Most students can complete a bachelor's degree in four years of full-time attendance. Many online and part-time students take five or six years to complete the degree on a part-time basis. The national trend is towards completion of the four-year degree in five to six years.

The costs of a bachelor’s degree primarily consist of tuition, room and board, fees, and books for a four-year course of study. The below-listed items offer a range of total costs by type of school.

• Public schools’ in-state rates and total costs range is about $90,000.
• Public schools’ out-of-state rates and total costs range is about $140,000.
• Private school tuition and total costs range is about $190,000.

The choice of major should work with the student’s job objectives and career goals. The major should align with the student’s longer-term intentions as the major is the beginning point of your career. The major core may consist of four to six courses. The availability of related electives and the students preferred specialization is also important. The course curriculum and the experience of the faculty are items that each student should carefully review when selecting a school for mathematics education.

Each school has a different experience with graduation rates, and the Department of Education offers the College Scorecard website to provide details for each school. Over the national average of all majors and all schools, some provide a baseline on graduation trends.

In public four-year schools, about 35% of students graduate on time. At the six-year mark, about 65% achieve graduation requirements. Similarly, in private schools, about 53% of the students graduate on time. At the six-year mark, the completion rate is about 68%.

The best accreditation is regional accreditation for the entire school, and programmatic accreditation for the math or education/teaching program, depending on which one you major in. Some schools also have accreditation by education accreditors that have authority from the DOE or the CHEA.

When selecting a school or program, students should pay close attention to post-graduation job placement and other employment assistance. University HQ considers job assistance to be an essential part of the educational experience. Career counseling and help with the first job can boost a student’s career at a critical time.

Some schools offer extensive programs that use a national network of employers, alumni, and affiliated organizations to produce job and career opportunities for their graduates. These resources add to the value of the degree and improve the quality of the learning experience.

Employers look at school and college rankings when deciding to interview and hire candidates. The rankings use factors of interest to employers such as the graduation rate, retention rate, and student experience information. Employers prefer to hire students from schools that select carefully, provide high-quality education, and guide their students to complete their courses of study successfully.

Rankings also consider the success rate of graduates, consider the number of on-time graduates, the rate of hires, and the level of income for recent graduates. The college rankings can be an excellent snapshot. They also take a long-term view of the quality of education. For example, rankings note the extent to which graduates go on to get higher degrees and Ph.Ds.

Accreditation is an essential element of the college or school selection. Accreditation adds value to a degree. Employers and educational institutions will accept credit hours and degrees from schools with strong accreditation. The best level of accreditation is regional institutional accreditation , and programmatic accreditation of the mathematics or education program.

Teaching schools can have special accreditation from a Department of Education-authorized accreditation agency. The Council on Higher Education recognizes the CAEP as the standard-setting agency for mathematics education.