Best Master's in Elementary Education Programs in Tennessee
All 9 Elementary Education master's-level programs in Tennessee, ranked overall on graduation rate, affordability, and more, from the IPEDS database.
A master's in elementary education can lead to initial Tennessee licensure or advance a licensed teacher's career, and Tennessee has 9 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. Lee University ranks first with a score of 55, on a 63 percent graduation rate.
Elementary school teachers in Tennessee earn a median of $59,980 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, Tennessee licensure, accreditation, online and accelerated formats, and career outlook, so you can compare elementary education programs in Tennessee on the factors that change your outcome rather than on marketing.
- 1
Lee University
55score- 9Master's/yr
- $59,330Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education (K-5 Licensure)
About the programLee University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education leading to Tennessee initial teacher licensure for grades K-5. The program totals 42 semester hours and is offered as a 14-month cohort beginning in June, or across about a year and a half for spring or fall entrants. Candidates complete two internships in varied classroom settings, and licensure also requires passing the state's standardized testing requirements. This is an initial-licensure route for candidates entering the teaching profession, not an in-service degree for already-certified teachers. As a master's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Tennessee.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageMaster's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 9 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Cleveland, TN, where elementary teachers earn a median $59,330, roughly $67,359 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
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
49score- 6Master's/yr
- $59,830Metro teacher pay
- M.Ed. in Elementary Education (Licensure track)
About the programThe University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offers a Master of Education in Elementary Education on a licensure track that leads to eligibility for a Tennessee K-5 teaching license. Candidates complete a full-semester student teaching or internship experience, with placements arranged across contrasting school settings, from inner-city to suburban or rural classrooms. The program offers three routes to the credential: a job-embedded induction, traditional student teaching, and an internship pathway. This master's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Tennessee.
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 6 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Chattanooga, TN-GA, where elementary teachers earn a median $59,830, roughly $65,414 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
Tennessee Wesleyan University
41score- 5Master's/yr
- $59,980State teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Elementary Education (K-5)
- Hybrid
About the programTennessee Wesleyan's Master of Arts in Teaching is an initial-licensure program for degree holders who did not complete a traditional teacher preparation program. The Elementary Education (K-5) concentration leads to a Tennessee initial practitioner license. It offers two routes: a 36-semester-hour pathway with a semester of student teaching, and a 30-semester-hour job-embedded pathway that waives the six-hour student teaching requirement for candidates already employed in a classroom. Coursework is hybrid: most work is completed online, with one on-campus meeting on the second Saturday of each month. This program leads to initial licensure to teach elementary grades K through 5. Earning a master's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Tennessee's elementary school teachers.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageA master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 5 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Tennessee statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $59,980, roughly $65,288 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.
- 4
South College
40score- 4Master's/yr
- $61,980Metro teacher pay
- Master of Education in Elementary Education (K-5) Initial Licensure
- On-campus
About the programSouth College offers a Master of Education in Elementary Education for grades K-5 that leads to initial Tennessee teacher licensure. The post-baccalaureate program is built for candidates who already hold a bachelor's degree and want to move into elementary teaching. Classes meet in the evening and on Saturdays, with some coursework online, and students can finish in as little as 15 months. The curriculum covers literacy, math, science, and social studies methods and includes a full-time student teaching placement spanning the early and upper elementary grades. A master's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Tennessee.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageA master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Knoxville, TN, where elementary teachers earn a median $61,980, roughly $66,955 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.
- 5
Vanderbilt University
39score- $82,236Est. tuition (excl. fees)
- 11Master's/yr
- $61,460Metro teacher pay
- Master of Education in Elementary Education (M.Ed.)
- On-campus
About the programThis is an on-campus M.Ed. leading to both a master's degree and Tennessee K-5 teacher licensure. The full-time program runs 11 months, July through May, and totals 33 credit hours, with most classes meeting three hours once weekly. Clinical work includes a practicum in local schools during the fall semester and full-time student teaching during the spring, paired with a weekly seminar. It is an initial-licensure program aimed at candidates entering elementary teaching. It awards more master's-level elementary education degrees than any of Tennessee's 9 ranked master's-level programs, 11 in the most recent year. This master's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Tennessee.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageA master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 11 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, where elementary teachers earn a median $61,460, roughly $63,796 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.
- 6
Trevecca Nazarene University
37score- $20,880Est. tuition (excl. fees)
- 9Master's/yr
- $61,460Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), Elementary Education (K-5)
About the programThis Master of Arts in Teaching is a 36-credit graduate initial-licensure program for people who already hold a bachelor's degree and want to become teachers. Candidates choose an Elementary Education (K-5) or Secondary (6-12) licensure track; the K-5 track leads to an initial Tennessee elementary teaching license. It includes student teaching in local classrooms and can be completed in as few as 18 months. Delivery is offered fully online (synchronous and asynchronous) or hybrid, with a job-embedded option for qualified candidates. Because it grants a first license, it is not an advanced degree for already-certified teachers. A master's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Tennessee.
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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, where elementary teachers earn a median $61,460, roughly $63,796 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.
