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Best universities for education degrees 2024

Find the best colleges for education degrees using Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings  2024 data

    October 26 2023
    best universities for education degrees

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    Top 10 universities in the world for education 2024

    Scroll down for the full list of best universities in the world for education degrees

    Education rank 2024 Education rank 2023 UniversityCountry/region
    1 2 University of California, BerkeleyUnited States
    2 1 Stanford UniversityUnited States
    3 6 University of OxfordUnited Kingdom
    4 4 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom
    5 3 Harvard UniversityUnited States
    6 5 University of Hong KongHong Kong
    7 NR Tsinghua UniversityChina
    8 8 University of Michigan-Ann ArborUnited States
    9 13 University of TorontoCanada
    10 11 University of California, Los AngelesUnited States

    An education degree can open doors to working and teaching in schools as well as carrying out research into how we learn.

    Times Higher Education has ranked the best universities for education degrees to help you decide on the best institution for you.

    Tsinghua University is the only university in Asia to rank among the top 10. The only UK institutions in the top 10 are the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, at third and fourth, respectively. The University of Toronto moves up five places this year to feature in the top 10. 

    Best universities in Australia for education degrees
    Best universities for education degrees in the UK
    Best universities in the US for education degrees
    Best universities in Canada for education degrees

    US universities are well represented in the subject ranking for education, with 124 universities. A total of 72 universities are from the UK and 77 are from Asia.

    Canada and Australia are also represented in the ranking, with 22 and 35 universities, respectively.

    Times Higher Education subject rankings are based on the same 18 performance indicators used in the overall World University Rankings 2024. However, the methodology is carefully recalibrated for each subject, with the weightings adjusted to suit the individual fields. The full methodology for the education ranking can be found here.

    Top 5 universities for education degrees

    5. Harvard University

    Harvard University offers 13 master’s programmes and a number of doctoral programmes in education.

    The master’s courses cover many aspects of the subject, including arts and education, higher education, international education policy, and human development and education.

    Among the faculty are experts in wide-ranging aspects of education, including bilingual education, adult learning, economy and education, and social services and schools.

    4. University of Cambridge

    Education is offered at both undergraduate and postgraduate level at the University of Cambridge.

    The three-year undergraduate education degree accepts only 42 students per year.

    The undergraduate course consists of three possible tracks: education, psychology and learning; education, policy and international development; or education, English, drama and the arts.

    Postgraduates wishing to study education can choose a PGCE, master’s or doctorate. The PGCE course is taken as a specialism in primary or secondary (high school) education. Both options include significant placement time, with secondary PGCE students spending at least 120 days of the course in schools.

    What can you do with an education degree?

    3. University of Oxford

    Research at the University of Oxford’s department of education is centred around three key themes: language, cognition and development; economy, policy and society; and knowledge, pedagogy and design. Within each of these areas are several research groups and centres.

    As well as research into education, the department provides teacher training for primary and secondary school teachers.

    The department regularly hosts seminars and public lectures by nationally distinguished speakers in the field of education.

    2. Stanford University

    The Stanford University Graduate School of Education is one of seven schools at the institution, which also include business, law, engineering and medicine. It has a reputation as one of the best education schools in the US.

    The school provides seven master’s programmes, 21 doctoral programmes and three joint programmes. There are also undergraduate programmes for students wishing to pursue a minor in education or take part in the honours programme.

    The doctoral programmes aim to promote research in education, looking at the psychology behind how we learn as well as curriculum studies and teacher training.

    1. University of California, Berkeley

    The University of California, Berkeley offers MA and PhD programmes across a wide range of topics in the field of education, such as the impact of race, class and gender, and the influence of politics and policy on education.

    Undergraduates also have the option to take a minor in education, and it is one of the university’s most popular minors.

    At Berkeley, there are also courses that will prepare students for a teaching career, from classroom teaching to district-level leadership.

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    Top 200 universities for education degrees 2024

