How to Become a College Professor
Here's how to become a college professor: it almost always starts with a bachelor's degree, followed by a graduate degree in your subject. Many four-year colleges and universities prefer or require a doctoral or other terminal degree, depending on the field and institution, while a master's degree often qualifies at community colleges. Teaching assistantships and, in some fields, postdoctoral research positions are common steps along the way, though how much they matter depends heavily on your discipline.
Most people who end up teaching college didn't set out to do it. They fell in love with a subject in grad school, taught a section as an assistant, and realized they liked the classroom as much as the research. College teaching is just one path among the range of roles in education, but if this is the one you're weighing, here's what it actually looks like, what the job pays, and where the tradeoffs are.
What It Actually Takes
You don't need a K-12-style teaching credential to become a college professor. What you need is depth in your subject, with one exception: professional and health-related fields often expect the matching license, such as an active nursing license for a postsecondary nursing instructor. Beyond that, communication skills matter since you'll spend a lot of time explaining complex material to people encountering it for the first time. So does self-direction: tenure-track professors set much of their own schedule once classes and office hours are covered.
How to Become a College Professor: The Path
The route runs through your subject, not through an education degree. Start with a bachelor's degree in the field you want to teach, whether that's history, biology, or accounting. Grades matter here more than in most careers, since graduate programs are competitive and lean on your undergraduate record.
From there, many four-year colleges and universities prefer or require a doctoral or other terminal degree, depending on the field and institution. A doctoral program usually takes several years and ends with a dissertation, an original piece of research you defend in front of a faculty committee. Community colleges are more flexible: a master's degree is often enough, and some institutions will hire ABD candidates (those who've finished coursework but not the dissertation) or working professionals with strong field experience.
Education Requirements for Becoming a College Professor
Graduate school is also where many future professors pick up teaching experience, working as a teaching assistant (TA) before leading their own course, though how much this matters varies by field. In lab-based fields like biology, physics, and chemistry, a two- to three-year postdoctoral research position, or "post-doc," is common right after the degree and is how many scientists build the publication record hiring committees look for. Law, health specialties, and studio art work differently, where practical experience or licensure can count for as much as the degree. Some future professors pursue a degree in Adult Education instead, which focuses on how adults learn rather than a specific academic subject.
Tenure and the Adjunct Track
This is the distinction that trips people up more than any other. Tenure is a form of job protection: once granted, a professor can't be dismissed without cause, which is what lets faculty pursue research or take positions their department might not love. Tenure decisions are typically considered while a professor holds the rank of assistant professor, often around the same time as promotion to associate professor, and the process can take up to seven years. Full professor is a separate, later promotion and isn't required to hold tenure. The tenure decision itself rests on research output, teaching, and service to the institution.
Adjunct professors are the other common path in. They're hired course by course, often on a semester contract, and paid per class rather than on a salary scale. The upside is flexibility: you can teach around another job or family responsibilities, and pick up or drop sections as your schedule allows. The tradeoff is less job security, since contracts aren't guaranteed to renew from semester to semester. Most tenure-track searches want to see some teaching experience already, which an adjunct semester or two can provide.
Where College Professors Work
State universities often have larger class sizes, with curriculum influenced by state funding priorities. Private universities lean more heavily on tuition and donor support, and some, particularly those with a religious affiliation, apply additional hiring criteria. Community colleges focus on teaching over research, typically award associate degrees, and are usually the easiest entry point for someone with a master's degree rather than a doctorate.
College Professor Salary and Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, postsecondary teachers earned a median annual salary of $83,980 as of May 2024. The lowest 10% earned less than $48,570, and the highest 10% earned more than $199,520 - a wider spread than most K-12 teaching roles, driven mostly by subject and institution type.
| Subject Area | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Law | $126,650 |
| Economics | $119,980 |
| Engineering | $106,120 |
| Health Specialties | $105,620 |
| Business | $97,270 |
| Education | $72,090 |
Unlike most K-12 classroom roles, which are projected to hold flat or decline slightly, employment of postsecondary teachers is projected to grow 7% between 2024 and 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to Projections Central. About 114,000 openings are expected each year, mostly from professors retiring or moving to other work. Growth varies by field too: health specialties and nursing instruction are projected to grow considerably faster than the overall figure, while some humanities subjects are close to flat.
Helpful Resources
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) sets standards for academic freedom and shared governance, worth following if you're weighing a tenure-track career. The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) offers training in evidence-based teaching methods for faculty who want to strengthen their classroom practice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I become a college professor with just a bachelor's degree?
Not typically. Most college teaching positions require at least a master's degree, and many four-year colleges and universities prefer or require a doctoral or other terminal degree, depending on the field and institution. A bachelor's degree is the first step, though - it's what gets you into a graduate program in the first place.
Do all college professors have a Ph.D.?
No. Requirements vary by field and institution. A doctorate is common at four-year universities, but community colleges often hire with a master's degree, and fields like fine arts sometimes treat a Master of Fine Arts as the terminal credential. Some professional and health-related fields also weigh licensure or field experience alongside the degree. Check the specific requirements at your target institution before assuming you need a doctorate.
What is tenure, and why does it matter?
Tenure is a form of job protection that prevents a professor from being dismissed without just cause, which safeguards their ability to pursue research or take positions that might be unpopular. Tenure decisions are typically considered while a professor holds the rank of assistant professor, often around the time of promotion to associate professor, and the process can take up to seven years. Full professor is a later promotion and isn't required to hold tenure. The tenure decision itself is based on research, teaching, and service to the institution.
Do college professors get paid over the summer?
It depends on the institution. Some universities spread pay across a full year, while others run nine-month contracts, in which case summer income often comes from teaching summer courses, research grants, or work outside the university. It's worth asking about this directly when you're evaluating an offer.
Can college professors earn six figures?
Yes, particularly in high-demand fields. Law, economics, and engineering professors all had median salaries above $100,000 as of May 2024, and the top 10% of postsecondary teachers overall earned more than $199,520. Pay varies significantly by subject, institution type, and whether the role is tenure-track or adjunct. The table above shows a sample of that spread, not the full range of subjects.
- Terminal degree often preferred, not universal - Many four-year colleges and universities prefer or require a doctoral or terminal degree depending on field and institution, while community colleges often hire with a master's.
- Tenure comes at the assistant-professor rank - Tenure decisions are typically made while a professor holds the rank of assistant professor, often alongside promotion to associate professor, and can take up to seven years. Full professor is a separate, later promotion.
- Pay varies sharply by subject - The median is $83,980 (May 2024), but law, economics, and engineering professors regularly earn over $100,000 while other subjects pay closer to $70,000-$80,000.
- Job growth is a bright spot - Postsecondary teaching is projected to grow 7% through 2034 with about 114,000 openings a year, a stronger outlook than most K-12 classroom roles.
2024 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Postsecondary Teachers. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2026.
Whatever subject you're aiming to teach, the graduate program you choose shapes almost everything that follows: funding, mentorship, and how long it takes to finish. The programs listed here include options built for people balancing a degree with a job or teaching assistantship already in progress.