Online Ph.D. Degrees > Best Online EdD & Ph.D. Programs in Education

ONLINE EdD & Ph.D. DEGREES INEDUCATION

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TOP ONLINE SCHOOLS: DOCTORAL PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION

Our Methodology and Sources

Methodology

To be included in the rankings, all colleges had to meet the following criteria:

Offer the particular graduate program online
Enroll full-time or part-time graduate students
Have at least 1 percent of their graduate students enrolled in distance education classes
Have awarded at least one graduate degree in any related subject between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016

Once we had our list of schools for each subject and degree level, we ranked them on four criteria:

Affordability, based on the in-state average tuition for full-time graduate students, National Center for Education Statistics, 2016
Flexibility, based on the percentage of graduate students enrolled in any distance education courses, National Center for Education Statistics, 2016
Program Prominence, The ratio of the number of students receiving master’s/doctoral degrees in that program to the total number of graduate students awarded a degree, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
Related Degrees, based on the number of programs the school offers that are in this particular subject and similar subjects, National Center for Education Statistics, 2016

Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2016-17, National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/

Article Sources

Ph.D. in Education, George Mason University, https://gse.gmu.edu/phd-in-education/program-specialization

Admissions, George Mason University, https://gse.gmu.edu/phd-in-education/phd-admissions

Curriculum and Instruction Specialization, Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Capella University, http://www.capella.edu/online-degrees/phd-curriculum-instruction/courses/

Postsecondary Teachers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed November 24, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm

Postsecondary Education Administrators, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed November 24, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/postsecondary-education-administrators.htm

Instructional Coordinators, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed November 24, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/instructional-coordinators.htm

How to Tell If I Want an EdD or a PhD in Education?, Walden University, https://www.waldenu.edu/programs/study-area/education/how-to-tell-if-i-want-an-edd-or-a-phd-in-education

EdD vs. PhD Degrees, Teach.com, http://teach.com/how-to-become-a-teacher/teacher-education/doctorate-in-education-edd/edd-vs-phd-degrees

Quick Guide to EdS, EdD, and PhD Degrees, Capella University, http://www.capella.edu/blogs/cublog/guide-to-online-doctoral-programs-in-education/

Sort By ::

