35 Inspiring Quotes about Education

Sometimes it can be hard to remember why education and learning is important. I have vivid memories from college where I wanted to drop out and how I was so done with school. When that happened, I thought about my why, my purpose. Below are 35 spectacular quotes about education and learning to remind yourself how important it is to learn! These are great for a motivational push when you want to give up on that paper or for a custom teacher’s gift or card. 

As a teacher, my favorite quotes about education from this list are numbers 9, 17, 21, and 30. I’ve seen lots of teacher shirts and things that have those quotes on them!

1. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
2. “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
3. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – W.B. Yeats
4. “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life.” – Plato
5. “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” – George Washington Carver
6. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
7. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey
8. “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin
9. “Education is the foundation upon which we build our future.” – Christine Gregoire
10. “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
11. “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
12. “The educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living from the dead.” – Aristotle
13. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi
14. “Education is the foundation of all progress.” – John F. Kennedy
15. “Education is the movement from darkness to light.” – Allan Bloom
16. “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.” – Confucius
17. “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” – Kofi Annan

18. “Education is not solely about earning a great living. It means living a great life.” – Brad Henry
19. “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” – Herbert Spencer
20. “Education is the foundation of opportunity.” – Oprah Winfrey
21. “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch
22. “Education is the vaccine for violence.” – Edward James Olmos
23. “The educated man is the man who can stimulate his own mind.” – Malcolm S. Forbes
24. “Education is not about memorizing facts, but about understanding how to think.” – Albert Einstein
25. “The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” – Malcolm Forbes
26. “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” – Nora Ephron
27. “Education is the foundation of a strong and informed society.” – Elizabeth Warren
28. “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” – Chinese Proverb
29. “Education is the engine of personal development.” – Peter Thiel
30. “The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” – Aristotle
31. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey
32. “The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.” – Diogenes Laertius
33. “Education is not a problem. Education is an opportunity.” – Lyndon B. Johnson
34. “The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values.” – William S. Burroughs
35. “Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.” – Solomon Ortiz

Which quotes about education are your favorite from the list? Or do you have another that inspires you? Share in the comments below!