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Best Bachelor's in Learning Sciences Programs in 2026

Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology

Published ·Last updated

All 7 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database, ranked on graduation rate, affordability, and more. CIP 13.0607.

Learning sciences is the interdisciplinary study of how people learn, drawing on cognitive science, psychology, education, and technology to design better learning experiences. At the bachelor's level, students examine how memory, motivation, and instruction interact, and how tools and environments can be built to help people learn more effectively. Graduates often move into instructional design, educational technology, training, curriculum development, or research support roles rather than directly into a K-12 classroom. This is not by itself an initial teaching-licensure route. The ranking below covers accredited bachelor's programs and lists reported tuition and graduation rates so you can compare your options.

7Programs analyzed
$11,380Median in-state tuition
68%Median graduation rate
  • In-state tuition typically runs from $8,038 to $67,158 a year, with a median near $11,380.
  • 3 of 7 ranked programs sit at public universities, and 3 offer an online or hybrid option.
  • We rank on graduation rate first, then selectivity and affordability, all from federal IPEDS data.
  1. 1

    Northwestern University

    Evanston, ILPrivate nonprofit

    80score
    • 95%Grad rate
    • $67,158/yrTuition (in or out of state)
    • 8%Admit rate
    • 9,399Undergrads
    • 4Grads/yr
    • 1540SAT mid
    • Bachelor of Science in Education and Social Policy, Learning Sciences concentration
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Learning Sciences is a concentration within Northwestern University's Bachelor of Science in Education and Social Policy, a 42-unit degree for students curious about how people actually learn. Introduced at the undergraduate level in 2016, the track studies learning across social settings and asks students to apply that understanding to the design of technologies, curricula, and learning environments. Everyone completes a one-quarter practicum internship in the junior year, earning credit at sites such as the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum, and Chicago Public Schools. Those placements give theory a real-world test outside the traditional classroom. Unlike the program's Elementary and Secondary Teaching concentrations, Learning Sciences is a non-licensure path, pointing graduates toward ed-tech, instructional design, and educational research rather than classroom certification. It fits students who want to shape how learning happens more than to run a single room. It is a bachelor's degree in learning sciences at the bachelor's level, based in Illinois.

    Why it ranks here

    We 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. Its strongest card is completion: a 95% graduation rate lands it in the top 1% of programs nationwide, and since finishing counts for the most, that does much of the work. Admissions are competitive, a 8% acceptance rate, which nudges it further up. The one drag is price, $67,158 in state, above the national median, so it earns its rank on outcomes rather than affordability. Together, that is one of the strongest profiles on the page.

    Program page
  2. 2

    Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

    Baton Rouge, LAPublicOnline available

    76score
    • 69%Grad rate
    • $8,038/yrTuition (in or out of state)
    • 73%Admit rate
    • 34,242Undergrads
    • 1Grads/yr
    • 1260SAT mid
    About the program

    Louisiana State University's College of Human Sciences and Education houses the university's undergraduate education degrees in Baton Rouge, including Early Childhood Education, Elementary Grades Education, General and Special Education Grades 1-5 Dual Certification, and Leadership and Human Resource Development. This bachelor's program in learning sciences falls within that college, which groups the university's teaching and human development majors under one academic home. As a bachelor's degree in learning sciences, it adds to the bachelor's-level learning sciences options in Louisiana.

    Why it ranks here

    Its place on the list comes down to outcomes, selectivity, and price, weighted in that order. Start with the outcome that matters most, 69% of students graduate, top 33% among programs nationwide, which is the biggest reason it sits where it does. A 73% admission rate makes it moderately selective, neither a gatekeeper nor open enrollment. Cost only helps its case: at $8,038 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.

