How to Become a Teacher in Virginia 2026 Certification Guide
Here's how to become a teacher in Virginia: you need a bachelor's degree, completion of an approved preparation program or alternative route, and the assessments that apply to your specific endorsement, all administered by the Virginia Department of Education. Career-changers who already hold a bachelor's degree can use one of Virginia's alternative or provisional routes instead.
Virginia certifies teachers through the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), and the certification process splits early depending on whether you're starting from scratch or already hold a bachelor's degree in something else. Here's how to become a teacher in Virginia, step by step, before you're in front of a classroom.
Decide What You Want to Teach
Grade band and subject area drive almost every decision after this one, so it's worth settling first. Virginia groups licenses by early/primary (PreK-3), elementary (PreK-6), middle (6-8), and secondary (6-12), plus separate endorsements for special education and administration. If you're not sure where you fit, talk to an advisor in a teacher preparation program or check the Virginia Department of Education site for endorsement details before you commit to a program.
Complete an Approved Teacher Preparation Program (Traditional Route)
If you're starting from scratch, Virginia's traditional path requires a bachelor's degree completed alongside a Virginia Board of Education-approved educator preparation program (EPP), which includes a student teaching or supervised clinical placement. Field-experience and student-teaching hour requirements are set by each EPP rather than by one statewide number, so confirm the specifics with the program you're applying to.
Most undergraduates use a blended program that awards the bachelor's degree and completes the EPP requirements at the same time. That route requires maintaining a program-specific GPA, meeting the assessment requirements for your endorsement, and finishing the fieldwork the program lays out. Contact the specific program for its exact GPA and coursework thresholds, since these vary by school.
Alternative and Provisional Routes for Career-Changers
If you already hold a bachelor's degree, you don't have to start a second one from scratch. Virginia offers more than one alternative or provisional pathway, including the Career Switcher Program, and eligibility differs by pathway and by the endorsement you're pursuing. In general, these routes let you begin teaching on a provisional license while you complete a shortened preparation sequence and meet the assessment requirements for your endorsement, but the specific coursework, experience, and testing requirements vary by program and route.
Check the Virginia Department of Education's current list of approved alternative routes and providers to see which pathway fits your background and endorsement, since eligibility isn't the same across routes.
Meet Virginia's Assessment Requirements
Assessment requirements vary by endorsement and by which licensure route you're using, so there isn't one test every candidate takes. Most candidates pursuing a subject-specific endorsement take the Praxis Subject Assessment for that content area. Candidates seeking certain elementary and special education endorsements also take a reading assessment, though which one applies has changed: Virginia moved most candidates from the Reading for Virginia Educators (RVE) exam to the Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary test starting in 2022, and some older RVE scores are still accepted.
Virginia eliminated the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) as an initial-licensure requirement effective July 1, 2024, under House Bill 731. That doesn't mean every remaining candidate now defaults to a Praxis exam plus a reading assessment: some candidates, including those with several years of out-of-state teaching experience or those qualifying through full reciprocity, are exempted from some or all of Virginia's licensing assessments.
Because the assessment matrix is endorsement-specific and has changed more than once in recent years, confirm the current requirements for your exact endorsement and route with your preparation program or the VDOE licensure office before you register for any test.
Apply for Your Virginia Teaching License
Once you've completed your preparation program or alternative route and met your endorsement's assessment requirements, you apply for licensure through the Virginia Department of Education. The application asks for transcripts, test scores, and the specific endorsement areas you're seeking, along with documentation of required training such as Child Abuse Recognition and Intervention training. Application fees and submission steps change from time to time, so confirm the current process and fee on the VDOE's licensure application page before you submit.
Background checks and fingerprinting are tied to school employment rather than to the license application itself. Your hiring school division will walk you through its background-check process once you're offered a position.
Mailing Address:
Virginia Board of Education
PO Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218
Physical Address:
James Monroe Building
101 N. 14th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Comparing Virginia's Certification Routes
| Route | Who It's For | Key Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional / Blended Program | Candidates starting from a bachelor's degree in education or a related field | Bachelor's degree completed alongside a Board of Education-approved preparation program, including student teaching |
| Alternative / Provisional Route | Career-changers with a bachelor's degree in another field | Coursework, experience, and testing requirements vary by specific pathway (e.g. Career Switcher Program) and endorsement |
| Out-of-State Reciprocity | Teachers already licensed in another state | A full, unencumbered out-of-state license. |
| Some or all Virginia assessments may be waived depending on your credentials and experience |
Find a Teaching Job in Virginia
Virginia's public schools cover early/primary, elementary, middle, and secondary grade bands, with ongoing need in special education, math, science, foreign languages, and English. The VDOE maintains a job bank connecting licensed candidates with district openings, and school divisions post directly as well.