Rank	School	Tuition	% Grad Students in Online Courses	% Grad Degrees Conferred	Related Degrees
4.	Columbus State University	Tuition$5,706	% Grad Students in Online Courses59.58%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
5.	Texas Tech University	Tuition$5,400	% Grad Students in Online Courses41.79%	% Grad Degrees Conferred13.58%	Related Degrees4
6.	University of Wisconsin-Stout	Tuition$6,878	% Grad Students in Online Courses77.48%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
10.	University of the Cumberlands	Tuition$5,670	% Grad Students in Online Courses98.85%	% Grad Degrees Conferred57.5%	Related Degrees1
11.	Clarkson College	Tuition$10,008	% Grad Students in Online Courses100%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees2
13.	Gardner-Webb University	Tuition$7,722	% Grad Students in Online Courses51.19%	% Grad Degrees Conferred74.67%	Related Degrees2
18.	Liberty University	Tuition$8,051	% Grad Students in Online Courses96.34%	% Grad Degrees Conferred58.08%	Related Degrees1
19.	East Carolina University	Tuition$4,656	% Grad Students in Online Courses65.74%	% Grad Degrees Conferred6.48%	Related Degrees1
22.	Wilmington University	Tuition$8,190	% Grad Students in Online Courses83.72%	% Grad Degrees Conferred47.5%	Related Degrees1
23.	McKendree University	Tuition$9,662	% Grad Students in Online Courses48.21%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
25.	National American University-Harold D. Buckingham Graduate School	Tuition$13,473	% Grad Students in Online Courses100%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
33.	Old Dominion University	Tuition$8,736	% Grad Students in Online Courses51.87%	% Grad Degrees Conferred22.08%	Related Degrees2
44.	City University of Seattle	Tuition$13,914	% Grad Students in Online Courses43.17%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
46.	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville	Tuition$6,312	% Grad Students in Online Courses27.25%	% Grad Degrees Conferred4.17%	Related Degrees1
49.	East Tennessee State University	Tuition$7,992	% Grad Students in Online Courses37.67%	% Grad Degrees Conferred15.41%	Related Degrees1
53.	Maryville University of Saint Louis	Tuition$13,768	% Grad Students in Online Courses76.38%	% Grad Degrees Conferred40.67%	Related Degrees1
54.	Nova Southeastern University	Tuition$18,373	% Grad Students in Online Courses51.06%	% Grad Degrees Conferred22.12%	Related Degrees3
59.	Hampton University	Tuition$10,776	% Grad Students in Online Courses54.07%	% Grad Degrees Conferred11.11%	Related Degrees1
60.	Indiana University-Bloomington	Tuition$8,695	% Grad Students in Online Courses26.97%	% Grad Degrees Conferred8.41%	Related Degrees1
65.	Oregon State University	Tuition$12,150	% Grad Students in Online Courses25.32%	% Grad Degrees Conferred8.77%	Related Degrees2
74.	A T Still University of Health Sciences	Tuition$28,418	% Grad Students in Online Courses100%	% Grad Degrees Conferred3.14%	Related Degrees1
75.	University of St Augustine for Health Sciences	Tuition$39,639	% Grad Students in Online Courses100%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.4%	Related Degrees1
83.	Hofstra University	Tuition$22,320	% Grad Students in Online Courses11.96%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.41%	Related Degrees1
84.	Lehigh University	Tuition$25,560	% Grad Students in Online Courses18.49%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.56%	Related Degrees1
2.	Concordia University-Chicago	Tuition$14,328	% Grad Students in Online Courses71.81%	% Grad Degrees Conferred87.5%	Related Degrees6
14.	New Mexico State University-Main Campus	Tuition$4,088	% Grad Students in Online Courses41.24%	% Grad Degrees Conferred26.67%	Related Degrees2
17.	Arkansas State University-Main Campus	Tuition$4,626	% Grad Students in Online Courses75.15%	% Grad Degrees Conferred15.69%	Related Degrees1
21.	University of Florida	Tuition$10,770	% Grad Students in Online Courses43.7%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.05%	Related Degrees5
26.	University of Louisiana at Monroe	Tuition$6,490	% Grad Students in Online Courses46.83%	% Grad Degrees Conferred4.07%	Related Degrees2
27.	University of North Texas	Tuition$5,450	% Grad Students in Online Courses40.45%	% Grad Degrees Conferred23.96%	Related Degrees1
36.	Morgan State University	Tuition$7,074	% Grad Students in Online Courses26.38%	% Grad Degrees Conferred45.83%	Related Degrees1
37.	Texas A & M University-College Station	Tuition$5,784	% Grad Students in Online Courses14.39%	% Grad Degrees Conferred4.64%	Related Degrees2
38.	Cardinal Stritch University	Tuition$12,015	% Grad Students in Online Courses40.75%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
45.	University of St Francis	Tuition$13,302	% Grad Students in Online Courses63.01%	% Grad Degrees Conferred65.63%	Related Degrees1
47.	University of Arkansas	Tuition$7,379	% Grad Students in Online Courses38.18%	% Grad Degrees Conferred11.99%	Related Degrees1
50.	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	Tuition$19,964	% Grad Students in Online Courses6.67%	% Grad Degrees Conferred11.26%	Related Degrees6
51.	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	Tuition$6,714	% Grad Students in Online Courses25.35%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.36%	Related Degrees1
52.	Governors State University	Tuition$7,368	% Grad Students in Online Courses31.58%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.54%	Related Degrees1
55.	Union Institute & University	Tuition$18,636	% Grad Students in Online Courses100%	% Grad Degrees Conferred16.67%	Related Degrees2
61.	Edgewood College	Tuition$16,164	% Grad Students in Online Courses31.09%	% Grad Degrees Conferred77.27%	Related Degrees1
62.	Central Michigan University	Tuition$12,232	% Grad Students in Online Courses46.95%	% Grad Degrees Conferred16.52%	Related Degrees1
64.	The University of Alabama	Tuition$10,470	% Grad Students in Online Courses37.22%	% Grad Degrees Conferred12.03%	Related Degrees1
