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Teacher education programs at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) play a vital role in strengthening American Indian and Alaska Native communities by preparing educators who understand and respect Native cultures, languages, and histories. These programs are rooted in community values and designed to meet the unique educational needs of Native students, ensuring that future teachers are both academically prepared and culturally grounded.
Across the TCUs, teacher education programs not only train educators who support and uplift local communities, strengthen tribal sovereignty, and help preserve Native knowledge systems, but they also address teacher shortages in tribal and rural schools. Addressing the shortage of teachers and early childhood centers is of utmost importance given the many realities of living in mostly rural and isolated communities. A survey conducted by the Bipartisan Policy Center (Smith & Rosen, 2022) examining childcare in rural America found that over half of Native parent respondents indicated that childcare responsibilities impacted their ability to work within the past month, with 32% of parents reporting they must drive at least 10 miles to reach their childcare facility. This difficulty is further exacerbated for families living on tribal lands, with 68% of Native parents reporting that childcare impacted their ability to work.
Teacher education programs at TCUs are also navigating complex shifts in enrollment as they seek to meet both community needs and broader educational trends. Overall, enrollments across most TCU education programs are strong, indicating student interest in these programs.
AN OVERVIEW OF TCU TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Teacher educator preparation programs vary by tribal college. Some TCUs offer several different education programs and several different degree options, while others may offer only one or two degree programs. Several tribal colleges focus on early childhood education or elementary education.
Sinte Gleska University (SGU) on the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota, for example, offers teacher education programs at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s levels. A key distinguishing feature is SGU’s blend of American Indian cultural values with teacher preparation. The mission of the Education Department at SGU states that graduates will become “effective facilitators of knowledge, understanding and values,” while also contributing to tribal autonomy and cultural strength. The program incorporates Lakota virtues, such as wóksape (wisdom), woóhítika (bravery), wowácintanka (fortitude), and wacán-tognaka (generosity), as foundational elements in the teacher education curriculum. Moreover, SGU emphasizes culturally relevant pedagogy: courses and field experiences are designed to reflect Lakota traditions, respect tribal history, and prepare educators who serve tribal communities and promote sovereignty and self-determination.
As another example, Salish Kootenai College (SKC) in Montana also offers a comprehensive suite of teacher education programs designed to prepare educators who are deeply connected to their communities and cultures. Like other TCUs, SKC’s teacher education programs integrate American Indian perspectives and cultural relevance into the curriculum. For instance, the Native Language Teacher Education Program emphasizes the revitalization and teaching of the Salish and Kootenai languages, aiming to produce fluent speakers and educators who can teach these languages across educational settings. Additionally, the curriculum incorporates traditional knowledge and cultural practices, such as the “seasonal round,” to provide students with a holistic understanding that honors Native worldviews. The seasonal round is a representation of the Salish and Ped d’Oreilles movements and activities, using a circle as a map and calendar that breaks down activities in different quadrants to embody time and place. This culturally responsive approach prepares educators to teach effectively and to serve as stewards of their communities’ languages and traditions.
With the goal of retaining teacher education students within the community post-graduation, the inclusion of the American Indian and Alaska Native cultural component at TCUs such as SGU and SKC is particularly notable given the positive impact that culturally based education (CBE) has on Indigenous populations. Studies examining CBE have found it to be associated with positive outcomes such as improved academic performance in multiple populations, including American Indian and Alaska Native students; Canadian First Nations students; Indigenous students from grade five through college; and Indigenous students attending public schools, private schools, TCUs, and schools within urban settings (Fong et al., 2023; Kana’iaupuni, et al., 2010; Kanu, 2005; Powers, 2006; Whitbeck et al., 2001). The general conclusion from these studies is that the positive effect from CBE derives from its ability to sup-port Indigenous students’ socio-emotional well-being, including their sense of self, sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and sense of sup-port from teachers, caretakers, and friends, which allows students to thrive both emotionally and, as a result, academically.
ENROLLMENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND TRENDS
The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) collects information on education programs from TCUs. Using the American Indian Measures for Success (AIMS), current data and trend data are available for degree programs offered at each TCU, as well as for enrollment, student demographics, and program completion. The academic programs were categorized based on the
National Center for Education Statistics’ Classification of Instructional Program codes that institutions submit to the U.S. Department of Education as part of their annual reporting requirements.