    Program page
  3. 3

    The University of Alabama

    Tuscaloosa, ALPublic

    67score
    • 73%Grad rate
    • $11,380/yrIn-state tuition
    • $33,372/yrOut-of-state tuition
    • 77%Admit rate
    • 34,389Undergrads
    • 6Grads/yr
    • 1285SAT mid
    • Educational Neuroscience, BS
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Rather than leading toward a classroom, the University of Alabama's Bachelor of Science in Educational Neuroscience turns toward the science of how people learn, making it a strong fit for students drawn to research and, often, to medicine. Housed in the Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology and Counseling, this non-licensure degree runs 118 to 121 total hours, with 41 of them concentrated in the major. Students dig into the theories and paradigms of learning and cognition, then build the technical skills to study them firsthand. Training spans computational, neuroimaging, and electrophysiology methods, and the neuroimaging and electrophysiology work is genuinely hands-on. The curriculum is also structured to fit a pre-medical track, so students can pursue the neuroscience of learning and their medical-school prerequisites at once. This program offers a bachelor's degree in learning sciences in Alabama.

    Why it ranks here

    The ranking rewards programs that graduate their students, stay at least somewhat selective, and keep tuition reasonable, so here is how this one measures up. Its strongest card is completion: a 73% graduation rate lands it in the top 17% of programs nationwide, and since finishing counts for the most, that does much of the work. A 77% admission rate makes it moderately selective, neither a gatekeeper nor open enrollment. Tuition is middle of the road for programs nationwide at $11,380 in state, so cost neither helps nor hurts its standing. Together, that is one of the strongest profiles on the page.

    Program page
  4. 4

    Western Governors University

    Salt Lake City, UTPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    40score
    • 46%Grad rate
    • $8,180/yrTuition (in or out of state)
    • 155,088Undergrads
    • 2,871Grads/yr
    • Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies
    • Online
    About the program

    Western Governors University's Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies is a fully online degree from its School of Education built for people who want to work in and around education without needing a classroom license. Its competency-based, self-paced format lets students advance as they master material rather than by seat time, and admission asks for no ACT or SAT. Learners can shape the degree through concentrations that range from Elementary Education and combined Elementary and Special Education to Mild to Moderate Special Education, several secondary sciences, and mathematics. That breadth makes it flexible for varied education-adjacent goals. Because it is designed for non-teaching roles, the program does not necessarily prepare graduates for a classroom teaching license, a distinction it states plainly. This program offers a bachelor's degree in learning sciences in Utah.

    Why it ranks here

    Its place on the list comes down to outcomes, selectivity, and price, weighted in that order. The sticking point is completion, the factor we weigh most heavily: at 46% the graduation rate trails the national median, which caps how high it can climb. Cost only helps its case: at $8,180 in state, tuition runs below the national median, so students are not paying a premium for those results. Together, that is one of the strongest profiles on the page.

    Program page
  5. 5

    University of Arizona

    Tucson, AZPublic

    39score
    • 68%Grad rate
    • $11,835/yrIn-state tuition
    • $38,165/yrOut-of-state tuition
    • 86%Admit rate
    • 44,848Undergrads
    • 68Grads/yr
    • 1285SAT mid
    • Bachelor of Science in Leadership and Learning Innovation
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    The University of Arizona's Bachelor of Science in Leadership and Learning Innovation takes a wide, non-licensure view of education, preparing students to shape learning in communities and organizations rather than only in traditional classrooms. This 120-credit program in the College of Education lets students lean toward a Community Education emphasis or a Leadership for Equity, Access and Success in Education emphasis. Real-world work sits at its heart, with internships at local, national, and international organizations, and working students may even count up to 12 upper-level units of their employment as internship credit. For those looking further ahead, two Accelerated Master's Pathways allow eligible seniors to start graduate coursework in fields such as Educational Psychology early. Students can pursue the degree online, in person, or in a hybrid mix. It is a bachelor's degree in learning sciences at the bachelor's level, based in Arizona.

    Why it ranks here

    The ranking rewards programs that graduate their students, stay at least somewhat selective, and keep tuition reasonable, so here is how this one measures up. On completion, the heaviest factor, it lands mid-pack among programs nationwide at 68%, solid without being a standout. Admission is close to open access at 86%, so this is a program that bets on teaching students well rather than screening them out. Tuition is middle of the road for programs nationwide at $11,835 in state, so cost neither helps nor hurts its standing. Strong on the measures that matter most, it earns a place near the top.