69.	The University of Findlay	Tuition$14,400	% Grad Students in Online Courses46.51%	% Grad Degrees Conferred8.03%	Related Degrees1
70.	University of South Carolina-Columbia	Tuition$12,398	% Grad Students in Online Courses29.65%	% Grad Degrees Conferred7.09%	Related Degrees1
71.	Harding University	Tuition$15,678	% Grad Students in Online Courses47.4%	% Grad Degrees Conferred6.8%	Related Degrees1
73.	Concordia University-Portland	Tuition$20,910	% Grad Students in Online Courses83.37%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.44%	Related Degrees1
76.	Lipscomb University	Tuition$18,576	% Grad Students in Online Courses29.04%	% Grad Degrees Conferred31.86%	Related Degrees1
79.	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	Tuition$15,267	% Grad Students in Online Courses17.9%	% Grad Degrees Conferred6.4%	Related Degrees1
81.	DePaul University	Tuition$18,960	% Grad Students in Online Courses24.87%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.85%	Related Degrees1
82.	George Washington University	Tuition$28,800	% Grad Students in Online Courses30.57%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.43%	Related Degrees1
86.	Boston University	Tuition$49,176	% Grad Students in Online Courses18.79%	% Grad Degrees Conferred3.45%	Related Degrees1
1.	University of West Georgia	Tuition$3,996	% Grad Students in Online Courses80.63%	% Grad Degrees Conferred64.52%	Related Degrees2
3.	Grambling State University	Tuition$5,110	% Grad Students in Online Courses76.84%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
7.	Sam Houston State University	Tuition$5,139	% Grad Students in Online Courses63.57%	% Grad Degrees Conferred81.48%	Related Degrees1
8.	Lamar University	Tuition$6,048	% Grad Students in Online Courses82.68%	% Grad Degrees Conferred82.47%	Related Degrees1
9.	The University of West Florida	Tuition$7,088	% Grad Students in Online Courses81.93%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
12.	Northwest Nazarene University	Tuition$8,851	% Grad Students in Online Courses66.34%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees2
15.	Kennesaw State University	Tuition$4,734	% Grad Students in Online Courses55.15%	% Grad Degrees Conferred44.12%	Related Degrees1
16.	Carson-Newman University	Tuition$8,580	% Grad Students in Online Courses64.82%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
20.	Indiana State University	Tuition$7,128	% Grad Students in Online Courses53.7%	% Grad Degrees Conferred59.55%	Related Degrees1
24.	Boise State University	Tuition$6,232	% Grad Students in Online Courses30.29%	% Grad Degrees Conferred61.11%	Related Degrees1
28.	Southwestern College	Tuition$10,085	% Grad Students in Online Courses48.13%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
29.	Grand Canyon University	Tuition$9,783	% Grad Students in Online Courses94.18%	% Grad Degrees Conferred54.03%	Related Degrees1
30.	Ball State University	Tuition$8,386	% Grad Students in Online Courses73.27%	% Grad Degrees Conferred34.29%	Related Degrees1
31.	Bethel University	Tuition$9,630	% Grad Students in Online Courses36.69%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
32.	Trevecca Nazarene University	Tuition$9,743	% Grad Students in Online Courses43.58%	% Grad Degrees Conferred88.64%	Related Degrees1
34.	Gratz College	Tuition$16,452	% Grad Students in Online Courses100%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
35.	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	Tuition$7,134	% Grad Students in Online Courses30.49%	% Grad Degrees Conferred14.03%	Related Degrees2
39.	Prescott College	Tuition$19,680	% Grad Students in Online Courses100%	% Grad Degrees Conferred100%	Related Degrees1
40.	Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale	Tuition$21,964	% Grad Students in Online Courses90.57%	% Grad Degrees Conferred88%	Related Degrees2
41.	William Carey University	Tuition$8,400	% Grad Students in Online Courses43.18%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.4%	Related Degrees2
42.	Brandman University	Tuition$11,160	% Grad Students in Online Courses72.26%	% Grad Degrees Conferred49.06%	Related Degrees1
43.	University of Northern Colorado	Tuition$9,774	% Grad Students in Online Courses39.86%	% Grad Degrees Conferred32.58%	Related Degrees2
48.	Harvard University	Tuition$43,296	% Grad Students in Online Courses13.58%	% Grad Degrees Conferred4.23%	Related Degrees7
56.	Regent University	Tuition$12,726	% Grad Students in Online Courses92.18%	% Grad Degrees Conferred11.18%	Related Degrees1
57.	University of Memphis	Tuition$8,820	% Grad Students in Online Courses37.3%	% Grad Degrees Conferred15.38%	Related Degrees1
58.	University of Phoenix-Arizona	Tuition$16,581	% Grad Students in Online Courses97.22%	% Grad Degrees Conferred38.44%	Related Degrees1
63.	Clemson University	Tuition$8,826	% Grad Students in Online Courses22.7%	% Grad Degrees Conferred8.58%	Related Degrees1
66.	Andrews University	Tuition$25,128	% Grad Students in Online Courses19.53%	% Grad Degrees Conferred11.38%	Related Degrees4
67.	Creighton University	Tuition$14,760	% Grad Students in Online Courses52.46%	% Grad Degrees Conferred6.76%	Related Degrees1
68.	Saint Peter's University	Tuition$19,476	% Grad Students in Online Courses25.57%	% Grad Degrees Conferred71.43%	Related Degrees1
72.	St Thomas University	Tuition$14,076	% Grad Students in Online Courses38.59%	% Grad Degrees Conferred6.39%	Related Degrees1
77.	University of New England	Tuition$19,936	% Grad Students in Online Courses51.77%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.93%	Related Degrees1
78.	Johns Hopkins University	Tuition$50,410	% Grad Students in Online Courses47.5%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.67%	Related Degrees2
80.	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg	Tuition$19,812	% Grad Students in Online Courses26%	% Grad Degrees Conferred25%	Related Degrees1
85.	University of Denver	Tuition$45,288	% Grad Students in Online Courses26.47%	% Grad Degrees Conferred6.38%	Related Degrees1

