1) How many students are in the College of Education?
Undergraduate Students: 672
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Students: 142
Alternative Licensure Students: 114
Students in Advanced Programs: 824
2) What is the average class size?
Most of our undergraduate teacher education classes are capped at 24 students.
Most of our graduate courses are capped at 20 students.
3) What are the admission requirements for the College?
All undergraduate students must be formally Admitted to Candidacy (ATC) before they become eligible to student teach. ATC criteria include a minimum 2.75 GPA, passing standardized test scores, a minimum of 45 credit hours, and successfully completing ED 204 (Introduction to Teaching) and co-requisite. For more detailed information visit: https://ced.ncsu.edu/updated/licensure/admission-candidacy
In order to be admitted to the MAT program, individuals must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, and a minimum 3.0 GPA. In addition, 24 semester hours in the core content area are required. For more detailed information visit: https://ced.ncsu.edu/updated/mat/admissions
In order to be admitted into a Residency program (NC TEACH or Pathway to Practice), a participant must meet the minimum requirements for a Residency License according to NC DPI. An individual must have a 2.70 GPA and meet one of the following content requirements: 1) a degree in the subject area, 2) 24 hours in the subject area, OR 3) the Praxis II or Pearson tests for the license area. For more detailed information visit: https://ced.ncsu.edu/nc-teach or http://pathwaytopractice.com.
4) What is the average GPA for incoming freshmen?
4.19 weighted HS GPA
5) What is the average SAT/ACT score for incoming freshmen?
SAT 1262 (88%ile), ACT 28 (89%ile)
6) How will I interact with other College of Education majors?
All of our programs require a series of Core Courses in which candidates from all disciplines are enrolled. Additionally, candidates interact with their peers in college-sponsored organizations and our required Professional Growth Opportunities.
7) What types of field experiences should I expect?
Field experiences will vary by program. However, all candidates will complete a field experience each semester they are in the program starting with their 200-level course. These experiences will be in a variety of public, K-12 school settings. Experiences culminate during the senior year with a year-long student teaching. For more detailed information please visit the Professional Education Handbook.
8) What international experiences will I have access to?
College of Education students are strongly encouraged to participate in international experiences. The university offers a wide-ranging study abroad program and there are specific College of Education offerings. These offerings include programs to Ireland, Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa. For more information please visit the college’s Global Programs website.
Students also regularly participate in international alternative service break programs during the winter and spring breaks.
9) What other opportunities are available for me?
To further enhance the growth and development of our candidates the college offers a variety of free Professional Growth Opportunities. These experiences range from 1-hour sessions to multi-day experiences in far-ranging topics related to education. To see a list of these opportunities please visit: Professional Development
Candidates in the college also have the opportunity to participate in a “living and learning” community called SAY Village. Students Advocating for Youth (SAY) participants are provided the opportunity to interact with and support local at-risk k-12 students in a variety of contexts. For more information visit: SAY Village
10) What scholarships are available?
The college provides dozens of major-specific scholarships annually. In the 2024-2025 academic year, the College of Education awarded over $1.1 million in scholarships to students in the College of Education. These scholarships are based on either merit or need and include various amounts.
11) How do I know I’ll be prepared to teach when I graduate?
The College of Education uses a variety of metrics to ensure you are fully prepared to successfully teach. Each of our candidates has a national performance assessment called the edTPA. The edTPA is an evaluation of Planning, Instructing, and Assessment Tasks. These are among the most critical elements of effective teaching.
Our college also collects alumni and employment data* from our graduates. This data provides the college with critical information for program improvement. Based on this data we are confident that our graduates are not only prepared but excel in the classroom.
Data from the NC Department of Public Instruction demonstrates the effectiveness of our graduates. Over the last 3 years, over 97% of our graduates were shown to be proficient or above on their in-service performance evaluation and over 83% met or exceeded student growth on standardized achievement tests in their classrooms.
Our alumni complete multiple surveys regarding their preparation. The results overwhelmingly suggest our graduates are highly satisfied with the quality of their education and their preparation to teach.
12) When I graduate what kind of continuing support can I expect?
Results of prior alumni surveys suggested that graduates needed additional support in some specific areas including working with ESL students and parents. The College of Education is committed to the success of its graduates. We feel an obligation not only to the teachers we prepare but to the children in their classrooms. To support our graduates, we developed a PACKED Summit. The summit includes two 2-day series of workshops prior to the start of the school year for recent graduates, topics are developed based on alumni surveys and feedback. In 2026, we will welcome 200 beginning teachers to campus.
13) Where might I expect to work?
The college hosts two job fairs during the academic year for candidates who are graduating. The vast majority of our graduates take positions in public schools throughout North Carolina (91%). Most obtain employment in the Wake County Public School System. Some graduates choose to teach outside of North Carolina (2.5%) and some choose professions outside of education or continue on to graduate school (5%).
Ability of completers to be hired in education positions for which they have prepared (initial and advanced levels) (Outcome Measure 7)
In North Carolina, teachers are state employees. Every teacher earns a base salary provided by the state, additionally, some school systems provide a local supplement. The supplement amount will vary by district. The starting salary for a teacher in NC is $41,000 and supplements vary from $0-$10,000 in additional pay. The salary schedule can be found on the N.C. Department of Public Instruction website.
15) Is this Educator Preparation Program (EPP) approved by the N.C. Department of Publication Instruction?
Yes, the College of Education is an Educator Preparation Program approved by the N.C. Department of Publication. You can contact DPI if you have questions about renewing your teaching license. Additionally, you can follow the EPP Complaint Process for any issues or concerns about noncompliance with EPP requirements.