The 10 Best Online Masters in Education Degree Programs

Finding a graduate program is no easy task when you want to advance your career in education. There are tons of graduate schools out there with top master’s degree programs, but which one will offer you the most flexibility? Online master’s degrees in education are high in demand because more teachers and professors are needed throughout the world. The schools on this list were chosen from research attained from http://nces.ed.gov and http://www.detc.org/Student-Center/Directory-Of-Accredited-Institutions.asp, and each school stood out with exemplary graduate programs for education degree holders. The top online education schools demonstrate a commitment to students and technology while also making it more convenient for adult teachers to earn a degree whenever they have time.

With video lectures, online assignment control, discussion groups, online services such as teacher meetings and other aspects, these online education schools provide the best benefits for students. There are also a variety of different public schools that have cheap tuition costs and allow students to pay the same tuition as in-state students while in graduate programs.

These colleges were picked based on high faculty credentials, multiple student services, easy-to-use technology, student engagement, admissions selectivity, price of tuition and career help services.

1. Indiana University, Bloomington

Indiana University received the highest marks for faculty training and credentials, but it also scored high in student engagement and admissions selectivity making it one of the more selective schools for online master’s education programs. Indiana also has 47 full-time instructions that teach courses online. The school has a few different online education programs including a Master’s of Science in Education for Educational Leadership. Other programs include educational law, education in nursing, adult education, EFL/ESL teaching and English. The M.S.Ed. in educational leadership was created to help schools and districts address different challenges that the next educational leaders are already facing. Students may choose either an administrative or teaching path in the online program. Tuition costs $397 per credit for both in-state and out-of-state students. Online program features one-on-one discussions with faculty. Indiana University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is also a member of the North Central Association.

2. Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL is second on the list because it scored highly in both faculty credentials and training while also having a high student engagement. As a public institution, online education courses are recorded and archived, which allows education students to go back and view all classes that they may have missed. Many of the students in the program are already working and trying to get ahead, which is why student engagement is one of the top priorities at NIU. Students can earn a Master of Science in Education in School Business Management. The college also has a reasonable tuition rate for students. Online courses feature video instruction, web portal, online reading, interactive assignments, simulations, videos, discussion groups and much more. There are also tutorials, how-tos and other study materials available through the online portal. The degree program places students into an administrative or management position in a school district. Tuition is $325 per credit. Average faculty response time is 24 hours. School is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is also a member of the North Central Association.

3. Central Michigan University

In Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University offers an excellent master’s of education program. The school received its highest marks in student services and technology, but it also was ranked highly for faculty credentials, faculty training and student engagement. However, Central Michigan University is less selective than other graduate programs, which is why it ranks at third. However, Central Michigan University is the top school to offer a Master of Arts degree in education. The degree program requires 33 credit hours, which is taught online or as a hybrid class. Most applicants who hold a four-year baccalaureate degree or an equivalent with recognized standing can be received into the graduate program.

Tuition is $487 for both in-state and out-of-state residents.
Students can take classes solely online or go in for one-on-one lessons.
Central Michigan University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

4. University of Houston

University of Houston has an incredible education program for which it has received 13 accreditations. The online education programs are numerous and span everything from a Master of Education in Physical education to a Master of Education in Gifted Teaching or Administration. Since the programs are so varied, University of Houston has a variety of courses to choose from. However, the technology seems to be a bit dated and not every class may be available online. For instance, students may have to take a course in school at least once a week to complete credit hours. Student services is also lower for this school despite it being in the top. Students may not be able to access all of their assignments online as well. For these reasons, it ranks lower on the list. Tuition costs are $269 in-state and $582 out-of-state. Application deadline is March 1st for online master’s programs. College of Education at UH is accredited by 13 organisations.

5. St. John’s University

Located in Queens, New York, St. John’s University is a historic college with a high ranking for faculty credentials, student services and technology. However, it lacks admissions selectivity and could do better with career placement for students. St. Johns offers a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision, Master of Education in School District Leadership and Master of Education in Teaching Children with Disabilities in Childhood Education. In addition, tuition costs are extremely high for an online program making it the most expensive for online education graduate programs per credit. However, the school does offer more technology and student services than other online education schools. Student services include some advising, but it is unclear whether the college of education has a career placement or hands-on training program for students. Tuition cost is $1,100 in-state and out-of-state. Applications must be submitted before August 17th.
St. John’s University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

6. Auburn University

Auburn University is a public institution and offers classes online for students who want to pursue a Master of Education, Master of Early Childhood education and other graduate programs in business education and certificates. Students can earn a Master of Education in music education, foreign language education and elementary education. The program offers a variety of services to students, but they are mostly only available on campus such as the Auburn University Library. Students may have difficult accessing the portal during after hours as well. Overall, there a number of benefits for attending Auburn online. Most importantly, students can pursue a variety of interests in education whether they want to pursue childhood education, adult education or high school students. There’s also the administrative degrees for those who want to work in management or educational policy. Tuition cost is $539 per credit hour for in-state and out-of-state students.
The graduate program has a rolling admissions deadline. Auburn University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

7. South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University in Brookings is a top notch school with high marks in student engagement and faculty training. However, the school is currently working on improving its education online portal and doesn’t have a very selective admissions process for its online program. The school offers a few degrees that would be helpful for those who want to teach, join administration or go into a family education. These include a Master of Education in Educational Administration, Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Master of Science in Chemistry for Chemical Education, Master of Human Sciences for Family and Consumer Sciences Education. Students can also receive degrees in mass communication and community development. Tuition costs are $400 per credit for both in-state and out-of-state students. Application deadline is rolling.
The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

8. University of Northern Colorado

University of Northern Colorado is located in Greeley and offers a variety of different online programs in education such as a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership or a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology. Students can also go into nursing education, culturally and linguistically diverse education, curriculum studies, dance education, teaching applicatons, science education and foreign language education. The school scored its highest marks for faculty accreditation and training, but it scored poorly for student engagement, technology and admission selectivity. However, the school is lowest in technology as its web portal is very hard to use and doesn’t offer students the best study experience. Students can take online courses in addition to pursuing a degree in school. Tuition cost is $507 for in-state and out-of-state per credit hour.
Students will find that the site for the master’s program also lists additional specialty online courses for education students. School is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

9. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois ranks high for faculty training and credentials but ranks poorly in admission selectivity. In addition, the school could update its technology for students to use. Master’s degrees online include agricultural education, human resource education, educational policy, educational psychology, teaching biological science, teacher leadership and a few others. The programs are easy to find and well-organized, but the school offers little student services or student engagement. There is one internship program, but they don’t seem to offer career placement or advising services. There is an internship program for the program for educational psychology and teaching biological science. Online courses have video lectures, online assignment completion, recorded video lectures, online discussions, email for students and teachers and grade statistics.
Tuition cost for the program is $437 in-state and out-of-state per credit. Applications must be submitted by April 1st. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

10. University of Scranton

The University of Scranton in Pennsylvania receives a near perfect in faculty credentials and training but lacks in all other categories for online programs. Students can enroll in master education programs like Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction and Master of Science in Educational Administration. Adult students can also earn an administration certificate if already working as a teacher. Overall, the school offers 54 teachers for the education online program, but they don’t have enough online education programs or student services to be ranked higher. The school should add more education programs in teaching, childhood education, foreign language and administration in order to compete with other schools. Tuition cost is $475 for in-state and out-of-state per credit. The school has a rolling application deadline. The school is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.