Top colleges for secondary education majors in California?

I've always had a passion for teaching and recently, I've been looking into secondary education programs in California colleges. Does anyone have any recommendations or insider information on which programs are the strongest in the state?

Sure, there are several top California institutions known for their strong programs in Secondary Education. These include:

1. Stanford University: Stanford's Graduate School of Education is one of the top-ranked education programs in the nation. While Stanford doesn't have an undergraduate major specifically for secondary education, they offer a minor in Education as well as coterminal master's programs where you can begin taking graduate coursework while still an undergraduate.

2. University of Southern California (USC): USC's Rossier School of Education offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) with a focus on secondary education. This would be a graduate-level program, though.

3. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): Their Graduate School of Education & Information Studies offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in education. You can major in education and social transformation for your bachelor's and then go on to their Teacher Education Program (TEP) for your master's, which has a secondary education track.

4. University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley): UC Berkeley offers a program through their Graduate School of Education that gives students the option of teaching in secondary schools. Like UCLA, UC Berkeley offers undergraduate majors in education and a credential/MA program for graduate students.

5. San Francisco State University (SFSU): SFSU's College of Education has specific teaching credential programs for those wanting to teach in middle schools or high schools.

6. San Diego State University (SDSU): SDSU's College of Education has a great reputation and offers single-subject credentials for those wanting to teach at the secondary level.

All of these programs have different strengths and emphasis, and your choice may depend on your specific interests and career goals. Keep in mind that admission to these universities can be competitive, so strong academic achievement and relevant experience (like tutoring or mentoring) could be beneficial.

Please note, to become a secondary education teacher in California, you'll need to earn a Single Subject Teaching Credential after your bachelor's degree, and that often includes completing a teacher preparation program and passing relevant California exams (like the CSET). So you may want to look for programs that include or prepare students for that credentialing process.