2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
There are about 973,240 students enrolled in Education in the USA.
Menu: summary
popularity
Very Popular
Compared to national avg.
Diplomas received last year
251,173
Vs. National Avg.
2221%
popularity Rank
#2
cost
Very Affordable
Compared to national avg.
Median degree cost
$20K
Vs. National Avg.
-16%
cost Rank
#318
salary
Low Paying
Compared to national avg.
Average Salary Two Years Out of School
$38K
Vs. National Avg.
-6%
salary Rank
#331
professors
Not Very Good
Compared to national avg.
Professor Rating
C+
Vs. National Avg.
-8%
professors Rank
#348
students
Below Average
Compared to national avg.
Diversity Rating
C+
Vs. National Avg.
-2%
students Rank
#277
EDUCATION DEGREES
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
Education is an incredibly in-demand college subject. A typical concentration gives out 6,156 yearly undergrad degrees; 88,927 students were awarded four-year degrees in education last spring, making it the United States' 6th most popular focus. 2,853 of those degrees were conferred by Western Governors University, which proudly has the largest program in America, and 5,598 of those degrees were earned at schools in California.
Bachelor's degrees in education are available at 1,389 institutions nationwide; therefore, it will potentially not be easy to find the right program for you. There are 7.2 institutions offering undergrad degrees in education for every school offering the average degree, making it the 5th most widely offered U.S. subject.
GRADUATE DEGREES
While 35% of degrees in education last spring were undergrad degrees; 65% were grad degrees. Education is the most popular advanced degree in the US, with 163,766 degrees granted. For context, grad degrees in education are 59 times more popular among postgraduate students than the average subject.
In Total, 252,693 students received a bachelor's or higher in education last May.
ONLINE EDUCATION DEGREES
61,354 of those 252,693 students (24.3%) were conferred their degrees fully online - 7,205 undergraduates and 54,149 master's or doctor's students. As you can presumably see, education is a hugely in-demand online undergraduate major. It's presently the 5th most popular online major with 15 times the nation's average of 481 undergrads per major. For postgrad students, it ranks #1, with 87.9 times the average number of postgrads per discipline (481).
Western Governors University conferred more online undergraduate degrees in education than any other college in the country (2,853). Last fall, 98,630 undergraduate students were enrolled in the institution online, 100% of their students. They offer 30 online subjects. That's 100% of their courses.
Furthermore, Colleges from Utah granted the most online undergrad degrees in education last spring (2,853). By itself, Utah accounts for 40% of the area of study's online students.
8.1% of all undergrad degrees in education are completed via remote programs, (33.1% for grad degrees). 17.43% of Ottawa University-Phoenix's last undergraduate class majored in education remote, higher than any other institution in the US. 21 students in their 122 student class were conferred an online four-year degree in education. They offer 33 degrees entirely online, and had 319 enrolled online undergraduate students last fall. That's 82% of the student body.
Four-year degrees in education are available completely online at 207 institutions coast-to-coast, making it the 5th most widely offered online American major. In the region of 1 in 7 colleges with the degree even have an online option, and 43% of the schools awarding the degree remotely are public. The other 57% are private. Florida heads up the nation in providing online choices, with 19 of the programs headquartered there.
If you desire to study education fully online, you may want to apply to the University of Central Florida, as it has the 14th best education program in the country. They also have an additional 46 degrees online, so you will be able to sample classes inside another major. Furthermore, 7,588 online college students study at the school, which is 13% of their student body.
