Best Online Master’s in Educational Leadership Programs of 2023

Updated: May 15, 2023

School enrollment is increasing, and institutions regularly face complex, new challenges, leading to a growing need for trained leaders. Join the ranks of effective school administrators by earning an online master’s in educational leadership.

Why This Matters

START A CAREER IN COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION

There are over 18 million postsecondary students in the United States. Colleges and universities need administrators such as deans, provosts, and registrars, positions that typically require an advanced degree.
15K NEW INSTRUCTIONAL COORDINATORS NEEDED

Instructional coordinators oversee development and implementation of curricula, primarily in elementary and secondary schools. Demand for this position is expected to increase 7% by 2031.
EARN $30,000+ MORE ANNUALLY AS A PRINCIPAL

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median salary for school principals is $98,420. By comparison, teachers earn an average annual salary of $61,820, depending on grade level.

Our Research

This list features some of the best online Master’s in Educational Leadership 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. Many of the schools on our list have been accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, which assesses the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of education-related programs.

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 online 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 online Master’s in Educational Leadership 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.