- 7
Belmont University
35score- 6Master's/yr
- $61,460Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary K-5 pathway
- Online
About the programBelmont University delivers its Master of Arts in Teaching fully online and carries candidates to initial Tennessee teacher certification, with an Elementary K-5 pathway sitting alongside options in Early Childhood PreK-3, ESL, and secondary areas. What sets it apart is flexibility of entry: traditional student teaching, residencies, an internship, and job-embedded routes let working professionals earn licensure without leaving their jobs, each supported by field experience and faculty mentorship. Because no prior teaching experience is required, the program fits career changers stepping into education for the first time. Tuition runs $850 per credit hour, with discounts available to alumni. Accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and approval by the Tennessee State Board of Education round out its standing as a recognized licensure route. As a master's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Tennessee.
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 6 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, where elementary teachers earn a median $61,460, roughly $63,796 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.
- 8
Tennessee State University
30score- 2Master's/yr
- $61,460Metro teacher pay
- Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Elementary Education
About the programTennessee State University offers a Master of Education in Elementary Education that can serve as an initial-licensure pathway or, for teachers already licensed, as a way to add a K-5 elementary endorsement. Applicants are expected to be certified to teach, or to meet certification requirements before the degree is awarded. The program combines graduate coursework with the clinical and assessment work tied to elementary teaching, preparing candidates for practice across the elementary grades. A master's-level path in elementary education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Tennessee.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageMaster's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, where elementary teachers earn a median $61,460, roughly $63,796 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.
- 9
Freed-Hardeman University
26score- 8Master's/yr
- $51,470Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), K-5 License emphasis
- Online
About the programFreed-Hardeman University offers a fully online Master of Arts in Teaching for candidates who hold a bachelor's degree and want to enter Tennessee K-12 classrooms. The K-5 emphasis builds on a graduate core and focuses on elementary literacy, mathematics, classroom management, and differentiated instruction, leading to a Tennessee initial elementary K-5 teaching license. Candidates complete the program with student teaching, offered either as a full placement or as a job-embedded mentoring option for those already working in schools. As a master's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Tennessee.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageMaster's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 8 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Jackson, TN, where elementary teachers earn a median $51,470, roughly $60,183 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 Tennessee
- Tennessee has 9 accredited master's in elementary education programs in our 2026 ranking, all drawn from federal IPEDS data.
- Lee University ranks first among elementary education master's programs in Tennessee with a score of 55, on a 63 percent graduation rate.
- Trevecca Nazarene University is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Tennessee, at $20,880 a year in-state tuition.
- Vanderbilt University posts the highest graduation rate among elementary education programs in Tennessee, at 94 percent.
- Elementary school teachers in Tennessee earn a median of $59,980 a year (BLS), ranking Tennessee 38 of 51 states and territories for the occupation.
- Tennessee requires the Praxis licensure exam, administered through Tennessee Department of Education, Office of Educator Licensure, to earn a teaching license.
What a master's in elementary education costs in Tennessee (2026)
Published in-state tuition for a master's in elementary education in Tennessee runs from $20,880 to $82,236 a year across the 9 programs we rank, with a median of $20,880. The most affordable is Trevecca Nazarene University at $20,880 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 Tennessee
Elementary school teachers in Tennessee earn a median of $59,980 a year, per BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), compared with a national median of $63,970. That ranks Tennessee 38 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 Tennessee is the entry point to that market, not the ceiling.
How to get a Tennessee teaching license
To teach in Tennessee you need a master's in elementary education (or a bachelor's plus an approved preparation program), a supervised student-teaching placement, and a Tennessee teaching license issued by Tennessee Department of Education, Office of Educator Licensure. Tennessee calls the initial credential the Practitioner License, and earning it means passing Praxis (The Praxis Series) plus a background check.
The pedagogy assessment can be met with the Praxis PLT or edTPA. Confirm your program is currently state-approved before you enroll.
Sources: Tennessee educator certification, Praxis exam
Choosing an accredited elementary education program in Tennessee
Pick a master's in elementary education in Tennessee that is regionally accredited and whose educator-preparation program is approved by the Tennessee Department of Education, ideally with CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) accreditation. State approval is what lets the degree count toward a Tennessee teaching license, and CAEP is the national standard for program quality, so confirm both before enrolling in any elementary education program in Tennessee.
Sources: CAEP accreditation
Frequently asked questions about a master's in Elementary Education in Tennessee
How many master's in elementary education programs are in Tennessee?
There are 9 accredited master's in elementary education programs in Tennessee in our 2026 ranking, all drawn from the federal IPEDS database.
What is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Tennessee?
Trevecca Nazarene University is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Tennessee, at $20,880 a year in in-state tuition.
How much do elementary school teachers make in Tennessee?
Elementary school teachers in Tennessee earn a median of $59,980 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 Tennessee?
Tennessee requires the Praxis (The Praxis Series) licensure exam, administered for Tennessee Department of Education, Office of Educator Licensure. See the <a href="https://www.ets.org/praxis" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">official exam page</a> for current test requirements.
Is a master's in elementary education worth it in Tennessee?
For most future teachers, yes. A master's in elementary education in Tennessee is the standard credential for a Tennessee teaching license, and it leads to a median elementary school teachers salary of $59,980 a year in Tennessee. 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 Tennessee for 2026, ranked on the outcomes that matter. Compare all 9 master's in elementary education in Tennessee 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 Tennessee.