Best Associate's in History Teacher Education Programs in 2026
All 3 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database, ranked on graduation rate, affordability, and more. CIP 13.1328.
- In-state tuition typically runs from $2,970 to $8,160 a year, with a median near $3,240.
- 3 of 3 ranked programs sit at public universities, and 2 offer an online or hybrid option.
- We rank on graduation rate first, then selectivity and affordability, all from federal IPEDS data.
- 1
Odessa College
78score- 37%Grad rate
- $3,240/yrIn-state tuition
- $4,134/yrOut-of-state tuition
- 9,981Undergrads
- 1Grads/yr
- Associate of Arts in Teaching (Secondary History pathway)
About the programOdessa College offers an Associate of Arts in Teaching with a Secondary History pathway among its education options. Students build a foundation in teaching methods, classroom management, lesson planning, and child development through transfer-friendly degree plans. The Associate of Arts in Teaching is a lower-division transfer degree rather than a teaching license, and additional certification requirements are completed later through an approved educator preparation program at the university a student transfers to. Coursework is available online. As an associate degree in history teacher education, it adds to the associate-level history teacher education options in Texas.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageIts place on the list comes down to outcomes, selectivity, and price, weighted in that order. Start with the outcome that matters most, 37% of students graduate, top 1% among programs nationwide, which is the biggest reason it sits where it does. Tuition is middle of the road for programs nationwide at $3,240 in state, so cost neither helps nor hurts its standing. That combination is what puts it in the top handful here.
- 2
Truckee Meadows Community College
45score- 32%Grad rate
- $2,970/yrIn-state tuition
- $11,636/yrOut-of-state tuition
- 10,885Undergrads
- 3Grads/yr
- AA Secondary Education (History teaching major)
- Hybrid
About the programTruckee Meadows Community College offers an Associate of Arts in Secondary Education with a history teaching major, administered by the Social Sciences Department for students who want to teach history and social studies in junior and senior high schools. This is a university-transfer degree rather than a licensure credential; it is designed to cover the first two years of the BA in Secondary Education (History) at the University of Nevada, Reno and Nevada State College, where students complete licensure. Coursework combines educational theory with fieldwork in secondary settings, including classroom observation and K-12 practicum work. Most courses are offered both in person and online. It is an associate degree in history teacher education at the associate level, based in Nevada.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageWe rank on the things that actually shape a teaching degree: whether students finish, how hard it is to get in, and the price of admission. The sticking point is completion, the factor we weigh most heavily: at 32% the graduation rate trails the national median, which caps how high it can climb. Cost only helps its case: at $2,970 in state, tuition runs below the national median, so students are not paying a premium for those results. That combination is what puts it in the top handful here.
- 3
Bucks County Community College
0score- 32%Grad rate
- $8,160/yrIn-state tuition
- $11,880/yrOut-of-state tuition
- 6,232Undergrads
- 10Grads/yr
- Associate of Arts in Secondary Education: History
- Online
About the programFor students drawn to teaching history, Bucks County Community College offers a 61 to 63 credit Associate of Arts in Secondary Education: History, delivered through its School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The degree is designed for those who plan to teach history in a high school setting and covers the first two years toward a bachelor's, so it functions as a transfer step rather than a teaching credential itself. Classes run on campus at the Newtown, Bristol, and Perkasie locations and are also listed as fully online through Bucks Online, though a required internship or fieldwork component may not translate to a fully online format. Because each four-year college decides transferability individually, students should confirm how their credits will carry. It suits history lovers who want an economical, flexible entry into teacher preparation. It is an associate degree in history teacher education at the associate level, based in Pennsylvania.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageThree things decide where a program lands on this list: how many students finish, how selective it is, and what it costs. The sticking point is completion, the factor we weigh most heavily: at 32% the graduation rate trails the national median, which caps how high it can climb. The one drag is price, $8,160 in state, above the national median, so it earns its rank on outcomes rather than affordability. That combination is what puts it in the top handful here.
How we rank
Each program is scored 0 to 100 against the other associate's programs in its specialty: graduation rate (55%) and affordability by in-state tuition (45%). Scores are percentile-based within the specialty, so they compare like with like, and a program missing a field gets the neutral median. Because an associate's in elementary education is a two-year transfer degree offered almost entirely by open-admission community colleges, selectivity is not used. Earnings are excluded because they depend on transferring and finishing a bachelor's degree. Every associate's program in the specialty is ranked and shown, with no per-state cap.
- Graduation rate: 55%
- Affordability (in-state tuition): 45%
How much an associate's in History Teacher Education program costs
Published in-state tuition across the 3 ranked associate's programs typically runs from $2,970 to $8,160 a year, with a median near $3,240. Most of that spread is public versus private: public universities charge state residents the least, while private colleges set a single sticker price that applies to everyone. 3 of the 3 programs here are public, which is usually where the lowest in-state numbers come from.
Sticker price is rarely what a student pays. Grants and scholarships lower the net cost, and future teachers have aid written specifically for them: the federal TEACH Grant provides up to $4,000 a year to students who agree to teach a high-need subject in a low-income school, and many states add service scholarships and loan-forgiveness programs for people who commit to the classroom. Two costs to watch are out-of-state tuition, which at public schools often runs two to three times the resident rate, and mandatory fees and living expenses, which the tuition figure leaves out entirely.
Sources: tuition and program data from IPEDS; the TEACH Grant from Federal Student Aid.
Ways to earn your associate's in History Teacher Education
An associate's in History Teacher Education is usually the first two years of a longer teaching path rather than a destination in itself. Of the 3 ranked programs, 2 offer an online or hybrid option, which suits students balancing work or family, though any required classroom-observation hours still happen in person. Many are designed explicitly as a transfer, or pre-education, track that maps onto a four-year degree.
The move that saves the most money is articulation: completing general-education and introductory teaching coursework at a community college, then transferring those credits into a bachelor's program to finish the degree and student teaching. Statewide transfer agreements in many states guarantee that an approved associate's applies in full, so it pays to choose a program with a clear articulation pathway to the university you eventually want to attend.
An associate's on its own does not lead to a standard teaching license, which is the norm for this level rather than a shortcoming. What it does do is open the door to classroom roles now, paraprofessional and teacher-aide positions, and in some states a step toward early-childhood or substitute credentials while you keep studying toward the bachelor's.
Sources: online and program counts from IPEDS; alternative-certification pathways per the US Department of Education.
Data sources for our Associate's in History Teacher Education ranking
- Program counts, tuition, graduation and admission rates: IPEDS, US Department of Education.
- Program descriptions: each school's official catalog and program pages.