Why This Matters

  • PSYCHOLOGIST JOBS WILL INCREASE BY 14%

    The demand for psychologists in schools is growing due to factors like increasing school populations, and a greater understanding of how factors inside and outside of schools affect learning.

  • 5,600 NEW COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS ARE NEEDED

    Employment of postsecondary psychology teachers is expected to increase 12% within the next decade, thanks to rising enrollment in colleges and universities in the U.S.

  • EARN $20,000 MORE ANNUALLY WITH YOUR MHA

    A healthcare administrator with a master’s earns $71,400 per year, compared to $50,600 per year for someone with a bachelor’s. Many master’s-level jobs pay over $100,000 annually.

Our Research

This list focuses on master’s degrees in educational psychology. Students can earn a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), and Master of Education (M.Ed).

All of the programs on our list can be completely remotely, with fully online courses. Some programs also offer their coursework on campus, or give students the option of completing classes in-person or online.

To ensure a high standard of quality, we only included institutions with regional accreditation. Many of the degrees on this list also have programmatic accreditation through accrediting bodies like the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

We reviewed the programs for flexibility, course offerings, cost, faculty, and reputation. Using this information, we calculated the Intelligent Score of each degree on a scale from 0 to 100. Our top picks for the best online master’s degrees in educational psychology are affordable, respected, and flexible. (For a more extensive explanation, check out Our Ranking Methodology.)

  • 66 hours to write this article
  • 150 universities and colleges we assessed
  • 343 education programs we compared

The Top 7 Online Master’s in Educational Psychology Programs

Best Online Master's in Educational Psychology Degree Programs
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What You Should Know About This Degree

As the name implies, educational psychology is rooted in the understanding of how individuals learn and retain information. However, one does not need to be an educator, or in an education-related field, to benefit from a degree in educational psychology.

Educational psychologists conduct research that applies to learning processes and outcomes at all stages of human life, not just the traditional school years. Their findings can be used to inform teaching methods within traditional classrooms, but they can also be applied in workplaces, community organizations, government agencies, and more.

Because of the versatility of this degree, it’s important to consider what your career goals are, and how a degree in educational psychology will help achieve them. If you have a particular area of educational psychology you want to focus on, such as cognitive development, it can be helpful to select a program with an orientation towards that topic.

While there are jobs available to individuals with master’s degrees in educational psychology, a doctoral degree is the terminal degree in the field of psychology. If your goal is advanced research or teaching at the collegiate level, you will likely have to pursue a PhD after completing your master’s. This is another key opportunity to think about your career trajectory, and prepare yourself for the time and financial commitments ahead.

What’s Next?

Here are some questions to ask when researching Master’s in Educational Psychology programs:

  • Am I eligible for this program? While most programs accept students from all educational and professional backgrounds, some require students to have previous coursework in psychology, taken either as part of an undergraduate degree, or independently prior to enrollment. Confirm prerequisites and how to complete them before applying.
  • How are courses in this program delivered? Online courses are typically delivered either synchronously or asynchronously. Students attend synchronous courses remotely, but at set meeting times. In asynchronous courses, students can access lessons and assignments on their own time. Find out how the program delivers its courses, so you can choose the type of program that best fits into your schedule.

It’s also important to look at the admissions deadlines and requirements for programs, so you can gather the required materials and submit them in a timely fashion. You can typically find this information on the program’s website, or by contacting their admissions department.

Now is also when you should start thinking about how you will finance your graduate degree. Speak with financial aid counselors at the schools you’re applying to about loans, scholarships, assistantships, and other financial aid options.