DOCTORATE IN EDUCATION PROGRAM DETAILS

Students interested in earning an online Ph.D. in education or an EdD must first earn a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from an accredited university. Beyond that requirement, most colleges that offer these doctoral programs impose a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher for new applicants. Schools may also require applicable work experience in education, human resources or a social services field. A valid teaching license isn't a requirement for these programs, but graduates who go on to teach with their degree will need to become licensed to teach in their state.

Both EdD and Ph.D. programs typically offer specializations, which can help students focus their degree and concentrate their studies on their specific career goals. However, the specializations offered in an advanced education program vary widely by school. Typical specializations for both types of education doctoral degree programs include the following:

Educational leadership
Higher education
Reading and literacy
Curriculum instruction

In addition, students involved in Ph.D. programs must also prepare and give a dissertation. Note that some online doctoral students may also need to attend campus for an internship relating to some aspect of their degree program. While some online doctoral programs in education may not include any on-campus learning, others may actually require it. Before signing up, students should research the particulars of their program to learn the graduation requirements.

TOP CAREERS IN EDUCATION

Although an online Ph.D. in education can take your career in a number of exciting directions, certain professions are more common than others. Here are some of the most prominent careers for graduates with this degree:

1. Superintendent

Superintendents are in charge of running a school, a group of schools or an institution of higher education. Job duties vary greatly depending on where they work. However, most superintendents oversee the different departments and essential functions of their school, including registration, student affairs and the admissions process. Although a Ph.D. isn't necessarily a requirement for this career, earning one shows employers you've invested heavily in your education to the point where you are ready to lead.

Average Salary

$112,400

Projected Job Openings

16,800

Job Growth Potential

2. Curriculum Director

Curriculum directors use their in-depth knowledge of the educational system to create study plans and school courses that push students to reach educational goals. They plan and organize school curriculum, set up training sessions to familiarize teachers with those plans and choose school textbooks that work well with the courses they have designed. Although a Ph.D. isn't necessarily a requirement for this job, a doctoral program can help job candidates learn more about the art and science behind curriculum development and learning patterns.

Average Salary

$69,180

Projected Job Openings

18,600

Job Growth Potential

6.3%

3. Professor of Education

Professors of education impart their knowledge of educational research on theory to students in their care. They create curriculum plans based on educational goals, assign and grade essays, and lecture students on the various theories behind learning and human development. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, college professors need a Ph.D. in order to find entry-level work.

Average Salary

$74,560

Projected Job Openings

7,400

Job Growth Potential

7.8%

ADDITIONAL EDUCATION JOBS AND SALARIES

JOB TITLE	AVERAGE SALARY	PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS	JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	$100,340	22,900	4.1%
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	$61,000	37,300	8.4%

Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary

AVERAGE SALARY$100,340

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS22,900

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL4.1%

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

AVERAGE SALARY$61,000

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS37,300

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL8.4%

EDUCATION SALARIES BY STATE

Average Salary for Education

Average Annual Job Openings

Hourly Mean Wage

TOP

ONLINE EdD & Ph.D. DEGREES INEDUCATION

GETTING A DOCTORATE IN EDUCATION

TOP ONLINE SCHOOLS: DOCTORAL PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION

DOCTORATE IN EDUCATION PROGRAM DETAILS

TOP CAREERS IN EDUCATION

ADDITIONAL EDUCATION JOBS AND SALARIES

EDUCATION SALARIES BY STATE