Teachers College, Columbia University

Education School Overview

U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

Rank Category Name #4 Best Education Schools

Specialties #4 in Curriculum and instruction #7 in Education administration & supervision #3 in Education policy Locked in Educational psychology #2 in Elementary teacher education Locked in Higher education administration #7 in Secondary teacher education Locked in Special education Locked in Student counseling & personnel services

Education School Overview

The Teachers College, a New York City institution affiliated with Columbia University, offers more than 60 academic programs for graduate students, whether they hope to become teachers, psychologists, or policymakers. There are about 5,000 students at the school, close to a third of whom take teacher education programs. There are also departments such as Counseling and Clinical Psychology and International and Transcultural Studies. Students can complete master of arts, master of education, master of science, doctor of education, and Ph.D. degrees.

Educators who don’t want to take time away from work can finish master’s or doctoral degrees over a few summers through the Intensive Programs. There are summer programs in areas like social studies, music education, and computing in education, as well as an Urban Education Leaders Program.

About 70 percent of students take advantage of the school’s location in New York City and complete student teaching placements in city public schools. Students can also get involved in research projects—the school gets more than $30 million for sponsored research and training programs—or policy work. Those who want to brush up on their communication skills have access to the school’s Graduate Writing Center, where they can enroll in workshops or private consultations with tutors.

Students can live in university housing in the Morningside Heights neighborhood. About three-quarters of the student body is female, and some notable alumni of Teachers College include Angela Santomera, cocreator of children’s television show Blue’s Clues; Matthew Pittinsky, cofounder of Blackboard Inc.; and Richard Mills, former commissioner of education in Vermont and New York.

Admissions

Application deadline	rolling
Application fee	$65
Director of admissions	Thomas Rock

Academics

Full-time faculty	143
Student-faculty ratio	5.4:1 - High

Student Body

Enrollment (full-time)	1,813
Gender distribution (full-time)

Cost

Tuition
Full-time: $1,178 per credit Part-time: $1,178 per credit
Required fees	$756 per year

Teacher Preparation

Students who took an assessment to become a certified or licensed teacher during 2009-2010

311

* Education School Overview details based on 2010 data