A doctorate of education opens up many promising career paths. Pursue a position as a school principal, school superintendent, academic dean, college president, executive director, or another educational administrative leader.
Because every community has a public school system, many positions are available for principals. In fact, there are 292,200 principal jobs in the United States.
The average annual salary for someone with a doctor of education degree is $80,000. If you become a principal, superintendent, or college president, however, you could make well over six figures.
This list features some of the best doctorate in education degree programs at top colleges across the country. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. The programs on our list are accredited by agencies like the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) or the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), both reputable organizations who assess education programs for educational excellence and commitment to quality.
We evaluated each school’s program on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for on-campus students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Next, we compared this comprehensive list of best doctorate in education degree programs to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
While a doctorate in education is a doctoral degree, it shouldn’t be confused with a doctor of philosophy (PhD) program. EdD degrees are professional degrees for students who wish to pursue a career in educational leadership, usually at the administrative level. PhD degrees are research degrees and don’t include the same practical focus as EdD programs. PhDs may examine an educational topic, and graduates who complete PhD dissertations on educational topics mighty enter educational administrative roles; however, PhDs are academic research degrees.
Online doctor of education degrees can be completed mostly remotely, but they often have an in-person practicum. This may be done on campus or in an educational setting near you depending on the stipulations of a program. Make sure any in-person requirements fit with your schedule and budget.
Many students who enroll in these degree programs already have positions in educational settings (see eligibility below), and most programs can be pursued while working at a school. The coursework is often somewhat flexible and specifically designed to be completed while you’re actively engaged in education. Many classes may even have projects to implement where you’re working.
Ask yourself these questions when considering doctorate in education degree programs:
Once you’ve identified a few programs that interested you, research the required admissions materials and deadlines. You can find this information on the program’s website or by contacting the program directly.
Financial aid might be available to help defray the cost of your doctoral degree. Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and check to see if your employer offers tuition reimbursement.