Courses for Arkansas Teachers
We have helped thousands of Arkansas teachers renew their licenses, increase their salaries and advance their careers.
How Can We Help You?
We've carefully selected Nationally Accredited University Partners so you can earn graduate credits recognized across the country for salary advancement and license recertification.
Moving across the salary schedule is one of the most impactful financial decisions you can make as an educator. With our courses you can maximize your annual and lifetime earnings through salary advancement by completing graduate-level, professional development courses. Whether you are looking to move across the salary schedule or deepen your classroom expertise, our programs are designed to provide the highest return on your educational investment.
Explore Salary Advancement CoursesAdvance your Salary with our Master's Degree Option
Accelerate your career with a Master's Degree. We offer a selection of fully remote, graduate-level courses that can be applied directly toward a Master of Education (M.Ed.) through our partner, Colorado State University Pueblo. Earn high-quality graduate credits toward your Master's degree without stepping out of the classroom.
Note on District Approval: We recommend reviewing your district's master agreement regarding salary advancement credits. Most Arkansas districts accept our graduate-level courses for lane changes. Check if your district accepts our credits →
📄 Renew My Arkansas Teaching License
Arkansas educators hold a standard 5-year educator license. To renew, teachers must complete 36 hours of professional development annually — totaling 180 hours over the 5-year license period. Credits for Teachers and our University Partners can help Arkansas educators meet this requirement for renewal.
🕐 Renewal Requirements
- 36 professional development hours per year (180 hours total over 5 years — 12 semester hours with Credits for Teachers)
- New background check (Arkansas State Police & FBI fingerprinting)
- $75 renewal application fee
- Submit renewal application via the AELS portal
For the most up-to-date information or further details regarding Teaching License Renewal in Arkansas, please visit the Arkansas Department of Education Website.
Explore Arkansas License Renewal CoursesNeed to submit courses to your district or state for approval? Download our free Course Approval Form (PDF) — a fillable form you can send directly to your administrator or certification office.
The Arkansas Teacher Salary Schedule: What You Need to Know
Your salary in Arkansas is determined by two factors: your years of experience (steps) and your education level (lanes). Steps advance automatically each year. Lanes only move when you take action — by earning graduate-level credits. Many Arkansas districts offer multiple lanes — including B+15, Masters, M+15, and M+30/Ed.S — meaning every block of graduate credits you earn can move you to a higher-paying lane. The table below compares the lowest lane (Bachelor's) to the highest lane (M+30/Ed.S) using the Bentonville Public Schools 2025–2026 Licensed Salary Schedule, one of Arkansas's largest districts.
| Years Exp. | Bachelor's (Lowest Lane) | M+30 / Ed.S (Highest Lane) | Annual Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 years | $56,329 | $62,019 | +$5,690/yr |
| 3 years | $58,308 | $64,187 | +$5,879/yr |
| 5 years | $60,386 | $66,356 | +$5,970/yr |
| 10 years | $64,995 | $71,405 | +$6,410/yr |
| 15 years | $69,498 | $76,622 | +$7,124/yr |
| 17 years (Bach cap) | $70,458 | $78,519 | +$8,061/yr |
| 20 years | $70,458 | $82,171 | +$11,713/yr |
| 25 years | $70,458 | $88,077 | +$17,619/yr |
Source: Bentonville Public Schools 2025–2026 Licensed Salary Schedule (Board Approved 4/15/2025). Individual district schedules vary — check your specific district for exact figures.
Critical insight most Arkansas teachers miss: Moving from the Bachelor's lane to M+30/Ed.S adds $5,690–$7,124 per year in the early-to-mid career — and the gap keeps growing dramatically. Bachelor's salaries cap out at $70,458 at year 17, while M+30/Ed.S salaries continue climbing to over $88,000. By year 25, an M+30/Ed.S-lane teacher earns $17,619 more per year than a Bach-lane colleague. Over a 25-year career, that's over $203,000 in additional earnings — and the same courses that move your lane also count toward your 5-year license renewal.
Curious what your specific numbers look like? Use our free tool to find your personalized salary roadmap.
📈 Calculate My Salary Potential →Why Starting Early Changes Everything
Salary advancement works like compound interest. The sooner you move across lanes, the more years you earn at the higher rate. Here are 25-year career totals based on the Bentonville Public Schools 2025–2026 Licensed Salary Schedule.
Figures based on the Bentonville Public Schools 2025–2026 Licensed Salary Schedule. Your district's schedule will vary.
The rule of thumb: Every year you delay a lane change is a year of higher salary you can never recover. Teachers who start in years 1–5 consistently find it easier to complete courses than those who wait — and they earn more for every remaining year of their career.
📈 Find Your Personalized Salary Roadmap: Not sure how much you could earn by advancing lanes? Use our free Salary Calculator to see exactly how much more you could earn based on your current lane, district, and years of experience.
Our University Partners
We've carefully selected Nationally Accredited University Partners so you can earn graduate credits recognized across the country for salary advancement and license recertification.
