WGU SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Be a Difference-Maker—Become a Teacher
Special Scholarships for Education Programs
This American Education Week, we’re celebrating the incredible impact teachers have by encouraging you to become a difference-maker in your school, community, and in the lives of students.
Whether you’re a paraprofessional, a classroom aide, an aspiring teacher, or looking to switch careers to something more meaningful—WGU is here to help you make it happen.
To support current and future educators on their degree journey, we're offering two special scholarships:
- WGU Loves Teachers Scholarship: For new and existing teachers, and school and district administration staff. Valued at up to $4,000, this scholarship makes our already affordable degrees even more attainable.
- Become a Teacher Scholarship: This $4,000 scholarship is for prospective teachers and includes $2,500 toward tuition plus a $1,500 stipend for student teaching expenses, helping you get the hands-on experience you need.
Our CAEP- and AAQEP-accredited licensure-level degrees are both affordable and flexible. And our competency-based education model can save you time and money. WGU students pay one flat rate per six-month term, completing as many courses as they can by demonstrating mastery of the material.
Get started toward your dream of making a difference in the classroom. Apply now.
Top Degrees in WGU's School of Education
Education
Elementary Education – B.A.
An online teacher certification program for aspiring elementary teachers....
An online teacher certification program for aspiring elementary teachers.
Leads to teacher licensure. Specific grade levels will vary depending on teaching certification in your state.
- Time: 68% of students finish this degree within 36 months.
- Tuition: $3,825 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 37 total courses in this program (38 for Washington residents)
Skills for your résumé included in this program:
- Elementary Reading Methods
- Language Arts Instruction
- Elementary Mathematics Methods
- Elementary Disciplinary Literacy
- Children’s Literature
This elementary education degree program requires in-classroom observation and a term of full-time student teaching. This online teaching degree program helps you to be eligible for teaching certification in any of the 50 states.
Education
Special Education (Mild to Moderate) – B.A.
An online teaching degree and teacher certification program for aspiring...
An online teaching degree and teacher certification program for aspiring special education teachers. Leads to your teaching license in states that offer a single teaching license in K–12 special education.
- Time: 61% of students finish this program within 34 months.
- Tuition: $3,825 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 38 total courses in this program.
If your state requires—or if you're interested in—dual licensure in both elementary education and K–12 special education, consider the B.A. Special Education (K–12) program.
Skills for your résumé included in this program:
- Lesson Planning
- Ethics
- Behavioral Support Strategies
- Educational Psychology & Development
- Classroom Management
This online degree program includes a preclinical experience with face-to-face observation hours and a Student Teaching component hosted by an experienced teacher and directed by a clinical supervisor.
Education
Special Ed and Elementary Ed (Dual Licensure) – B.A.
An online teaching degree and teacher certification program for aspiring...
An online teaching degree and teacher certification program for aspiring K–12 special education teachers. Leads to dual licensure—elementary education teaching license and special education teaching license.
- Time: 60% of students finish this degree within 38 months.
- Tuition: $3,825 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 45 total courses in this program (46 for Washington residents).
(Specific grade levels will vary depending on licensure in your state.) If your state offers a single K–12 special education teaching license and you are interested in focusing on teaching students with mild to moderate exceptionalities, consider the B.A. Special Education (Mild to Moderate) online teaching degree.
Skills for your résumé included in this program:
- Elementary Reading Methods
- Elementary Mathematics Methods
- Elementary Social Studies Methods
- Elementary Science Methods
- Language Arts Instruction and Intervention
This special education teaching online degree program requires in-classroom observation and a term of full-time student teaching.
Education
Curriculum and Instruction – M.S.
An online master's degree for those who have educational experience and...
An online master's degree for those who have educational experience and are looking to further their careers with a graduate program focused on curriculum development and design.
- Time: 62% of students earn this degree within 12 months.
- Tuition: $4,125 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 10 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé included in this program:
- Differentiated Instruction
- Curriculum and Instruction Design
- Educational Research
- Assessment
Help schools create engaging, meaningful, and memorable learning experiences to improve learning outcomes for all students with this M.S. degree.
Education
Teaching, Elementary Education – M.A.
An online master's of arts in education degree and teacher certification...
An online master's of arts in education degree and teacher certification program for aspiring elementary school teachers who already have a bachelor's degree in a non-teaching field.
