Help us solve the physics teacher shortage in the U.S.
The severe national shortage of high school physics teachers is due to the very low numbers of new teachers that US colleges and universities prepare each year. Even small increases in the number of newly prepared teachers – such as an existing program graduating one additional physics teacher, or a professor inspiring one more student to enter a certification program – can make a huge difference to your local community!
Read on to explore our data about the physics teacher shortage. If you’re ready to participate in reducing the shortage, PhysTEC offers resources, tools, and strategies as well as funding opportunities to establish, bolster, and expand physics teacher education programs.
For more information about our data, please see the FAQ.
Chart Source: (Meltzer, Plisch, and Vokos, 2012)
See where institutions are preparing physics teachers
Click on a state to learn more.
State reports
This table reports state-by-state estimates for the annual number of new teachers who have at least a physics-related minor. Click on a state to learn more.
State | Estimated annual physics teacher need | Estimated need met ↓ | Estimated new teachers with at least a physics-related minor | Shortfall (additional teachers needed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Massachusetts | 34 | 52.9% | 23.0 | 16.0 |
| 2. Utah | 27 | 48.1% | 16.6 | 14.0 |
| 3. Kentucky | 28 | 38.1% | 13.7 | 17.3 |
| 4. New York | 114 | 36.3% | 52.9 | 72.7 |
| 5. Illinois | 72 | 28.0% | 25.8 | 51.8 |
| 6. Wisconsin | 43 | 22.5% | 12.4 | 33.3 |
| 7. Pennsylvania | 66 | 21.7% | 18.3 | 51.7 |
| 8. Idaho | 16 | 20.8% | 4.3 | 12.7 |
| 9. Virginia | 38 | 19.3% | 9.4 | 30.7 |
| 10. New Jersey | 41 | 18.7% | 9.8 | 33.3 |
Institution reports
This table reports the number of new teachers who have a physics-related major that individual institutions prepared in the three most recent academic years that data is available. Click on an institution or enter an institution name in the Search box to see an individual institution's report.
Institution | 2017–2018 | 2018–2019 | 2019–2020 | Average ↓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. East Carolina University | 6 | 9 | 11 | 8.7 |
2. Brigham Young University | 13 | 3 | 3 | 6.3 |
| 3. Illinois State University | 5 | 0 | 7 | 4.0 |
4. University of Illinois at Chicago | 7 | 2 | 3 | 4.0 |
| 5. University of Kentucky | 12 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 |
| 6. New York University - Main | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4.0 |
| 7. Boston University | 3 | 3 | 3.7 | |
| 8. University of the Cumberlands | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3.3 |
| 9. CUNY Queens College | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3.0 |
| 10. Texas A&M University | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3.0 |