    Click each institution to view its World University Rankings 2024 profile

    Education rank 2024 Education rank 2023 UniversityCountry/region
    1 2 University of California, BerkeleyUnited States
    2 1 Stanford UniversityUnited States
    3 6 University of OxfordUnited Kingdom
    4 4 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom
    5 3 Harvard UniversityUnited States
    6 5 University of Hong KongHong Kong
    7 NR Tsinghua UniversityChina
    8 8 University of Michigan-Ann ArborUnited States
    9 13 University of TorontoCanada
    10 11 University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
    11 12 UCLUnited Kingdom
    12 7 Peking UniversityChina
    13 9 Michigan State UniversityUnited States
    =14 18 University of MelbourneAustralia
    =14 26 Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeSingapore
    16 14 Monash UniversityAustralia
    17 15 University of Wisconsin-MadisonUnited States
    18 10 University of PennsylvaniaUnited States
    19 17 Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong
    20 19 Beijing Normal UniversityChina
    21 27 University of SydneyAustralia
    22 16 New York UniversityUnited States
    23 22 University of British ColumbiaCanada
    24 21 University of Texas at AustinUnited States
    25 =32 The University of TokyoJapan
    26 28 University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUnited States
    27 20 Vanderbilt UniversityUnited States
    28 29 Maastricht UniversityNetherlands
    29 23 University of WashingtonUnited States
    30 =43 Johns Hopkins UniversityUnited States
    31 34 Ohio State University (Main campus)United States
    32 30 University of AucklandNew Zealand
    33 31 University of EdinburghUnited Kingdom
    34 25 Boston CollegeUnited States
    =35 =32 King’s College LondonUnited Kingdom
    =35 36 KU LeuvenBelgium
    37 40 The University of QueenslandAustralia
    38 42 National Taiwan Normal UniversityTaiwan
    39 41 Penn State (Main campus)United States
    40 35 University of HelsinkiFinland
    41 51 Lancaster UniversityUnited Kingdom
    42 =43 University of California, IrvineUnited States
    =43 39 McGill UniversityCanada
    =43 49 National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech)Taiwan
    45 =43 University of TübingenGermany
    46 59 University of California, San DiegoUnited States
    47 37 University of Maryland, College ParkUnited States
    48 69 Zhejiang UniversityChina
    49 52 University of OsloNorway
    50 50 Technical University of MunichGermany
    =51 38 Florida State UniversityUnited States
    =51 =78 Purdue University West LafayetteUnited States
    53 =71 Ghent UniversityBelgium
    54 =66 Texas A&M UniversityUnited States
    =55 58 University of Southern CaliforniaUnited States
    =55 64 UNSW SydneyAustralia
    =57 46 Arizona State University (Tempe)United States
    =57 48 Kyoto UniversityJapan
    59 57 University of BristolUnited Kingdom
    60 60 Indiana UniversityUnited States
    61 63 LMU MunichGermany
    62 =53 Seoul National UniversitySouth Korea
    63 =66 University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUnited States
    =64 74 Deakin UniversityAustralia
    =64 101–125 University of MassachusettsUnited States
    66 70 Humboldt University of BerlinGermany
    67 76 University of BirminghamUnited Kingdom
    =68 47 East China Normal UniversityChina
    =68 55 University of FloridaUnited States
    =68 =78 University of NottinghamUnited Kingdom
    71 126–150 Autonomous University of BarcelonaSpain
    =72 84 Aarhus UniversityDenmark
    =72 68 Brown UniversityUnited States
    =72 101–125 University of Colorado BoulderUnited States
    =75 126–150 University of AlbertaCanada
    =75 65 Western UniversityCanada
    =77 =87 University of ManchesterUnited Kingdom
    =77 101–125 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh campusUnited States
    79 61 University of AntwerpBelgium
    80 126–150 University of GroningenNetherlands
    81 =71 University of Virginia (Main campus)United States
    82 62 University of AmsterdamNetherlands
    =83 101–125 Middle East Technical UniversityTurkey
    =83 91 University of Technology SydneyAustralia
    85 93 Macquarie UniversityAustralia
    86 81 University of WarwickUnited Kingdom
    =87 73 University of GlasgowUnited Kingdom
    =87 101–125 University of São PauloBrazil
    89 =78 University of GeorgiaUnited States
    =90 96 University of BathUnited Kingdom
    =90 =53 Korea UniversitySouth Korea
    =92 151–175 University of Cape TownSouth Africa
    =92 77 Durham UniversityUnited Kingdom
    =92 =100 University of MalayaMalaysia
    96 =100 University of MontrealCanada
    =97 75 University of AdelaideAustralia
    =97 151–175 University of ViennaAustria
    99 =97 Free University of BerlinGermany
    100 101–125 Trinity College DublinIreland
    101–125 =89 University of ArizonaUnited States
    101–125 151–175 University of BarcelonaSpain
    101–125 101–125 University of California, Santa BarbaraUnited States
    101–125 301–400 Cardiff UniversityUnited Kingdom
    101–125 126–150 Université Catholique de LouvainBelgium
    101–125 =94 Curtin UniversityAustralia
    101–125 101–125 Delft University of TechnologyNetherlands
    101–125 151–175 Griffith UniversityAustralia