Leads to a teaching license. Specific grade levels will vary depending on teaching certification in your state.
- Time: 64% of students finish within 24 months.
- Tuition: $4,125 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 28 total courses in this program (29 for Washington residents)
Skills for your résumé included in this program:
- Lesson Planning
- Ethics
- Behavioral Support Strategies
- Educational Psychology & Development
- Classroom Management
This online teacher's degree requires in-classroom observation and a term of full-time student teaching.
Education
Educational Leadership – M.S.
An online master's degree for current teachers looking to move into a...
An online master's degree for current teachers looking to move into a school or district leadership position, like principal, vice principal, or administrator.
- Time: 60% of grads earned this degree within 23 months.
- Tuition: $4,125 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 13 total courses in this program.
This program is for licensed teachers who are ready to take the next step in their education career.
Skills for your résumé included in this program:
- School Law
- School Financial Leadership
- People & Talent
- School Operations and Management
- Leadership Ethics
Put your leadership skills to good use—in the service of America's children—with this education master's degree.
States that do not accept this program: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota.
Accredited, Respected,
Recognized™
One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.
Earn Your Degree for about Half the Cost of Other Universities*
You pay tuition per six-month term, not per course or credit. So when you move faster through your courses, you also lower your total bill!
WGU students pay about half the tuition,* and end up with half the debt of the national average.**
- Low, flat-rate tuition.
- Graduate faster and with less debt.
- Financial aid and scholarships available.
- Online education with supportive faculty.
- VA and military benefits accepted.
- Great return on investment.
- All course materials for a low, flat fee.
*WGU average annual bachelor’s tuition rates are 47% lower than the national average, compared to national rates reported by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems in 2023. WGU average rate does not include rates for WGU Bachelor of Science, Nursing Prelicensure program.
**WGU undergraduate students have approximately half the debt at graduation compared to the national average, according to the Institute for College Access and Success (2022).
Undergraduate
School of Education undergraduate program tuition
$3,825
Graduate
School of Education graduate program tuition
$4,125
Tuition rates effective September 1, 2024. Costs are per six-month term. Tuition covers unlimited courses per term.
All programs: $200 per-term Resource Fee covers e-textbooks and learning resources.
Undergraduate
School of Education undergraduate program tuition
$3,825
Graduate
School of Education graduate program tuition
$4,125
Tuition rates effective September 1, 2024. Costs are per six-month term. Tuition covers unlimited courses per term.
All programs: $200 per-term Resource Fee covers e-textbooks and learning resources.
FASTER
Learn, prove it, move on.
Competency-based education focuses on learning rather than seat time. You’re in the driver’s seat. Each course is a collection of defined competencies—knowledge and skills that employers are looking for from successful graduates. You study on your schedule. As soon as you can prove you’ve mastered the competencies, you take an assessment, pass it, and move on. You spend your time learning new concepts, not rehashing subjects you already know. You can set the pace to graduate early. And in the end, your degree is proof you’ve shown that you’re what employers are looking for!
MORE SUPPORT
Your success is our job.
From before you enroll to after you graduate, our #1 job is a better life for you and your family. Think of it as the best of both worlds: a program that offers complete independence and more support than you ever knew you needed—at exactly the moment you need it! From the Enrollment Counselor who helps you decide if WGU is the right fit for you, to the faculty mentors who are obsessed with your academic progress, to the student and tech support teams who are eager to help you solve any issues you might encounter as a student, you’re never alone—even though you’re online. And even after you’ve graduated, career and alumni support is just a call away.
GREATER VALUE
Smaller investment, bigger returns.
At WGU, affordability means cutting-edge programs at tuition rates that are about half of what you’d pay at other online universities.* It means graduating with little or no student debt. It means scholarship and financial aid opportunities and minimal, transparent fees. It means a flat-rate, per-term tuition so that when you save time, you also save money. And it means understanding that value includes quality, flexibility, relevance, and results, not just cost.
*WGU average annual bachelor’s tuition rates are 47% lower than the national average, compared to national rates reported by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems in 2022. WGU average rate does not include rates for WGU Bachelor of Science, Nursing Prelicensure program.
Scholarships Available
The $4,000 Become a Teacher Scholarship includes a $1,500 stipend for the demonstration teaching portion of your program.
