Quick Look:
- Texas A&M University College Station and Texas Tech University offer top online education degrees in Texas.
- Texas universities provide online pathways for a range of teaching specialties, including early childhood education, special education, and bilingual education. These options allow students to customize their coursework according to their career interests.
- Texas consistently faces teacher shortages, particularly in rural and high-need subject areas, making the job market favorable for new graduates, especially in subjects like STEM, bilingual education, and special education.
- Texas provides mentorship and induction programs for new teachers, including those who graduate from online programs, ensuring smooth transitions into teaching roles and ongoing professional development.
Texas is home to one of the largest education systems in the United States, supporting 5 million students, over 1,200 public school districts and 340,000 teachers. As a national leader in the spheres of public and private education, one that has emerged as a leader in the Southwest, the Lone Star State has become a popular destination for teachers who want to be on the frontlines of educational innovation, and especially those who want to teach second-language learners, who comprise a rising percentage of the state’s K-12 student population.
With no less than twenty-six schools offering at least one online degree in early childhood education across the state, Texas houses some of the greatest online learning opportunities for early childhood education in the world. And due to the ever-increasing size of the education infrastructure in almost every state, earning a degree from a top-tier Texas university goes a long way toward establishing one’s credentials as a leader in the industry, and specifically the foundational field of early childhood education.
Related:
- High-Demand Jobs in Early Childhood Education
- Best Online Masters of Teaching Degrees
- Special Education Careers in Early Childhood
- Technology To Know in Early Childhood Education
Requirements for Teaching Licensure
in Texas
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) issues teaching licenses contingent upon meeting five requirements.
Online Education Program Admission Requirements
Admission requirements for online degree programs depend on the degree sought. Students applying for an online bachelor’s degree in early childhood education must have at least a high school diploma, GED, or 60 transferable credit hours from an accredited community college, preferably with an emphasis in education, in order qualify for admission to an undergraduate program. Students applying for an online master’s degree in early childhood education must have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, preferably with a major in education or a related field in order to qualify for admission. Texas’s doctoral programs generally have the same requirements for admission as those for master’s degrees, albeit with the added requirement of a master’s degree to qualify. Most graduate programs in early childhood education require the GRE, although some may not.
Average Salaries
For Common Educator Roles in Texas
- Preschool Teacher: $39,620
- Elementary School Teacher: $59,790
- Middle School Teacher: $59,800
- Professor of Education: $76,250
- School Principal: $90,440
- Special Education Teacher: $61,040
- High School Teacher: $61,210
- School Psychologist: $75,440
Scholarships for Future Educators in the State of Texas
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood TEXAS Scholarship Program
A grant worth 90% of tuition and books for Associate’s degree programs and Bachelor’s degree programs at qualifying colleges and universities in Texas. Includes travel stipend and paid release.
TEACH Grant
A federal grant worth up to $4,000 per year for students who are currently completing or planning to complete a degree and teach in low-income areas or high-need subjects in the state of Texas.
Beginning Teacher Scholarship: Texas Retired Teachers Foundation
Provides a scholarship worth $750 to ten Texas residents who have completed their college education, are about the enter the classroom as professional educators for the first time, and need help paying for teaching licensure and classroom materials.
Texas Association of Future Educators Scholarship
TAFE is available to members who show academic potential and a commitment to teaching.
Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers
The Charles Butt Scholarship supports bright and talented future teachers committed to working in Texas public schools, especially in high-need fields like STEM and bilingual education.
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s (THECB) Education Loan Repayment Program
THECB supports educators who commit to teaching in high-need areas with loan repayment assistance.
The 5 Best Online Education Degree
Providers in Texas
Texas has a total of 30 education degree-granting institutions that provide online education degrees. These range from community colleges offering associates in early childhood development or human services, to nationally ranked universities that offer a wide spread of masters level and education endorsement-level programming. While future students may want to go to the “best” online institution in their state for education degrees, they should take some to double check what exact degrees are offered by their institution of choice at the directory of all online education degrees at the bottom of the page. To select the following top five universities, we’ve looked at two factors: the number of fully online education degrees offered by an institution, and an “academic prestige” score. The academic prestige score takes into account metrics such as average amount of financial need received, average class sizes, admissions standards, and the percentage of faculty holding terminal degrees in their field. Also note that the tuition numbers below are just indicators of relatively how expensive or affordable a college is. The tuition numbers below, specifically, are the in-state (where applicable) undergraduate year long tuition rates for education degrees. Many universities, however, have similar tuition rates at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Founded in 1876, Texas A&M University is the only Texas institution of higher education to receive the distinction of being a land, sea, and space grant university. Located in College Station, A&M is home to one of the largest and topmost ranking schools of education in the nation. The College of Education and Human Development places consistently among the Top 40 such schools in the nation. They also offer many online degrees. As the state’s largest institution of higher learning, and one that consistently ranks among the Top 75 in the nation, Texas A&M enrolls greater than 74,000 students. Over a quarter of these are graduate and professional students.
Texas A&M’s 11 online degree programs in education offer some of the best graduate degree programs in early childhood education in the United States. In addition to the more traditional master’s programs in Education, A&M’s Master of Science in Special Education is especially suited to students who want to start or advance careers in special and early childhood education. A master’s degree in education is a great choice for students interested in becoming:
- Behavior Coaches
- School Counselors
- Childhood Clinicians and Therapists
The M.Ed. or MS in Bilingual/ESL Education is sure to go a long way toward securing gainful employment as one of Texas’s high-demand second-language teachers. And of course, the doctoral program in Curriculum and Instruction will undoubtedly increase both the job prospects and earning potential of early childhood educators who want to become leaders of their profession.