Once you're hired, professional associations like the Virginia Education Association (VEA) and Virginia Professional Educators offer classroom advocacy, and public school teachers can access retirement benefits through the Virginia Retirement System.
Virginia also has private schools if you'd rather work outside the public system. Compensation and contract terms there vary by school and aren't set by the state salary scale.
If you're weighing options just across the Potomac, How to Become a Teacher in Washington, D.C. walks through that jurisdiction's version of these same steps.
What Virginia Teachers Earn and the Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Virginia kindergarten teachers earned a median annual salary of $63,920 as of May 2025, while elementary school teachers earned $65,550, middle school teachers earned $63,520, and secondary school teachers earned $72,170.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (VA) | Job Growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $63,920 | +5.5% |
| Elementary School Teachers | $65,550 | +5.6% |
| Middle School Teachers | $63,520 | +5.7% |
| Secondary School Teachers | $72,170 | +6.0% |
Unlike the national trend, where several K-12 teaching occupations are projected to hold flat or decline slightly, Projections Central estimates Virginia's core classroom roles will all grow between 2024 and 2034: elementary is up 5.6% with about 2,730 openings a year, middle school up 5.7% with 1,340 openings, and secondary up 6% with 1,940 openings, largely driven by retirements and turnover rather than new positions alone.
Special education pays a bit more across most grade bands in Virginia. BLS data shows special education teachers in kindergarten and elementary settings earned a median of $67,740, middle school $63,820, and secondary $68,400, all as of May 2025.
Keep Your License Current
Virginia has issued ten-year renewable licenses since July 1, 2018. Renewing a ten-year license requires 270 professional development points, built around an individualized professional development plan. Educators still holding an older five-year license need 180 points for that renewal. One semester hour of college credit equals 30 points, so three 3-credit graduate courses, 270 points total, can satisfy a ten-year renewal on their own.
A master's degree isn't required to teach in Virginia, but graduate coursework taken toward one counts directly toward these renewal points. Confirm the current point requirements and accepted activities with your school division or the VDOE Office of Professional Licensure, since renewal rules are set by the Virginia Board of Education and can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need to pass the VCLA to get certified in Virginia?
No. Virginia removed the VCLA as an initial-licensure requirement effective July 1, 2024. Depending on your endorsement and licensure route, you may still need a Praxis subject assessment, a reading assessment, or in some cases no additional test if you qualify through reciprocity or extensive out-of-state teaching experience.
Can I become a teacher in Virginia without an education degree?
Yes. Virginia offers more than one alternative or provisional route for candidates who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field, including the Career Switcher Program. Eligibility, coursework, and testing requirements differ by pathway, so check the current requirements for the specific route and endorsement you're pursuing.
How long does a Virginia teaching license last?
Licenses issued on or after July 1, 2018 run for ten years and require 270 professional development points to renew. Educators still holding an older five-year license need 180 points for that renewal cycle.
Does Virginia accept teaching licenses from other states?
Virginia offers reciprocity for educators licensed elsewhere. Candidates with a full, unencumbered out-of-state license may be exempted from some or all of Virginia's licensing assessments, depending on their credentials and experience. Contact the VDOE licensure office to confirm what applies to your situation.
What's the difference between elementary and secondary certification in Virginia?
Elementary endorsements typically require a reading assessment in addition to a content exam, while most secondary endorsements require only the Praxis Subject Assessment for the specific content area. Which reading assessment applies has changed in recent years, so confirm the current requirement for your endorsement with the VDOE.
- No more VCLA - Virginia dropped this exam as an initial-licensure requirement in July 2024, though other assessments may still apply depending on your endorsement and route.
- Alternative routes skip the second degree - Virginia offers more than one alternative and provisional pathway for career-changers, including the Career Switcher Program, with eligibility that varies by route and endorsement.
- The Board of Education sets the rules, VDOE administers them - the Virginia Board of Education establishes licensure regulations, and the Department of Education handles applications, assessments, and renewals.
- All four core teaching roles are growing in Virginia - kindergarten through secondary are all projected to grow between 2024 and 2034, unlike several occupations nationally.
- Licenses last ten years now - renewal takes 270 professional development points, and three 3-credit graduate courses can cover that on their own.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School Teachers, and for Special Education Teachers. Job growth projections (2024-2034) for Virginia are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2026.
Certification is only one half of the decision. The other half is which program actually fits your schedule and your endorsement area, and the sponsored programs on this page include options built for career-changers who already have a degree and can't go back to school full time.