Note on District Approval: We recommend reviewing your district's master agreement regarding salary advancement credits. Most Arkansas districts accept our graduate-level courses for lane changes. Check your district →
Invest in Your Career. Maximize Your Earnings.
The investment you make today pays dividends throughout your entire teaching career.
📈 See Your Personalized Numbers: Every teacher's situation is different. Use our free Salary Calculator to discover exactly how much more you could earn based on your current lane, years of experience, and Arkansas district. Moving from the Bachelor's lane all the way to M+30/Ed.S can add over $203,000 to your 25-year earnings — and every intermediate lane (B+15, Masters, M+15) adds more along the way.
Three Steps to Advance Your Career
The process is straightforward. Our team is with you at every step.
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Browse and Select Your Courses
Choose from our catalog of graduate-level, self-paced online courses. Select the university partner and credit option that best fits your goals — whether you're pursuing a lane change, license renewal, or a full Master's degree.
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Complete Your Coursework Online
All courses are 100% online and self-paced. Complete them on your own schedule — evenings, weekends, or summer break. Most teachers finish a 3-credit course in 4–8 weeks while continuing to teach full-time.
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Submit Credits to Your District or the Arkansas DOE
Upon completion, request your official transcript from our university partner. Submit it to your district HR department for a lane change, or upload it through the Arkansas AELS portal for license renewal. Our team is available to help guide you through this process.
Everything You Need to Know
Still have questions? Our team is happy to help.
To renew your Arkansas standard 5-year educator license, you must complete 36 hours of professional development per year (180 hours total over the 5-year period), complete a new background check (Arkansas State Police and FBI fingerprinting), and submit a renewal application through the Arkansas Educator Licensure System (AELS) at aels.ade.arkansas.gov. The renewal fee is $75. Paper applications are no longer accepted.
Yes. Credits for Teachers and our University Partners can help Arkansas educators meet the professional development hour requirements for renewal. Our courses are offered through regionally accredited universities, and the graduate credits you earn count toward your annual professional development hours. Each semester hour of graduate credit equals 15 professional development hours — so 12 semester hours with Credits for Teachers covers the full 180-hour, 5-year renewal requirement.
Most Arkansas school districts accept our graduate-level courses for lane changes on the salary schedule. You can use our District Credit Approval Tool to quickly find out if your specific district accepts our credits. We also recommend reviewing your district's master agreement or contacting your HR department to confirm that the credits will apply to your situation. Our team is happy to help you verify district acceptance before you enroll.
The number of credits required to advance to the next salary lane varies by Arkansas district. Many districts — including large ones like Bentonville — offer multiple lanes beyond just Bachelor's and Master's, including B+15, M+15, and M+30/Ed.S. This means every 15 graduate credits you earn can move you to a higher-paying lane. We recommend checking your specific district's salary schedule or using our district lookup tool for exact requirements.
In Arkansas, each semester hour of graduate credit equals 15 professional development hours. This means: 1 semester hour = 15 PD hours, 3 semester hours = 45 PD hours, and 12 semester hours = 180 PD hours — which covers the full 5-year renewal requirement. Our courses provide graduate-level semester hours that count toward both your annual PD requirement and salary lane changes simultaneously.
If your Arkansas teaching license expires, you will need to apply for reinstatement rather than a standard renewal. The Arkansas Department of Education recommends submitting your renewal documentation before your license expires to avoid any lapse in your credentials. Educators may begin the renewal process at any time during the fifth year of their educator license. If you are approaching your renewal deadline, our team can help you identify the fastest path to completing your required professional development hours.
Yes. Through our partnership with Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo), you can earn a fully accredited Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum & Instruction. The total program is 38 credits — 18 of which you complete through Credits for Teachers at just $131/credit, and 20 through CSU Pueblo. The total program cost is $11,764, a fraction of a traditional Master's program. In Arkansas, a Master's degree moves you to the higher salary lane — and you can earn lane changes from the same courses before you finish the degree.
What Educators Are Saying
Thousands of teachers have used Credits for Teachers to advance their careers and increase their salaries.
"I had no idea lane changes were even a thing until I found Credits for Teachers. I completed two courses over the summer and moved from BA to BA+30. My salary went up $6,200 the following school year. I wish I had done this sooner."
"The courses were genuinely interesting and I could do them on my own schedule. The university credit was accepted by my district without any issues. Highly recommend to any teacher who wants to maximize their salary."
"I was skeptical at first — it seemed too easy. But it's completely legitimate. I've now done three lane changes over five years and I'm earning $14,000 more per year than when I started."
We've partnered with Affirm to offer flexible payment options. Split your course costs into manageable monthly payments that fit your budget. For licenses and disclosures, see affirm.com/licenses.
PLEASE NOTE: The content provided on this page is solely provided for informational purposes and does not exempt users from their responsibility to ensure that our courses meet their state's continuing education requirements. Please check with your state certification agency for up-to-date policies for teacher certification renewal/continuing education.