DANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University has received recognition as one of the “Best Teaching Colleges in Connecticut” in the 2016 survey of bachelor’s and master’s education degree programs conducted by the teaching career advisory service ToBecomeATeacher.org.

The survey ranked the WCSU education program second overall among Connecticut colleges reviewed based on evaluation criteria including educational expense, acceptance and graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, and return on investment. Tim Charlet, editor of ToBecomeATeacher.org, observed that Western’s high ranking reflects commitment to “the pursuit of excellence in the field of education.”

“Our review discovered that among the 12 schools we reviewed, Western Connecticut State University is among the best in the entire state,” Charlet said. He noted that WCSU offers bachelor’s and master’s programs that rank among the leading education departments statewide in requiring the least expense for attaining a degree and providing the highest return on investment. Educational expense criteria accounted for tuition and cost of living expenses as well as average student debt incurred during college studies, while valuation of the return on investment compared these expenses with expected average salary in teaching positions obtained after graduation.

Dr. Catherine O’Callaghan, chair of the WCSU Education and Educational Psychology Department, described the survey ranking as a recognition of the department’s efforts to strengthen its programs for teacher preparation.

“The WCSU Education Department has worked diligently for several years now to revise our curriculum and programs,” O’Callaghan said. “The result of this effort is our ranking in the top five teacher education programs in the state for bachelor’s and master’s programs. We are grateful to our partnering school districts such as Danbury and Bethel that have supported our efforts and provided valuable feedback.”

ToBecomeATeacher.org is a web-based service provided by a team of educational and employment specialists who collaborate to provide online resources designed to inform and advise students interested in pursuing a teaching career. “We hope students and their families can utilize the data in this survey to make an informed decision as to which school is best suited for their individual needs and career aspirations,” Charlet said.

A report of the 2016 ToBecomeATeacher.org survey of “Best Teaching Colleges in Connecticut” is available at http://tobecomeateacher.org/how-to-become-a-teacher-in-connecticut. For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.