Established in 1923 as Texas Technological College, Texas Tech University is a public, research university located in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech is particularly known for being one of the largest institutions of higher learning in the state of Texas. They also host one of the ten best public art collections in the United States. Texas Tech University also ranks consistently among the top 200 National Universities in the United States. A growing portion of Tech students attend online classes and earn online degrees.
Texas Tech University’s 11 online degrees in education offer some of the best graduate programs in early childhood education the state of Texas. In addition to the traditional master’s degrees in Education, which include emphases in Special Education and Principal Certification, Texas Tech also offers a M.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences Education. This program offers an excellent path to pursue administrative and leadership roles in the early childhood education arena that may involve counseling families with how to prepare food for and optimally parent their children.
Texas Tech also offers The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership or Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction for Teacher Education also offer unique opportunities for students who might like to pursue a terminal degree while teaching or working either full- or part-time. All of these options, and their attendant flexibilities, make Texas Tech University a perfect fit for busy working Texans who are looking to add another line to their educational résumés.
Founded in 1921 as a teacher’s college, Stephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas. SFA is particularly known for being one of the largest independent public universities in the state of Texas. It also serves as the headquarters for the Association of Business Communication and the home of the National Center for Pharmaceutical Crops, which discovered the potential of a cancer-fighting agent in 2011. Stephen F. Austin State University also ranks consistently among the top 100 Regional Universities in the western area of the United States. A growing portion of SFA students attend online classes and earn online degrees.
Stephen F. Austin State University’s 12 online degrees in education offer some of the best graduate programs in early childhood education the state of Texas. In addition to the traditional master’s degrees in Education and Teaching, SFA offers a Master of Education in Educational Leadership with a Principal Certification. This program offers an excellent path to pursue administrative and leadership roles in the early childhood education arena. The Master of Music in Music Education is another outstanding program available to students interested in sharing their love of music. The Master of Education in Early Childhood Education also offer unique opportunities for students with a passion for teaching children from birth to age eight. All of these options, and their attendant flexibilities, make Stephen F. Austin State University a perfect fit for busy working Texans who are looking to add another line to their educational résumés.
Established in 1947, the University of St. Thomas is a comprehensive Catholic university located in Houston, Texas. It is particularly well-known for:
- its forward-thinking Christian curriculum
- being endorsed by the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College
- its historical architecture
The University of St. Thomas is also one of only a few Catholic universities to rank among the Top 30 Best Universities in the western region of the United States. A growing portion of University of St. Thomas students attend online classes and earn online degrees.
The University of St. Thomas’s five online degrees in education offer some of the best Catholic graduate programs in early childhood education the United States. Their master’s degree in education includes concentrations in areas like Educational Leadership and Curriculum and Instruction. St. Thomas University’s unique School Counselor Education program offers a highly specialized path to pursue a career as a school counselor. All of these options, their Catholic influence, and their attendant flexibilities, make St. Thomas University a perfect fit for busy working students who want to build their resumes.
Founded in 1879 as a teacher’s college, Sam Houston State University is a public university located north of the City of Houston in Huntsville, Texas. Sam Houston State University is known for being the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It also supports an online program that has ranked among the best in the nation. Sam Houston State University maintains one of the most popular education programs in the state, with education being the school’s most popular major. Its College of Education program is well-known for its online graduate programs in Education.
Sam Houston State University’s 10 online degrees related to education range from the master’s level to the doctoral level, and they include but are not limited to a:
- Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
- Master of Education in School Leadership
- Doctor of Education in Instructional Systems Design and Technology
In addition to these options, Sam Houston State University also offers highly specialized degrees such as the Master of Education in Literacy Instruction and Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership. These programs are great for educators who want to take their career to the next level. At less than $430 per credit hour for in-state graduate students, these degree programs are a best value for Texas residents.
Directory of Online Education Degree
Providers in Texas
| Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 26 | |
 TUITION $17,896 UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
GRADUATE DEGREES
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| Stephen F Austin State University | Nacogdoches, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 12 | |
 TUITION $13,858 UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
GRADUATE DEGREES
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| The University of Texas of the Permian Basin | Odessa, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 6 | |
 TUITION $10,370 | |||
| Angelo State University | San Angelo, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 4 | |
 TUITION $12,838 | |||
| Concordia University Texas | Austin, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 4 | |
 TUITION $24,761 | |||
| Texas A&M University Corpus Christi | Corpus Christi, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 3 | |
 TUITION $15,181 GRADUATE DEGREES
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| Sul Ross State University | Alpine, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 3 | |
 TUITION $13,130 | |||
| Laredo College | Laredo, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 1 | |
 TUITION $6,225 | |||
| Angelina College | Lufkin, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 1 | |
 TUITION $8,035 UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE
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| Northwest Vista College | San Antonio, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 2 | |
 TUITION $5,841 | |||
| Southwestern Adventist University | Keene, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 1 | |
 TUITION $20,028 | |||
| University of the Incarnate Word | San Antonio, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 2 | |
 TUITION $20,832 | |||
| Lubbock Christian University | Lubbock, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 1 | |
 TUITION $23,551 | |||
| Prairie View A&M University | Prairie View, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 1 | |
 TUITION $12,875 | |||
| St Philips College | San Antonio, TX | Online Ed Degrees: 1 | |
 TUITION $7,219 | |||