Currently, there are over 100 education programs offered across the TCUs. The most common education credential offered is the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees, followed by the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. There are five TCUs that offer master’s-level education programs, including SGU, SKC, Oglala Lakota College, Sitting Bull College, and Turtle Mountain College. The majority of TCUs offer between two to four programs, while a few have an extensive variety of education programs.
Students enrolling in education programs at TCUs represent a diverse range of backgrounds, experiences, and goals. While many TCUs were founded with the mission of serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities, tribal colleges are public, open-access institutions that welcome students from all demographic groups.
The AIMS system collects detailed enrollment information for TCUs, including full-time and part-time student status and the number of American Indian and Alaska Native students enrolled in each academic program. In fall 2023, there were a total of 1,647 enrollments in education-related programs across TCUs. These results are duplicated counts, meaning that students may be counted more than once if they are pursuing multiple credentials or programs. This includes 951 part-time and 696 full-time students. The strong presence of part-time students emphasizes the importance of accessible and flexible program delivery, meeting the needs of students who balance education with work and family responsibilities.
Teacher education and professional development was by far the largest category, with 748 part-time and 488 full-time students. This program includes degrees in elementary education, secondary education, and early childhood education preparation. This is followed by education (general) degree programs.
All TCUs have a mission to serve their tribal communities that are near the TCUs. As expected, American Indian and Alaska Native students represented the majority of all students enrolled in education programs at TCUs in the fall of 2023. Of the total duplicated enrollments, approximately 82.8% part-time and 88.6% of full-time students were American Indian or Alaska Native.
Across the education programs, American Indian and Alaska Native enrollment ranged from 66.7% to 100% (see Table 1).
Overall, Native students represent a significant majority in most education-related programs at TCUs. These students represent the next generation of teachers, paraprofessionals, childcare specialists, and school leaders. However, with some education programs that have fewer than 10 students, there may be opportunities to expand program outreach and recruitment to ensure alignment with community needs.
Viewing the data by summarizing credentials allows us to understand the level and type of credentials students are interested in. AA and AS degrees are the most popular and account for the largest share of enrollments, followed by BA and BS degrees. The Associate of Applied Science degree had the fewest enrollments, which is not surprising as only four TCUs offer this degree.
It is difficult to ascertain trends in overall program enrollments, as each TCU has labeled their programs uniquely and names have changed overtime. However, we can look at students’ interest by summarizing trends for credential enrollments in education programs. Table 2 displays five-year trends for each credential. AA and AS programs have the highest and most consistent enrollments, while BA and BS have a gradual and consistent increase in enrollments. Certificate programs show strong increases in recent years. The AAS was trending up but then declined in 2022 and 2023. Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees have not seen strong enrollments in the past few years. However, the Master of Education has seen steady growth.
Enrollment trends in education programs at TCUs reflect both the evolving needs of the workforce and changing student interest. While interest in traditional teacher preparation programs has remained strong, there has been steady growth in certificate programs and more advanced degrees, indicating a shift toward specialized and flexible pathways. These patterns suggest that future enrollment will continue to be influenced by factors such as job market demand, policy initiatives, and the accessibility of online and hybrid learning options.
COMPLETION RATES AND TRENDS
Student enrollment in education programs is an important indicator of interest and access; however, it is also important to examine program completion rates to understand overall success and impact. Enrollment numbers reveal how many students are entering the field, but program completion data provide insight into how effectively programs support students in reaching their academic and professional goals.
In academic year 2023-2024, there were a total of 325 students (duplicated) who completed their credential program, including 135 students who completed their AA or AS degree, 12 who completed their AAS degree, 98 who completed their BA or BS degree, 30 who completed their MEd degree, one who completed their MA/MS degree, and 49 who completed their certificate program. Of these completers, over 75% were American Indian or Alaska Native.
At TCUs that are member institutions of AIHEC, the field of study with the greatest number of completers was teacher education and professional development with 237 total completers, accounting for nearly 73% of all completers. Specific programs within this category include education, child development, secondary science education, early childhood education, and elementary education. The two highest enrolled programs were early childhood education and elementary education. Within these two programs, just over 71% of completers were of American Indian or Alaska Native descent. Early childhood education, which the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) refers to as early childhood education and teaching, is described as a program that “prepares individuals to teach students ranging in age from infancy through eight years (grade three), depending on the school system or state regulations. Includes preparation to teach all relevant subject matter” (NCES, 2020a). Elementary education, which the NCES refers to as elementary education and teaching, is described as a program “that prepares individuals to teach students in the elementary grades, which may include kindergarten through grade eight, depending on the school system or state regulations. Includes preparation to teach all elementary education subject matter” (NCES, 2020b).