    101–125 101–125 University of HamburgGermany
    101–125 101–125 University of Illinois ChicagoUnited States
    101–125 126–150 University of IowaUnited States
    101–125 =100 University of JyväskyläFinland
    101–125 82 King Abdulaziz UniversitySaudi Arabia
    101–125 126–150 University of LeedsUnited Kingdom
    101–125 101–125 University of LimerickIreland
    101–125 86 University of MinnesotaUnited States
    101–125 101–125 The Open UniversityUnited Kingdom
    101–125 201–250 University of PortoPortugal
    101–125 126–150 University of RochesterUnited States
    101–125 =89 Simon Fraser UniversityCanada
    101–125 =97 University of South AustraliaAustralia
    101–125 83 University College DublinIreland
    101–125 101–125 Victoria University of WellingtonNew Zealand
    101–125 101–125 The University of Western AustraliaAustralia
    101–125 85 Yonsei University (Seoul campus)South Korea
    126–150 126–150 Australian Catholic UniversityAustralia
    126–150 126–150 Autonomous University of MadridSpain
    126–150 176–200 University of BolognaItaly
    126–150 151–175 University of CalgaryCanada
    126–150 126–150 University of ExeterUnited Kingdom
    126–150 101–125 Fudan UniversityChina
    126–150 176–200 Georgia State UniversityUnited States
    126–150 101–125 University of GothenburgSweden
    126–150 151–175 University of Hawai’i at MānoaUnited States
    126–150 101–125 University of KansasUnited States
    126–150 176–200 University of LisbonPortugal
    126–150 101–125 University of MacauMacao
    126–150 101–125 North Carolina State UniversityUnited States
    126–150 151–175 University of PaduaItaly
    126–150 126–150 University of SheffieldUnited Kingdom
    126–150 92 Sorbonne UniversityFrance
    126–150 126–150 University of SouthamptonUnited Kingdom
    126–150 176–200 Tufts UniversityUnited States
    126–150 176–200 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityUnited States
    126–150 126–150 Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamNetherlands
    126–150 101–125 Vrije Universiteit BrusselBelgium
    126–150 151–175 University of WollongongAustralia
    126–150 101–125 University of YorkUnited Kingdom
    126–150 176–200 York UniversityCanada
    126–150 101–125 University of ZurichSwitzerland
    151–175 151–175 Aalborg UniversityDenmark
    151–175 201–250 Boston UniversityUnited States
    151–175 126–150 University of California, DavisUnited States
    151–175 151–175 University of CampinasBrazil
    151–175 251–300 University of Central FloridaUnited States
    151–175 126–150 University of ConnecticutUnited States
    151–175 151–175 Hong Kong Baptist UniversityHong Kong
    151–175 =97 Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyChina
    151–175 151–175 University of LeicesterUnited Kingdom
    151–175 201–250 University of LuxembourgLuxembourg
    151–175 201–250 University of MinhoPortugal
    151–175 151–175 Monterrey Institute of TechnologyMexico
    151–175 126–150 University of NewcastleAustralia
    151–175 126–150 University of OttawaCanada
    151–175 151–175 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan IdrisMalaysia
    151–175 201–250 Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileChile
    151–175 176–200 Queen’s University BelfastUnited Kingdom
    151–175 151–175 Queensland University of TechnologyAustralia
    151–175 =94 University of ReadingUnited Kingdom
    151–175 176–200 Universiti Sains MalaysiaMalaysia
    151–175 151–175 University of SaskatchewanCanada
    151–175 151–175 Stockholm UniversitySweden
    151–175 251–300 Western Sydney UniversityAustralia
    176–200 301–400 Aix-Marseille UniversityFrance
    176–200 251–300 University at BuffaloUnited States
    176–200 201–250 University of California, Santa CruzUnited States
    176–200 126–150 Chung-Ang UniversitySouth Korea
    176–200 151–175 University of CologneGermany
    176–200 151–175 University of DelawareUnited States
    176–200 176–200 University of GenevaSwitzerland
    176–200 251–300 University of GranadaSpain
    176–200 201–250 Iowa State UniversityUnited States
    176–200 251–300 University of JohannesburgSouth Africa
    176–200 201–250 La Trobe UniversityAustralia
    176–200 176–200 University of MannheimGermany
    176–200 176–200 Mizzou - University of MissouriUnited States
    176–200 101–125 National Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaiwan
    176–200 151–175 University of OuluFinland
    176–200 201–250 University of PotsdamGermany
    176–200 126–150 Queen’s UniversityCanada
    176–200 251–300 RMIT UniversityAustralia
    176–200 201–250 Stellenbosch UniversitySouth Africa
    176–200 126–150 Swansea UniversityUnited Kingdom
    176–200 176–200 Syracuse UniversityUnited States
    176–200 176–200 Tampere UniversityFinland
    176–200 201–250 Tel Aviv UniversityIsrael
    176–200 151–175 TU Dortmund UniversityGermany
    176–200 176–200 TU DresdenGermany

    Editor’s note: As part of our THE statement on Ukraine published on 2 March 2022, Russian universities have been given less prominence in our rankings. Russian universities that met the criteria for this ranking are not displayed in the table above.

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