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Major · Education

A bachelor’s pipeline into middle-school classrooms

Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching (CIP 13.1203) is a bachelor’s-dominant major preparing teachers for grades 4-9. About 2,213 students complete it across 322 institutions, with bachelor’s grads earning around $48,274 — modest entry pay tied to state-determined salary scales, and both named teaching occupations are projected to shrink slightly.

Schools offering
322
Annual completions
2,213
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$46k

About this major

Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching (CIP 13.1203) is a bachelor’s-dominant major that prepares teachers to work with students in grades 4-9, with the specific band depending on state regulation. The CIP definition is intentionally compact — preparation to teach in the middle grades — but in practice programs pair a content-area concentration (math, English/language arts, science, or social studies) with general pedagogy, adolescent development, classroom management, literacy across the curriculum, assessment, special-education law, and supervised student teaching. Most accredited programs lead to state licensure with a middle-grades endorsement and a content-area subject specialty.

The major fits students drawn to teaching the developmental window between elementary and high school — a stage that requires content-area depth alongside the patience to manage adolescent identity work. It rewards strong subject-matter preparation, comfort with classroom-management frameworks, and the documentation discipline that state licensure and IEP compliance demand. Day-to-day, graduates typically work in 6-8 middle-school buildings, occasionally K-8 schools, and sometimes 7-12 settings depending on state endorsement structure.

One grounded observation about scale and earnings: 2,213 students complete this CIP across 322 institutions, with bachelor’s grads earning $48,274 and associate’s grads earning $38,454 — a roughly $9,800 gap. The two named BLS occupations are bachelor’s-required and modestly declining: Middle school teachers ($62,970 median, -2% projected growth) and Secondary school teachers ($64,580, -1.6% growth). Public-school teacher salaries are state-determined step-and-lane scales, so years of service and additional credentials drive most wage growth. Math and science endorsements carry shortage incentives in most states, and many states require a master’s within 5-10 years for full licensure renewal.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $65k -1.6% Bachelor's degree
Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education $63k -2.0% Bachelor's degree
Education teachers, postsecondary $72k +2.1% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$46k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$38k

Bachelor's

$48k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: you’re drawn to teaching the developmental window between elementary and high school, you have or will build content-area depth in math, science, English, or social studies, and you can navigate the state-licensure landscape (Praxis II, NASDTEC reciprocity, master’s renewal timelines). Math and science endorsements pair best with shortage-incentive hiring in most states, including signing bonuses and loan-forgiveness programs. The bachelor’s pays $48,274 five years out, with state step-and-lane scales driving subsequent growth.

Reasons to pause: both named teaching occupations (middle school and secondary) are projected to decline 1.6%-2%, signaling enrollment-driven hiring softening in many regions. Public-school teacher pay grows slowly and is heavily geography-dependent — Northeast states pay meaningfully more than Southern and rural states. Many states (Ohio, New York, Connecticut, others) require a master’s within 5-10 years of initial licensure, so plan on graduate study as part of the cost. If you’re drawn to the policy or curriculum-design side rather than direct classroom work, a different education CIP — instructional design, education leadership, or school counseling — may be a better fit.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO 0 105 105
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 0 53 53
Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH 0 50 50
Howard College Big Spring, TX 47 0 47
West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA 0 44 44
Illinois State University Normal, IL 0 43 43
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 0 41 41
Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH 0 41 41
University of Memphis Memphis, TN 0 37 37
Arkansas State University-Beebe Beebe, AR 36 0 36
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Elementary Education and Teaching

31,672 completions/yr

Early Childhood Education and Teaching

19,347 completions/yr

Physical Education Teaching and Coaching

4,787 completions/yr

Secondary Education and Teaching

4,057 completions/yr

Teacher Education, Multiple Levels

3,430 completions/yr

Music Teacher Education

3,229 completions/yr

Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching

1,867 completions/yr

English/Language Arts Teacher Education

1,846 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this major actually cover?
Coursework blends content-area courses (math, English, science, or social studies depending on endorsement) with general pedagogy, adolescent development, classroom management, literacy across the curriculum, assessment, special-education law, and supervised student teaching. The CIP definition is short — preparation to teach grades 4-9 — but most programs require a content-area concentration paired with the pedagogy core, leading to state licensure exams (Praxis II in many states).
Will I be licensed to teach when I graduate?
If the program is state-approved for teacher preparation in your state, yes — graduates sit the licensure exam (Praxis II in most states) and apply for the middle-grades endorsement. Always verify state-by-state: a program approved in Ohio may not lead to direct licensure in California without additional steps. Out-of-state graduates frequently use NASDTEC interstate agreements for reciprocity, but specific subject endorsements transfer unevenly.
What are the actual salary numbers?
The packet shows bachelor’s grads earning $48,274 five years out and associate’s grads earning $38,454 — a roughly $9,800 gap. The named BLS occupations are Middle school teachers ($62,970, -2% projected growth) and Secondary school teachers ($64,580, -1.6% growth) — both bachelor’s-required and both flat-to-shrinking. Public-school teacher salaries follow state-determined step-and-lane scales, so years of service and additional credentials drive most of the wage growth, not job-hopping.
What are realistic specialization choices?
Most programs require a content-area endorsement: math, English/language arts, science (general or specific), or social studies. Math and science endorsements are the strongest hiring markets — most states report shortages, and signing bonuses or loan-forgiveness programs are common. English and social studies endorsements face more competition. ELL/ESL or special-education co-endorsements add hiring leverage in nearly every state.
How does this compare to Elementary Education (13.1202) or Secondary Education (13.1205)?
Elementary Education (31,672 completions) covers K-5 or K-6 with a generalist endorsement. Secondary Education (4,057 completions) covers grades 7-12 or 9-12 with a content-area focus. Middle Grades Education (this CIP, 13.1203) sits between — typically grades 4-8 or 5-9 depending on state. The endorsement bands matter for hiring: a middle-grades license places you cleanly in 6-8 buildings but may leave high-school positions out of reach without additional certification.
Is the master’s required?
Many states require a master’s within 5-10 years of initial licensure for full credential renewal — Ohio, New York, Connecticut, and several others. Some districts offer salary lane increases for master’s completion that justify the cost on their own. Plan on a master’s as part of the long-term career path; the bachelor’s is the entry credential, not the finish line.