Table 1: American Indian and Alaska Native student education program enrollment, fall 2023
Completers within these two programs are particularly important given the frequently noted challenges around early childhood education access within American Indian and Alaska Native communities (Spears, 2024; Smith & Rosen, 2022) and because data suggests that 67% of students reside within the state where they graduated college five years post-graduation (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021) with 61% of community college graduates living within 50 miles of the college (EMSI Burning Glass, 2025). These statistics illustrate how TCUs play a vital role—not only in educating their own students, but also in strengthening their communities by preparing culturally grounded educators who support early childhood learning.
Table 2: TCU enrollment trends by education credentials, 2019–2023
Over the past five academic years, the majority of teacher education program completers were students pursuing an AA or AS degree, which accounted for 48% of all credentials awarded (see Table 3). This was followed by students earning BA or BS degrees (29%), certificates (15%), MEd degrees (4%), AAS degrees (3%), and MA or MS degrees (1%). Overall, completion numbers for all credentials besides AAS and MA/MS—representing 96% of all completers—have trended upward, mirroring enrollment trends despite year-to-year fluctuations. The AAS and MA/MS exceptions are due either to small sample size in the case of the AAS degree or to a compositional shift in program offerings in the case of MA and MS degrees. For example, Table 3 shows that in 2019–2020, all 11 students who obtained a master’s-level credential earned an MA or MS degree. Since that time, MA and MS completions have steadily declined while MEd completions have gradually increased, suggesting a structural change in program offerings rather than a temporary fluctuation. This shift in completions corresponds with changes in program availability—the number of MEd programs has grown from one to three over five years, while MA and MS programs have decreased sharply from seven to two, suggesting institutions may be converting MA and MS programs into MEd programs or introducing new MEd programs while phasing out MA and MS options. While completion trends have generally mirrored enrollment pat-terns, they appear to be largely independent of the number of credential programs offered. For instance, the number of students completing AA, AS, BA, or BS degrees has increased over the past five years, yet the number of teacher education programs offered at those levels has remained relatively stable between academic years 2019–2020 and 2023–2024. Certificate completers have shown the smallest increase among the four credential types, even though the number of teacher education certificate programs has experienced the largest growth.
It’s important to note that changes in program availability may take several years to be reflected in completion data, especially for longer programs like bachelor’s degrees, which typically take four to six years to complete. Because the data presented spans only five years, some program-level changes—particularly at the bachelor’s level—may not yet be fully visible. This lag also affects interpretation at the master’s level. For example, in the case of MEd programs, it’s unclear whether the increase in completers—from one in 2021–2022 to 31 in 2023–2024—is primarily due to students progressing through newly established programs over a typical two-year period, or if it reflects the natural maturation of the programs, with accompanying increases in visibility and more refined recruitment strategies. Another key consideration is that the number of completers reflects the total number of individuals who completed a program within a given academic year, regardless of their cohort. Therefore, this data should not be used to calculate graduation or retention rates.
Table 3: Completion and enrollment in TCU education programs by credential type, 2019–2024. Completer figures include full-time, part-time, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Non-American Indian/Alaska Native students.
CONCLUSION
Enrollment and completion data reveal strong participation in teacher education programs by American Indian and Alaska Native students at TCUs, particularly within the fields of early childhood and elementary education. This period of steady growth highlights the resiliency of TCU students despite pandemic-related challenges. With research showing that most program completers remain within their communities post-graduation, investments focused on strengthening TCU teacher education program quality, rather than simply expanding the number of credentials offered, would greatly benefit both the students and the broader American Indian and Alaska Native communities they serve.
Ultimately, TCU teacher education programs represent a vital investment in self-determination, sovereignty, cultural preservation, and the future strength of Native educational systems. Sustained support for these programs is essential to cultivating a robust pipeline of Native educators who are deeply rooted in their communities and equipped to serve future generations.
Jana M. Hanson, PhD is AIHEC’s director of institutional research, assessment, and accreditation; Wells Ling, PhD is AIHEC’s data specialist for Native student success.
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