Best Online Master’s in Education

Published: Jun 23, 2021
Updated: May 22, 2023

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.

Top 10 Online Master's in Education

University of Georgia

63%

Wayne State University

61%

University of Massachusetts Amherst

60%

Boston College

59%

University of Houston

59%

University of Kentucky

58%

Yeshiva University

58%

University of Connecticut

58%

North Carolina State University

56%

University of Arkansas

54%

University of Texas at El Paso

100%

Liberty University

99%

West Virginia State University

97%

University of Maine

96%

Virginia State University

96%

Troy University

95%

University of Kentucky

94%

University of Texas at Arlington

93%

Virginia Commonwealth University

93%

Southern New Hampshire University

92%

University of Central Florida

31 to 1

University of North Texas

26 to 1

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

24 to 1

University of Texas at Arlington

24 to 1

University of Houston

23 to 1

Florida Atlantic University

22 to 1

Northern Arizona University

22 to 1

Georgia Southern University

22 to 1

University of Texas at El Paso

21 to 1

Southern New Hampshire University

21 to 1

Boston College

$61,706

University of San Diego

$52,864

Goucher College

$48,200

Yeshiva University

$47,500

Drake University

$45,912

University of Hartford

$44,885

DePaul University

$42,012

Salem College

$31,016

Liberty University

$22,713

University of Vermont

$16,392

Yeshiva University

$34,800

Boston College

$32,616

University of San Diego

$27,936

Southern New Hampshire University

$18,900

DePaul University

$17,951

Grand Valley State University

$17,904

University of Connecticut

$17,532

Wayne State University

$16,920

University of Hartford

$14,652

University of Massachusetts Lowell

$14,590

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

25%

Salem College

27%

Angelo State University

30%

Idaho State University

31%

Western Illinois University

33%

Grand Valley State University

33%

Boise State University

34%

Georgia Southern University

34%

Southern New Hampshire University

35%

Troy University

35%

Boston College

19%

University of Central Florida

36%

University of Georgia

40%

North Carolina State University

47%

University of San Diego

53%

University of Connecticut

56%

Yeshiva University

63%

Wayne State University

63%

Texas Southern University

63%

University of Vermont

64%

Yeshiva University

7 to 1

University of Hartford

8 to 1

Goucher College

9 to 1

Drake University

10 to 1

Virginia State University

12 to 1

West Virginia State University

12 to 1

Tennessee State University

12 to 1

Western Illinois University

13 to 1

University of San Diego

13 to 1

Idaho State University

13 to 1

Florida Atlantic University

$2,522

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

$3,812

Georgia Southern University

$4,371

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

$4,422

University of Central Florida

$4,478

Angelo State University

$4,495

University of Montana

$5,352

Boise State University

$5,532

Virginia State University

$5,540

Idaho State University

$5,928

Angelo State University

$4,181

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

$4,337

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

$4,734

University of Montana

$4,932

Georgia Southern University

$4,986

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

$5,219

Florida Atlantic University

$5,467

University of Nevada, Reno

$5,625

University of Texas at El Paso

$5,865

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

$6,138

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.

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.

Median Salaries of Similar Careers in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of similar occupations to Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

66880Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

67080Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education

68960Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School

69410Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School

69530Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Best Online Master’s in Education Degree Programs

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.

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?

Median Salaries of Similar Careers in the U.S.

Best Online Master’s in Education Degree Programs

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