Teaching Programs in Ohio
The state of Ohio’s overall ratio of students to teachers is only 16 to 1, according to the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, and thanks to its teachers, the state’s K-12 standardized test scores are higher than the national average. Students are always in need of excellent educators, so if you want to help young people succeed and grow, Ohio may be a great place to start your teaching career.
How Can I Get a Teaching Degree in Ohio?
In order to teach in Ohio, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and have completed an approved teaching program. Below are several pathways to obtaining an Ohio teaching license.
Traditional Path: Get a Bachelor’s Degree in Education
The traditional pathway to a teaching degree in Ohio is to complete a bachelor’s program in the field of education. It typically takes four years as a full-time student to get a bachelor’s degree, and coursework can be done on campus, online, or in a hybrid format, depending on your institution. This path is designed to fulfill all the requirements to become a licensed teacher in Ohio.
Post-Baccalaureate Path
If you have already earned a bachelor’s degree that wasn’t in education and later decided you want to be a teacher, you can enroll in a post-baccalaureate program—a pathway that does not result in an advanced degree, but occurs after finishing undergraduate school—and take classes needed to fulfill the requirements to teach in Ohio.
Alternatively, you may instead choose to complete a master’s degree that fulfills all the requirements to become a licensed teacher. Some students opt to pursue a master’s degree immediately upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree; however, it isn’t uncommon for educators to spend time working before returning to school. Holding an advanced degree often results in a higher salary, as teacher pay is generally connected to both years of work and degrees obtained.
Alternative Resident Educator (RE) License
If you’ve earned a bachelor’s degree outside of education and want to teach in Ohio, you may be eligible for an alternative resident educator (RE) license. This license provides an accelerated pathway to classroom teaching. It requires prospective teachers to undergo an evaluation by the Ohio Department of Education Licensure Office, pass required exams, and complete an approved Alternative Licensure Institute program. The alternative RE license isn’t received until a school/district hires the candidate.
Career-Technical Workforce Development License
Ohio also has a Career-Technical Workforce Development (CTWD) supplemental teaching license, which allows educators to teach a vocational subject while obtaining standard licensure for that topic. If you have five years or more of full-time experience in a career such as agriculture, auto repair, business, or one of many other fields, you may be eligible to obtain a CTWD license intended to allow students to benefit from a candidate’s previous work experience. Candidates who meet the qualifications may apply for an initial two-year provisional license at the request of an employing Ohio school district.
Outlook and Salary Information for Ohio Teachers
Job Outlook
Ohio teacher jobs are expected to grow at a rate of 5.5% for elementary school and 5.8% for secondary school positions between 2016-2026, which is higher than the growth of teaching jobs nationally. Careeronestop.org, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, ranks Ohio eighth in the nation for projected employment for teachers through 2026.
Salary Information
Pay for teachers in Ohio falls in the upper-middle-range when compared to salaries for all states.
| Ohio Mean Teaching Salaries (2018) | |
| Elementary: | $62,200 per year |
| Secondary: | $64,340 per year |
| Post-Secondary: | $82,232 per year (averaged from all mean salaries) |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Teacher Training Programs in Ohio
When thinking about how to become a teacher in Ohio, the first step is to choose an accredited school with a program that meets your needs. Though there are many options in the state, below are a few schools that offer unique opportunities.
Ashland University
Ashland is a private institution whose motto, “Accent on the individual,” characterizes the school’s culture. The Dwight Schar College of Education offers traditional and online undergraduate and graduate degrees, including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs. Small class sizes, innovative licensure programs, and experiential learning are its hallmarks. Total tuition and fees are approximately $23,060 per year. Scholarships, grants, and federal and private loans may be available.
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University is located on the edge of downtown Cleveland adjacent to the newly revitalized Euclid Avenue. The College of Education and Human Services offers affordable undergraduate and graduate programs, including those at the Ph.D. level, which prepare you to teach in Ohio.
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education chose Cleveland State as one of 10 colleges nationwide to be part of its Reducing the Shortage of Special Education Teachers Networked Improvement Community program.
Tuition and fees are calculated based on enrollment status, residency, and course selections.
The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus is known for its academic rigor and its Buckeyes sports program. For more than 150 years, the College of Education and Human Ecology has helped shape education and human development following its core values of excellence, justice, diversity, innovation, and internationalization. The school offers teacher preparation with licensure at the bachelor’s level, as well as master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degree programs.
The 2019 undergraduate tuition for The Ohio State University-Main Campus is $11,084 for Ohio residents and $32,061 for out-of-state students.
For a more inclusive list of teacher preparation programs in Ohio, visit the Ohio higher Education program finder.
Ohio Teacher Resources
