Best Associate's in Technical Teacher Education Programs in 2026
All 2 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database, ranked on graduation rate, affordability, and more. CIP 13.1319.
- In-state tuition typically runs from $8,604 to $10,020 a year, with a median near $9,312.
- 2 of 2 ranked programs sit at public universities.
- We rank on graduation rate first, then selectivity and affordability, all from federal IPEDS data.
- 1
Murray State University
100score- 61%Grad rate
- $8,604/yrIn-state tuition
- $18,540/yrOut-of-state tuition
- 86%Admit rate
- 7,851Undergrads
- 1Grads/yr
- 1055SAT mid
- Associate of Science in Career and Technical Education
About the programMurray State University's Associate of Science in Career and Technical Education works as a starting point rather than a finish line, serving both newcomers to the field and in-service teachers who need a rank change. It does not by itself grant a teaching license; instead, it functions as an entry-level credential and a stepping stone, with program options that build progressively toward the Bachelor of Science in Career and Technical Education. That bachelor's, in turn, opens into specializations in areas such as Business and Marketing Education, Engineering and Technology Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences Education. Offered through the Department of Adolescent, Career and Special Education, the associate degree is available on the main campus and online, with an intimate average class size of about ten. This program offers an associate degree in technical teacher education in Kentucky.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageWhere it lands is a story about completion first, then selectivity, then cost. Start with the outcome that matters most, 61% of students graduate, top 1% among programs nationwide, which is the biggest reason it sits where it does. Admission is close to open access at 86%, so this is a program that bets on teaching students well rather than screening them out. Cost only helps its case: at $8,604 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.
- 2
Eastern Kentucky University
0score- 50%Grad rate
- $10,020/yrIn-state tuition
- $20,930/yrOut-of-state tuition
- 78%Admit rate
- 13,448Undergrads
- 1Grads/yr
- 980SAT mid
About the programEastern Kentucky University is a public institution in Richmond, Kentucky, where teacher preparation is based in the College of Education and Applied Human Sciences. This listing falls under the technical teacher education classification at the associate's level, an area concerned with preparing instructors for career and technical subjects. As an associate degree in technical teacher education, it adds to the associate-level technical teacher education options in Kentucky.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageThe ranking rewards programs that graduate their students, stay at least somewhat selective, and keep tuition reasonable, so here is how this one measures up. The sticking point is completion, the factor we weigh most heavily: at 50% the graduation rate trails the national median, which caps how high it can climb. A 78% admission rate makes it moderately selective, neither a gatekeeper nor open enrollment. The one drag is price, $10,020 in state, above the national median, so it earns its rank on outcomes rather than affordability. Strong on the measures that matter most, it earns a place near the top.
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 Technical Teacher Education program costs
Published in-state tuition across the 2 ranked associate's programs typically runs from $8,604 to $10,020 a year, with a median near $9,312. 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. 2 of the 2 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 Technical Teacher Education
An associate's in Technical Teacher Education is usually the first two years of a longer teaching path rather than a destination in itself. Most are delivered on campus, since even early coursework often includes in-person classroom observation. 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 Technical 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.