Best Online Master’s in Education

By Dr. James Barham and Dr. James Barham
Reviewed By Dr. Jed Macosko

Updated: Jan 19, 2024

Find top-ranked online master’s in education degree programs to help students hone their teaching skills and prepare for roles in curriculum development, higher education, or administration.

University of Georgia
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Wayne State University
Boston College
University of Houston
University of Kentucky
University of Connecticut
Yeshiva University
North Carolina State University
University of Vermont

University of Texas at El Paso 100%
Southern New Hampshire University 100%
Liberty University 99%
Texas Southern University 97%
University of Maine 97%
University of Mississippi 97%
Troy University 96%
West Virginia State University 96%
University of Montana 96%
University of Hartford 96%

University of Central Florida 29 to 1
Southern New Hampshire University 24 to 1
Georgia Southern University 24 to 1
University of Texas at Arlington 23 to 1
Florida Atlantic University 23 to 1
University of North Texas 23 to 1
Southeastern Oklahoma State University 22 to 1
Texas Tech University 21 to 1
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 21 to 1
University of Houston 21 to 1

Boston College $73,508
University of San Diego $62,420
Goucher College $55,300
Yeshiva University $53,150
Drake University $52,130
University of Hartford $50,445
DePaul University $47,676
Salem College $35,200
Liberty University $23,171
University of Connecticut $21,334

Boston College $35,784
Yeshiva University $34,800
University of San Diego $28,854
DePaul University $22,135
Southern New Hampshire University $19,467
Grand Valley State University $19,364
University of Connecticut $18,834
Wayne State University $18,301
Goucher College $15,550
University of Massachusetts Lowell $15,330

Western Illinois University
Lamar University
Boise State University
Drake University
Troy University
Salem College
University of San Diego
Idaho State University
University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at Arlington

Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Salem College
Angelo State University
Western Illinois University
Idaho State University
Grand Valley State University
Troy University
Georgia Southern University
Lamar University
West Virginia State University

Boston College 16%
University of Georgia 38%
University of Central Florida 40%
North Carolina State University 42%
University of San Diego 52%
University of Connecticut 52%
Yeshiva University 56%
University of Massachusetts Amherst 60%
Drake University 64%
University of Vermont 65%

Yeshiva University 7 to 1
Salem College 7 to 1
Goucher College 8 to 1
Drake University 10 to 1
University of Hartford 11 to 1
West Virginia State University 12 to 1
Idaho State University 13 to 1
Wayne State University 13 to 1
Tennessee State University 13 to 1
Virginia State University 13 to 1

Florida Atlantic University $4,879
Georgia Southern University $6,022
University of Central Florida $6,368
University of North Carolina at Charlotte $7,317
University of North Carolina at Greensboro $7,731
Southeastern Oklahoma State University $7,800
Angelo State University $8,460
North Carolina State University $8,815
Lamar University $8,905
Idaho State University $8,914

Angelo State University $4,181
University of North Carolina at Charlotte $4,467
Southeastern Oklahoma State University $4,860
Georgia Southern University $4,986
University of North Carolina at Greensboro $5,375
Florida Atlantic University $5,467
University of Nevada, Reno $5,792
University of Texas at El Paso $5,865
Salem College $6,300
University of Nebraska–Lincoln $6,318

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Education Degrees

Why get a master’s in education?

Passionate teachers seeking to progress in their field can pursue a master’s of education (M.Ed.) to help hone their teaching skills and prepare for roles in curriculum development, higher education, or administration.

While a M.Ed. is not required to teach elementary or secondary school, gaining your degree often comes with a pay raise, and a master’s is needed to teach at the college level.

Find out what is the best career path for a teacher with an online master’s in education.

How long does it take to get a master’s in education?

A M.Ed. can typically be completed in two years and focuses on topics such as educational leadership, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design.

Is it doable to earn a master’s in education while still working?

Many programs have flexible schedules, allowing candidates to maintain their teaching jobs while furthering their own education. Online programs can be taken at night or on weekends so that working professionals can balance their educational goals with their existing classroom responsibilities.

Learn more about what you can do with a master’s in education.

How do we determine the best online education master's degree programs?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Best Online Master’s in Education Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Education Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Educational Leadership And Administration

Degree Level: Master's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $10,310
Avg. Expenses*: $17,571
Avg. Starting Salary*: $62,129
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $63,940
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 6 years
Job Growth: 2.43%
Number of Jobs: 57,700
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Training and Development Managers	7.41%	$125,040
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	-0.51%	$103,460
Education Administrators, Postsecondary	2.91%	$102,610
Education Administrators, All Other	2.43%	$88,460
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare	-2.10%	$54,290

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Training and Development Managers	$125,040
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	$103,460
Education Administrators, Postsecondary	$102,610
Education Administrators, All Other	$88,460
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare	$54,290

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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Best Online Master’s in Education

Top 10 Online Master's in Education

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Education Degrees

Why get a master’s in education?

How long does it take to get a master’s in education?

Is it doable to earn a master’s in education while still working?

Best Online Master’s in Education Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Georgia

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Education degree at Boston College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Houston

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Massachusetts Amherst

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Kentucky

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Education degree at Yeshiva University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Vermont

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Connecticut

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Education degree at Wayne State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Education degree at North Carolina State University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

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Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Arkansas

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Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Louisville

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Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Mississippi

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Career Outlook for Education degree at Virginia Commonwealth University

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Career Outlook for Education degree at Texas Tech University

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Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Maine

Online Degrees

Concentrations

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Career Outlook for Education degree at University of North Texas

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Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Central Florida

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Education degree at DePaul University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Nevada, Reno

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Montana

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Idaho

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Education degree at Texas Southern University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Education degree at Tennessee State University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Education degree at Southern New Hampshire University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Education degree at University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Online Degrees