Where Elementary Education Graduates Teach
HPU elementary education alumni teach at schools and districts including:
- Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia
- Everett Public Schools, Massachusetts
- Cone Elementary School
- Florence Elementary School
- Shadybrook Elementary School
- George C. Simkins Jr. Elementary School
- Johnson Street Global Studies
- Thomasville Primary School
- Maureen Joy Charter School
- High Point Friends School
Elementary Teaching Salary and Job Outlook
U.S. News & World Report ranks High Point University #1 among Regional Universities in the South for Earnings by Major in Best Colleges 2027, a factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
Across all majors, 99% of High Point University’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days of graduation, 13 points above the national average, measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) standards. The Princeton Review ranks HPU #14 for Best Career Services in its 2027 guide.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, kindergarten and elementary school teachers earned a median of $63,820 in May 2025, with about 99,400 openings projected each year from 2025 to 2035.
Every senior prepares for the job search through principal panels, alumni panels and practice interviews with local principals. At the April 2026 career fair, representatives from 18 North Carolina school districts and 16 area principals met with seniors.
Job Titles Elementary Education Graduates Hold
- Kindergarten Teacher (Fairfax County Public Schools)
- Kindergarten Teacher (Thomasville Primary School)
- First-Grade Teacher (Shadybrook Elementary School)
- First-Grade Teacher (Sylvan Elementary)
- Second-Grade Teacher (Cone Elementary School)
- Second-Grade Teacher (Maureen Joy Charter School)
- Third-Grade Teacher (High Point Friends School)
- Third-Grade Teacher (Florence Elementary School)
- Fourth-Grade Teacher (Everett Public Schools)
- Fourth-Grade Teacher (George C. Simkins Jr. Elementary School)
- Fifth and Sixth Grade Science Teacher (Johnson Street Global Studies)
- Literacy Tutor (The Learning Collaborative)
Roles Graduates Can Pursue
- Elementary Classroom Teacher
- Preschool Teacher
- Reading or Literacy Specialist
- Math or Science Teacher
- Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Teacher
- School Administrator, after graduate study
Student Organizations for Education Majors
- Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society in Education
- Teachers of Tomorrow
- Student Council for Exceptional Children
- North Carolina Association of Elementary Educators
- EDU-Fellows
Honors for Graduates
Recent Stout School of Education graduates have been named North Carolina District Teachers of the Year, District Rookie Teachers of the Year, District Principals of the Year and Teacher Assistants of the Year.
Community Teaching
Students co-host Literacy Nights, LEGO Education Workshops and events for local special populations.
Elementary Education Students and Alumni
Mallory Heffelfinger
First-Grade Teacher, Sylvan Elementary
Heffelfinger turned her first-grade room into a circus-themed classroom, featured by WGHP. Read her story.
Camila Wyrick
Elementary Education Major, Access to Innovators Podcast Host
Wyrick interviews Danielle Lindner, HPU’s entrepreneur and educator in residence, about Lindner’s path into early childhood education. Watch the episode.
In Their Words
Stout School of Education candidates have passed the edTPA at a 100% rate for five straight years, and elementary education graduates now lead classrooms from Virginia to Massachusetts.
Brooke McCarthy
Fourth-Grade Teacher, Everett Public Schools
“When I went into the interview for my job, I felt prepared because of the life skills and educational skills that I had learned for four years at HPU.”
Mallory Heffelfinger
First-Grade Teacher, Sylvan Elementary
“Upon graduation, employers were highly impressed with the preparation that I received during my undergraduate years at HPU.”
Dylan Raab
Graduate Student, Columbia University Teachers College
“My professors in the Stout School of Education not only gave me the tools I need to succeed but taught me that anything is possible as long as you work hard and follow your path.”
Graduate Outcomes
Danielle Miller teaches kindergarten in Fairfax County Public Schools, Brooke McCarthy teaches fourth grade in Everett Public Schools and Karleigh Denn teaches third grade at Florence Elementary. Ainsley Gompf teaches fifth and sixth grade science at Johnson Street Global Studies, and Carleigh Luck, who concentrated in literacy, teaches first grade at Shadybrook Elementary.
Kristin Salvatore teaches at Millis Elementary School while earning a master’s degree at HPU. Tara Devens teaches fourth grade at George C. Simkins Jr. Elementary School and Jessie Dietz teaches kindergarten at Thomasville Primary School.
Graduate School and Fellowships
Anna Tornovish received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Spain. HPU’s B.A. to M.Ed. program lets students finish a master’s degree within five years.
Internships and Practicums
Mary Owen Chapman interned as a literacy tutor at The Learning Collaborative in Charlotte, preparing 4-year-olds for kindergarten with the Orton-Gillingham reading approach.
Ainsley Gompf met the faculty at Johnson Street Global Studies through a sophomore practicum and was later hired there to teach fifth and sixth grade science. Gompf also interned with El Ayudante, a nonprofit in Nicaragua, combining Spanish and education.
Fieldwork and Student Teaching
Elementary education majors complete internships and fieldwork in local schools all four years, then 16 weeks of full-time student teaching on the licensure track. Every student who completed the edTPA passed for a fifth straight year in 2026.
AIG Licensure
Undergraduates can add academically and intellectually gifted (AIG) licensure, a credential also offered to licensed North Carolina teachers.
Elementary Education in the News
HPU Offers Tuition-Free Master’s Degrees to Admitted Freshmen in Fall 2026
Students who are admitted and enroll as freshmen at High Point University in the fall of 2026 will be eligible to earn a tuition-free master’s degree, a savings of up to $80,000.
Robert Wallace
HPU Students Co-Host Special Populations Christmas Dance
“Planning events around activities reminds me of planning activities for lessons in class. It directly correlates to what I’m doing to plan activities for this.”
Elementary Education Innovators in Residence
HPU’s Access to Innovators program connects students with global leaders for networking, mentorship and experiential learning. Elementary education students learn from STEM educator Steve Spangler and early childhood educator Danielle Lindner.
Spangler led hands-on science demonstrations with HPU education students and Guilford County Schools teachers at the Nido and Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum, where he also installed a new exhibit. Lindner founded The London Day School, which focuses on STEM and character education, and has written 16 children’s books.
Steve Spangler
STEM Educator in ResidenceSTEM educator, author and TV personality whose science books and videos are used by parents and teachers.Read the Story ›
Danielle Lindner
Educator and Entrepreneur in ResidenceFounder of The London Day School and author of 16 children’s books.Watch the Episode ›
Start Your Teaching Career at High Point University
See the courses behind these careers and how HPU elementary education ranks.
Accreditation & Awards Curriculum & Research
Questions about the program? Email Dr. Amy Holcombe at [email protected].