    Program page
  6. 6

    Ashford University

    San Diego, CAPrivate for-profitOnline available

    28score
    • 11%Grad rate
    • $11,040/yrTuition (in or out of state)
    • 21,113Undergrads
    • 1Grads/yr
    • Bachelor of Arts in Instructional Design
    • Online
    About the program

    The Bachelor of Arts in Instructional Design at the University of Arizona Global Campus, formerly Ashford University, is a fully online degree for people drawn to how learning is designed rather than to classroom teaching. Delivered in accelerated five-week courses, the 120-credit curriculum is organized around the Instructional Designer Competencies of the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction, giving the program a clear professional framework. Its online delivery carries Quality Matters certifications for teaching and learner support, a signal of attention to the student experience. Learners can tailor the degree with one of six elective emphases, choosing an area such as cognitive studies, entrepreneurship, or supply chain management. This is a non-licensure program, and the university states plainly that it is not designed to meet teacher certification requirements in any state. As a bachelor's degree in learning sciences, it adds to the bachelor's-level learning sciences options in California.

    Why it ranks here

    Where it lands is a story about completion first, then selectivity, then cost. The sticking point is completion, the factor we weigh most heavily: at 11% the graduation rate trails the national median, which caps how high it can climb. Tuition is middle of the road for programs nationwide at $11,040 in state, so cost neither helps nor hurts its standing. No single weakness drags it down, and that consistency lands it in the upper tier.

    Program page
  7. 7

    Point Park University

    Pittsburgh, PAPrivate nonprofit

    20score
    • 59%Grad rate
    • $37,650/yrTuition (in or out of state)
    • 97%Admit rate
    • 2,337Undergrads
    • 8Grads/yr
    • Instructional Studies (B.A.)
    About the program

    Point Park University's Bachelor of Arts in Instructional Studies is a deliberately non-licensure degree, offered through its School of Education for students drawn to education-related careers that do not require formal state teaching certification. Its flexibility is a defining trait, since the program runs on campus in a traditional format and fully online in an accelerated format built on eight-week asynchronous courses. Transfer students are welcomed generously, with up to 90 credits accepted from a four-year institution or 70 from a two-year school. For those who might later want to teach, an advisor can approve up to 12 graduate credits that count toward both this degree and a subsequent Master of Education leading to Pennsylvania certification. That design makes it a practical starting point for a range of goals. As a bachelor's degree in learning sciences, it adds to the bachelor's-level learning sciences options in Pennsylvania.

    Why it ranks here

    Its rank is built from three numbers: graduation rate, admission rate, and in-state tuition, in that order of weight. On completion, the heaviest factor, it lands mid-pack among programs nationwide at 59%, solid without being a standout. Admission is close to open access at 97%, so this is a program that bets on teaching students well rather than screening them out. The one drag is price, $37,650 in state, above the national median, so it earns its rank on outcomes rather than affordability. On balance it is a well-rounded pick, which is what earns it a spot this high.

    Program page
How we rank

Each program is scored 0 to 100 against the other programs in its specialty: graduation rate (50%), selectivity by admission rate (30%), and affordability by in-state tuition (20%). Scores are percentile-based within the specialty, so they compare like with like. A program missing a field gets the neutral median for it, so it is neither rewarded nor punished. Earnings are intentionally excluded: federal per-school earnings are not yet published for education programs, and the field-level salary figure is identical for every school, so ranking on it would be meaningless. To keep the overall list from being dominated by a single state's public-university system, it shows at most 2 programs per state; the value, affordability, graduation-rate, and selectivity pages rank every program without that limit.

  • Graduation rate: 50%
  • Selectivity (admission rate): 30%
  • Affordability (in-state tuition): 20%

How much a bachelor's in Learning Sciences program costs

Published in-state tuition across the 7 ranked bachelor's programs typically runs from $8,038 to $67,158 a year, with a median near $11,380. 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 7 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 bachelor's in Learning Sciences

A traditional four-year, on-campus bachelor's is the most common route into teaching, and for good reason: the degree leans on in-person field placements that build to a full term of student teaching. That said, 3 of the 7 ranked programs advertise an online or hybrid option, which can suit paraprofessionals and career-changers already working in schools; the clinical hours still take place in a real classroom near you.

