Courses for Colorado Teachers
We have helped thousands of Colorado 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 renewal.
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 Colorado districts accept our graduate-level courses for lane changes. Check if your district accepts our credits →
📄 Renew My Colorado Professional Teaching License
Colorado Professional Teaching Licenses are valid for 7 years and must be renewed through the COOL (Colorado Online Licensing) portal. Renewal requires completion of 90 contact hours (6 semester hours) of professional development activities, with a portion dedicated to specific required topics.
🕐 Renewal Requirements
- 90 contact hours (6 semester hours) of applicable professional development activities completed within the 7-year license period
- A minimum of 1 contact hour related to behavioral health (culturally responsive and trauma-informed)
- A minimum of 1 contact hour related to educating students with disabilities (Child Find, inclusive learning)
- English Learner Professional Learning designation — required for elementary, ELA, math, science, social studies, and middle-level endorsement holders who have not yet obtained the designation (45 hours, which count toward the 90-hour total)
- Current background check on file with CDE (fingerprints submitted to CBI)
- $90 application fee
- Submit renewal application via COOL (cool.randasolutions.com)
For the most up-to-date information or further details regarding Teaching License Renewal in Colorado, please visit the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Website.
Explore Colorado 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 Colorado Teacher Salary Schedule: What You Need to Know
Your salary in Colorado 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. Colorado districts typically offer multiple lanes — such as BA, BA+30, MA, MA+30, MA+60, and MA+90 — meaning every 30 graduate credits you earn can move you to a higher-paying lane. The table below compares the lowest lane (BA) to the highest standard lane (MA+90) using the Cherry Creek School District 2025–2026 Certified/Licensed Salary Schedule, one of Colorado's largest and highest-paying districts.
| Years Exp. (Step) | BA (Lowest Lane) | MA+90 (Highest Lane) | Annual Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $62,000 | $84,446 | +$22,446/yr |
| Year 3 | $63,835 | $86,610 | +$22,775/yr |
| Year 5 | $65,998 | $88,773 | +$22,775/yr |
| Year 7 | $69,437 | $92,100 | +$22,663/yr |
| Year 10 | $77,512 | $100,174 | +$22,662/yr |
| Year 12 (BA cap) | $83,723 | $105,557 | +$21,834/yr |
| Year 15 | $83,723 | $113,631 | +$29,908/yr |
| Year 17+ (top) | $83,723 | $117,486 | +$33,763/yr |
Source: Cherry Creek School District No. 5 2025–2026 Certified/Licensed Salary Schedule (updated 6/13/2025). Individual district schedules vary — check your specific district for exact figures.
Critical insight most Colorado teachers miss: Moving from the BA lane to the MA+90 lane adds $22,000+ per year from day one — and the gap grows dramatically over time. BA salaries cap at $83,723 after year 12, while MA+90 salaries continue climbing past $117,000. By year 17, a teacher at MA+90 earns $33,763 more per year than a BA colleague. Over a 25-year career, that's over $690,000 in additional earnings — and the same courses that move your lane also count toward your 7-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 Cherry Creek School District 2025–2026 Certified/Licensed Salary Schedule.
Figures based on the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 2025–2026 Certified/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 renewal.
Note on District Approval: We recommend reviewing your district's master agreement regarding salary advancement credits. Most Colorado 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 Colorado district. Moving from BA all the way to MA+90 can add over $690,000 to your 25-year earnings — and every intermediate lane (BA+30, MA, MA+30, MA+60) 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 CDE
Upon completion, request your official transcript from our university partner. Submit it to your district HR department for a lane change, or log in to COOL (cool.randasolutions.com) to apply your professional development hours toward 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 Colorado Professional Teaching License, you must complete 90 contact hours (6 semester hours) of applicable professional development activities within your 7-year license period. At least 1 hour must address behavioral health and 1 hour must address educating students with disabilities. Teachers with elementary, ELA, math, science, social studies, or middle-level endorsements who have not yet obtained the English Learner designation must also complete 45 hours of EL professional learning (which count toward the 90-hour total). Submit your renewal application through the COOL portal at cool.randasolutions.com. The application fee is $90, and a current background check (fingerprints on file with CBI) is required.
Yes. Graduate-level courses from Credits for Teachers and our university partners count as professional development activities for Colorado license renewal. Each semester hour of graduate credit equals 15 contact hours — so 6 semester hours with Credits for Teachers covers the full 90-hour, 7-year renewal requirement. Official transcripts from our accredited university partners serve as documentation for your COOL renewal application.
Most Colorado 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 Colorado district. Many districts — including Cherry Creek — use lanes based on total graduate credits beyond the bachelor's degree: BA, BA+30, MA, MA+30, MA+60, and MA+90. This means every 30 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 Colorado, each semester hour of graduate credit equals 15 contact hours of professional development. This means: 1 semester hour = 15 contact hours, 3 semester hours = 45 contact hours, and 6 semester hours = 90 contact hours — which covers the full 7-year renewal requirement. Our courses provide graduate-level semester hours that count toward both your license renewal contact hours and salary lane changes simultaneously.
If your Colorado Professional Teaching License expires, you may still apply for renewal. For expired licenses, the required professional development activities must have been completed within the 7 years immediately preceding the date you submit your renewal application. You will still need a current background check on file with CDE. CDE recommends submitting your renewal application well before your expiration date to avoid any gaps in your authorization to teach. Our team can help you identify the fastest path to completing your required contact 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 Colorado, a Master's degree moves you to the MA lane — and you can earn lane changes from the same courses before you finish the degree, meaning your salary increases as you go.
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 could make such a difference. I completed two courses over the summer and moved from BA to BA+30. My salary went up significantly 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 significantly 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.