Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration

Published: Jun 23, 2021
Updated: Sep 9, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in educational administration degree programs for students looking to transition their careers into administration or leadership roles.

Top 10 Online Master's in Educational Administration Programs

Stony Brook University
Texas A&M University
University of Alabama
University of Louisville
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
DePaul University
Duquesne University
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Sam Houston State University
Jackson State University

Delta State University 100%
Sam Houston State University 97%
University of Southern Mississippi 96%
Southern New Hampshire University 92%
University of Alabama at Birmingham 89%
Lamar University 88%
University of Massachusetts Lowell 85%
Murray State University 85%
Duquesne University 84%
William Paterson University 83%

Southern New Hampshire University 21 to 1
Sam Houston State University 21 to 1
Concordia University Irvine 20 to 1
University of Alabama at Birmingham 20 to 1
University of Alabama 20 to 1
Texas A&M University 19 to 1
University of Louisville 19 to 1
Stony Brook University 19 to 1
Lamar University 19 to 1
University of Massachusetts Lowell 19 to 1

Duquesne University $43,526
DePaul University $42,012
Abilene Christian University $39,350
Concordia University Irvine $38,740
Andrews University $31,782
Campbellsville University $25,000
Mississippi College $20,364
Southern New Hampshire University $15,380
University of Massachusetts Lowell $15,078
William Paterson University $13,776

Andrews University $28,656
Duquesne University $24,534
Abilene Christian University $24,174
Southern New Hampshire University $18,900
DePaul University $17,951
Kean University $15,752
National University $15,480
University of Massachusetts Lowell $14,590
William Paterson University $13,618
University of Louisville $13,524

Campbellsville University
Concordia University Irvine
Delta State University
William Paterson University
Kean University
National University
Murray State University
Abilene Christian University
Mississippi College
Lamar University

Stony Brook University 48%
Mississippi College 49%
National University 55%
Jackson State University 62%
Texas A&M University 64%
DePaul University 69%
Abilene Christian University 70%
University of Louisville 75%
Campbellsville University 78%
Youngstown State University 78%

Andrews University 10 to 1
Delta State University 11 to 1
Abilene Christian University 13 to 1
Duquesne University 13 to 1
William Paterson University 13 to 1
Campbellsville University 14 to 1
Jackson State University 14 to 1
Mississippi College 15 to 1
University of Nebraska–Lincoln 16 to 1
National University 16 to 1

Sam Houston State University $5,856
Lamar University $6,228
Stony Brook University $7,070
University of Nebraska–Lincoln $7,770
Murray State University $8,040
Jackson State University $8,270
Delta State University $8,360
University of Alabama at Birmingham $8,568
Texas A&M University $8,578
University of Southern Mississippi $9,094

Sam Houston State University $5,765
University of Nebraska–Lincoln $6,138
Youngstown State University $6,453
Lamar University $6,471
Texas A&M University $6,885
University of Alabama at Birmingham $8,100
Delta State University $8,190
Jackson State University $8,270
Campbellsville University $8,473
Concordia University Irvine $8,564

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Educational Administration Degrees

Educators seeking to transition their careers into administration or leadership roles can earn a master’s in educational administration. These programs focus on transitioning teachers from the classroom to the office through courses in administrative tasks, resource management, and curriculum design and evaluation.

Candidates in this master’s program can expect to spend roughly two years completing the 30-36 hours required for their degree.

Like many educational programs, there has been a shift toward online degrees that allow educators to teach full-time while earning this degree. Flexibility and access to online resources make an online option desirable for educators at all career stages.

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

How do we determine the best online educational administration 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 Education Administrators, Postsecondary in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

53800Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

94730Education Administrators, All Other

102650Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary

111260Education Administrators, Postsecondary

158970Architectural and Engineering Managers

Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration 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 Educational Administration

Top 10 Online Master's in Educational Administration Programs

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Educational Administration Degrees

Why get a master’s in educational administration?

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

Is getting a master’s in educational administration doable while working?

Median Salaries of Similar Careers in the U.S.

Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration Degree Programs

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier?+

Why does accreditation matter in online college?+

Will I be able to transfer my online college degree?+

Will employers respect my online degree?+

What are the disadvantages of online classes?+

What are the advantages of online classes?+

Resources for Prospective Grad Students