You do not have to start at a four-year school. Many students spend their first two years at a community college, earn an associate's, and transfer in, which trims the cost of the early coursework, and statewide articulation agreements often guarantee the credits apply. If you already hold a bachelor's in another field, you can usually skip a second degree entirely and enter through an alternative-certification program or a master's-with-licensure route built for career-changers.

Whatever the format, the non-negotiable is supervised clinical practice. Every licensure-track program includes a student-teaching placement, and some now pair it with a paid, year-long residency alongside a mentor teacher, an increasingly common model that eases the unpaid-semester crunch traditional student teaching can create.

Sources: online and program counts from IPEDS; alternative-certification pathways per the US Department of Education.

How to build a career in the learning sciences

The path centers on the degree, applied projects, and the extra steps needed for whichever role you target.

  1. 1

    Earn the bachelor's degree

    Complete a learning sciences program covering cognition, instructional design, assessment, and educational technology. Look for hands-on projects that let you design and test learning materials.

  2. 2

    Build a portfolio through projects and internships

    Employers in instructional design and edtech value evidence of real work. Seek internships or course projects where you create courses, prototypes, or training materials you can show.

  3. 3

    Develop practical technical skills

    Learn common tools for authoring, data analysis, and user research that these roles rely on. Comfort with how digital learning products are built and evaluated sets candidates apart.

  4. 4

    Choose a direction and add credentials if needed

    Instructional design, learning analytics, and edtech each reward focused skills, and some employers prefer a related certificate or graduate study. If you want to teach in a K-12 classroom, you would still need to complete a separate state-approved licensure program.

  5. 5

    Apply to aligned roles and keep learning

    Target job titles like instructional designer, learning experience designer, or training specialist. The field moves quickly, so ongoing learning keeps your skills current.

Requirements summarized from each state's department of education and the relevant national accreditor. Exact requirements vary by state.

Frequently asked questions about a Bachelor's in Learning Sciences

What degree do you need to work in the learning sciences?

To work in the learning sciences you need a bachelor's degree in learning sciences or a closely related field, which is a solid entry point for design, technology, and training roles. Some research and senior design positions prefer or require a graduate degree.

How long does a bachelor's in learning sciences take?

The degree typically takes about four years of full-time study. Adding internships or a co-op can extend the timeline slightly but strengthens your resume.

What jobs can you get with a bachelor's in learning sciences, and what do they pay in 2026?

The jobs you can expect include instructional designer, learning experience designer, educational technology specialist, and training coordinator. Pay varies widely by industry, location, and experience, so research specific titles and employers for realistic ranges.

Does a bachelor's in learning sciences make you a licensed teacher?

No, a bachelor's in learning sciences does not make you a licensed teacher, because learning sciences is not an initial-licensure program on its own. To teach in a public K-12 classroom you would need to complete a separate state-approved preparation program, including supervised student teaching and required exams.

Can you earn a bachelor's in learning sciences online?

Yes, you can earn a bachelor's in learning sciences online, as many learning sciences and instructional design programs are offered fully or partly online, which fits the field's focus on digital learning. Confirm that the program's projects and support match what employers in your target role expect.

Is a bachelor's in learning sciences worth it, and where can it lead?

A bachelor's in learning sciences is worth it if you are drawn to how people learn and want to design instruction outside of teaching, since it maps directly to growing roles in edtech and corporate training. It also serves as a strong foundation for graduate study in learning sciences, instructional design, or educational research.

Answers draw on IPEDS, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, and each state's department of education.

Data sources for our Bachelor's in Learning Sciences ranking

  • Program counts, tuition, graduation and admission rates: IPEDS, US Department of Education.
  • Program descriptions: each school's official catalog and program pages.

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