 600 hours of full-time student teaching during the spring semester on the regular PK-12 contract calendar. It leads to initial licensure after graduates pass the required endorsement-area exam. Earning a master's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Oregon's elementary school teachers.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageFor a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 5 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Eugene-Springfield, OR, where elementary teachers earn a median $64,260, roughly $63,268 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market. Institutional standing and accreditation fill out the rest of the score.
Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.
Key facts about a master's in Elementary Education in Oregon
- Oregon has 3 accredited master's in elementary education programs in our 2026 ranking, all drawn from federal IPEDS data.
- Lewis & Clark College ranks first among elementary education master's programs in Oregon with a score of 62, on a 75 percent graduation rate.
- Bushnell University is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Oregon, at $27,180 a year in-state tuition.
- Elementary school teachers in Oregon earn a median of $77,130 a year (BLS), ranking Oregon 12 of 51 states and territories for the occupation.
- Oregon requires the ORELA/NES licensure exam, administered through Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, to earn a teaching license.
What a master's in elementary education costs in Oregon (2026)
Published in-state tuition for a master's in elementary education in Oregon runs from $27,180 to $27,180 a year across the 3 programs we rank, with a median of $27,180. The most affordable is Bushnell University at $27,180 a year. These are published sticker rates from IPEDS; most future teachers bring the net figure down with the Pell Grant, the federal TEACH Grant, and state teacher-preparation aid, so weigh net price, not the sticker.
Cost only means something next to completion. The elementary education programs ranked here average a 58 percent graduation rate, and a lower-priced program where fewer students finish is not necessarily the cheaper path to a degree. Compare tuition and graduation rate together above.
Sources: IPEDS tuition data
What elementary school teachers earn in Oregon
Elementary school teachers in Oregon earn a median of $77,130 a year, per BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), compared with a national median of $63,970. That ranks Oregon 12 of 51 states and territories for elementary school teachers pay. Nationally, pay for this occupation spans roughly $47,960 at the 10th percentile to $104,340 at the 90th, with a master's degree, years in the classroom, and the local district salary schedule driving the climb.
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects 2 percent decline in elementary school teachers employment nationally from 2024 to 2034, with about 103,800 openings a year as teachers retire or change careers. A master's in elementary education in Oregon is the entry point to that market, not the ceiling.
How to get an Oregon teaching license
To teach in Oregon you need a master's in elementary education (or a bachelor's plus an approved preparation program), a supervised student-teaching placement, and an Oregon teaching license issued by Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. Oregon calls the initial credential the Preliminary Teaching License, and earning it means passing ORELA/NES (Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments) plus a background check.
TSPC contracts with Pearson/NES for the ORELA program; Oregon does not use Praxis. Confirm your program is currently state-approved before you enroll.
Sources: Oregon educator certification, ORELA/NES exam
Choosing an accredited elementary education program in Oregon
Pick a master's in elementary education in Oregon that is regionally accredited and whose educator-preparation program is approved by the Oregon Department of Education, ideally with CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) accreditation. State approval is what lets the degree count toward an Oregon teaching license, and CAEP is the national standard for program quality, so confirm both before enrolling in any elementary education program in Oregon.
Sources: CAEP accreditation
Frequently asked questions about a master's in Elementary Education in Oregon
How many master's in elementary education programs are in Oregon?
There are 3 accredited master's in elementary education programs in Oregon in our 2026 ranking, all drawn from the federal IPEDS database.
What is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Oregon?
Bushnell University is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Oregon, at $27,180 a year in in-state tuition.
How much do elementary school teachers make in Oregon?
Elementary school teachers in Oregon earn a median of $77,130 a year, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252021.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics</a>, versus $63,970 nationally.
What exam do you need to teach in Oregon?
Oregon requires the ORELA/NES (Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments) licensure exam, administered for Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. See the <a href="https://www.orela.nesinc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">official exam page</a> for current test requirements.
Is a master's in elementary education worth it in Oregon?
For most future teachers, yes. A master's in elementary education in Oregon is the standard credential for an Oregon teaching license, and it leads to a median elementary school teachers salary of $77,130 a year in Oregon. Compare graduation rate and net price above to find the best value in 2026.
These are the best master's in elementary education programs in Oregon for 2026, ranked on the outcomes that matter. Compare all 3 master's in elementary education in Oregon above by graduation rate, tuition, and selectivity, then open each program page to take the next step toward teaching in an elementary school classroom in Oregon.