PARTIALLY ONLINE EDUCATION DEGREES
- 22,457 students received an undergraduate degree in education partially online last spring
- Education is the 5th most commonly offered partially online four-year degree in the nation
- Last spring, 42,305 students received a bachelor's or higher in education partially online
- The University of the Southwest's last undergraduate class had the most dense population of partially online education majors in the United States of America (25.96%)
- 163,766 students earned partially online graduate degrees in education last May
- The average course of study is available at roughly 154 institutions partially online
IN-PERSON EDUCATION DEGREES
- Last May, 59,162 students earned undergrad degrees in education in-person
- 127 colleges coast-to-coast have a four-year degree in education comprehensively in-person
- Last year, 148,843 people were conferred a bachelor's or higher in education in-person
- 72.74% of Martin Luther College's last undergraduate class studied education in-person, higher than any other institution in the USA
- New York is home to 10 colleges offering four-year degrees entirely in-person in education, more than any other state
- On average, each subject had around 4,293 in-person bachelor's degrees last May
EDUCATION OVERVIEW
An Education degree from an online accredited college helps you explore fields in education besides teaching. As an educator, you can enjoy lucrative careers like:
- Education Consultant
- Education Administrator
- Career Advisers
- School Principals
- Education Directors
- Occupational Therapy
- Social Work
- School Superintendent
Picking an education program is also a safe option if you change direction and move to other industries that value communication and analytical skills.
An education degree from online schools gives you transferable skillsets like:
- Effective oral and written communication
- Management, and
- Research and problem-solving skills.
You’ll learn theoretical and applied courses that help you explore fundamental questions about society and human behavior.
The BLS shows Occupational Therapy as one of the fastest-growing careers in education. It estimates a 17% growth in job openings between 2020 to 2030.
We can say the same about other roles in education. BLS stats show how educators will always be highly-demanded even when the economy stalls. There’s always a need to educate and nurture young minds.
Education is a constantly-evolving sector with room for more teachers and educators. You can enjoy job security and flexible work schedules with your education degree in an online accredited college.
Most educators earn median salaries of $60,000 to $90,000, depending on their experience levels and position. Some job openings only require a Bachelor’s degree, but you’d need a master’s and teaching experience to get higher-paying roles like School Principal or Superintendent.
Keep reading to discover online accredited schools with the best education programs in the country.
Top 25 Best Online Colleges for Education
Search for the best Education online colleges according to your filter parameters.
B+
Rating
#1 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, MN | www.mlc-wels.edu/
A−
Rating
#2 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Scottsdale, AZ | www.asu.edu/
A
Rating
#3 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL | www.ucf.edu/
A+
Rating
#4 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA | www.harvard.edu/
A+
Rating
#5 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL | www.ufl.edu/
A−
Rating
#6 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Northeastern University Lifelong Learning Network
Boston, MA | https://www.northeastern.edu/learnforlife/
A+
Rating
#7 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA | www.upenn.edu/
A−
Rating
#8 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Pacific Oaks College
Pasadena, CA | https://www.pacificoaks.edu/
A+
Rating
#9 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD | www.jhu.edu/
A+
Rating
#10 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
New York University
New York, NY | www.nyu.edu/
B+
Rating
#11 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC | www.appstate.edu/
C
Rating
#12 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT | www.wgu.edu/
A
Rating
#13 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Averett University-Non-Traditional Programs
Danville, VA | https://gps.averett.edu/
A
Rating
#14 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL | www.usf.edu/
A+
Rating
#15 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA | https://www.virginia.edu/
A−
Rating
#16 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO | https://missouri.edu/
A−
Rating
#17 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Endicott College
Beverly, MA | www.endicott.edu/
A+
Rating
#18 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA | www.usc.edu/
B
Rating
#19 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Excelsior College
Albany, NY | www.excelsior.edu/
B
Rating
#20 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
The University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL | uwf.edu/
A+
Rating
#21 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC | www.ncsu.edu/
A−
Rating
#22 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
St. Joseph's College-New York
Brooklyn, NY | www.sjcny.edu/
A+
Rating
#23 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI | www.wisc.edu/
A−
Rating
#24 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
Clarkson College
Omaha, NE | www.clarksoncollege.edu/
A+
Rating
#25 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Education
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN | https://twin-cities.umn.edu/