Best Online Education Programs 2026: MAT and M.Ed. Compared
Jump to a section 8 sections
- Seven online teaching master’s programs and what their graduates earned
- Scorecard’s figures describe past graduates, not your result
- A teaching master’s is a license decision first
- What the jobs pay: BLS May 2025 wages
- Four checks before you apply
- Three ways to cut the cost
- Frequently asked questions
- Next step: see what federal loans leave you to cover
For 2026, seven online teaching master’s programs have College Scorecard records you can compare: Western Governors University (WGU), American College of Education (ACE), Arizona State, the University of Florida, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), Drexel and the University of Phoenix. Five offer a route to a first teaching license; two are built for people already in education.
Recommended next step
Check whether a teaching degree pays off for you
Pick elementary teacher, high school teacher or school counselor, enter your pay and the program's tuition, and see your break-even year using BLS May 2025 pay. About a minute, no sign-up.
Run the ROI calculatorWhere Scorecard publishes figures, graduates’ median earnings ran from $59,122 to $66,003 four years after finishing, and median federal debt from $20,443 to $44,464. Elementary teachers earned a median $63,970 and high school teachers $72,040 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The license is the credential that lets you teach in a public school, and your state issues it. Choose the license route first, then the program.
Seven online teaching master’s programs and what their graduates earned
We picked these seven as examples of online teaching master’s programs at schools that report the matching field to College Scorecard. It is an editorial selection, not a ranking. The license column reflects what each school’s program page states.
| School | Program | Leads to a first license? | In-person parts | Fully online in Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Governors University | MA, Teaching | Yes | Ask about classroom placement | Yes |
| American College of Education | Master in Secondary Teaching | Yes, secondary | Student teaching | Yes |
| Arizona State University | M.Ed., Elementary Education, Teacher Certification | Yes | Daytime internship or student teaching | Yes |
| University of Florida | M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction (educational technology) | No | None stated | Yes |
| Southern New Hampshire University | M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction | No, for current educators | None stated | Some credentials |
| Drexel University | MS, Teaching, Learning and Curriculum | Yes, Pennsylvania | Field experience at an approved district near you | Some credentials |
| University of Phoenix | MA, Elementary Teacher Education | Yes; state rules vary | At least 12 weeks of full-time clinical practice | Yes |
The outcomes table below reads College Scorecard’s June 2026 field-of-study file for the education master’s field each program falls under. Scorecard publishes no earnings or debt for WGU’s or ACE’s graduates in the matching field, and no debt figure for SNHU’s.
| School | Program | Scorecard field | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt | Graduates, 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Florida | M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction | Curriculum and Instruction (master's) | $66,003 | $29,111 | 80 |
| Southern New Hampshire University | M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction | Education, General (master's) | $63,714 | Not published | 52 |
| Drexel University | MS, Teaching, Learning and Curriculum | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (master's) | $62,786 | $44,464 | 60 |
| Arizona State University | M.Ed., Elementary Education, Teacher Certification | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (master's) | $59,557 | $20,443 | 92 |
| University of Phoenix | MA, Elementary Teacher Education | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (master's) | $59,122 | $27,291 | 213 |
| Western Governors University | MA, Teaching | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (master's) | Not published | Not published | 1,308 |
| American College of Education | Master in Secondary Teaching | Curriculum and Instruction (master's) | Not published | Not published | 632 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data updated June 10, 2026. Earnings and debt cover every graduate of that field and credential at the school, online and on campus together, so they describe the school's graduates, not what any one student will earn. Earnings are the median for graduates working and not enrolled four years after finishing (2017-18 and 2018-19 graduates, in 2024 dollars); debt is the median federal loan debt of graduates (2018-19 and 2019-20); "Not published" means Scorecard suppresses the figure for a small cohort. Scorecard pages: University of Florida, Southern New Hampshire University, Drexel University, Arizona State University, University of Phoenix, Western Governors University, American College of Education.
Where the fully online flag says yes, the student teaching and field experience in the first table still apply.
Scorecard’s figures describe past graduates, not your result
Scorecard is the most consistent public source for comparing schools on pay and borrowing. It helps to know exactly what each number covers.
- Earnings are the median pay of graduates who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. They cover 2017-18 and 2018-19 graduates, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt is the median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS) of 2018-19 and 2019-20 graduates. Private loans and money paid out of pocket are not in it.
- Scope is every graduate of that field and credential at the school, online and on campus together. It is not a figure for the online program alone.
- Fully online is the school’s own report of whether all, some or none of its credentials in that field can be finished entirely by distance education.
- “Not published” means Scorecard withheld the figure, usually because the group of graduates is small.
The figures leave out current tuition, how long students take to finish, and what any one student will earn. The outcomes table sorts rows by median earnings because Scorecard publishes that figure for most rows. A higher number does not make a program better for you: the mix of jobs graduates take, where they live and who enrolls all move a school’s median.
A teaching master’s is a license decision first
BLS, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. Department of Labor agency that publishes pay and job outlook figures for each occupation. says public school teachers must have a state-issued license or certification. A master’s degree on its own does not give you one.
- Career changers without a license need an initial-licensure program: a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) or a certification-track Master of Education (M.Ed.), like the WGU, ACE, Arizona State, Drexel and Phoenix programs above.
- Licensed teachers usually want a post-license M.Ed. for a specialty, a leadership role or a higher step on the district pay scale, like the Florida and SNHU programs.
- Alternative routes exist in every state for people with a bachelor’s but no education coursework, per BLS. Some let you teach under supervision while you finish.
Moving states later is possible, but not automatic
The Interstate Agreement of NASDTEC (the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification) helps licensed educators earn a license in another member state.
NASDTEC itself says it is not a set of two-way agreements and does not guarantee that every certificate will be accepted. Receiving states can add their own tests or coursework, so check the rules of any state you might move to.
What the jobs pay: BLS May 2025 wages
These are national BLS wages for May 2025. Teacher pay in a given district also follows its own salary schedule, which you can usually find on the district’s website.
| Job | Lowest 10% earn under | Median | Top 10% earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| K-12 education administrators (11-9032) | $76,280 | $105,870 | $167,770 |
| Instructional coordinators (25-9031) | $47,980 | $77,440 | $121,670 |
| High school teachers (25-2031) | $48,780 | $72,040 | $107,600 |
| Special education teachers, K and elementary (25-2052) | $49,350 | $65,120 | $103,010 |
| Middle school teachers (25-2022) | $48,080 | $64,370 | $102,540 |
| Elementary school teachers (25-2021) | $47,960 | $63,970 | $104,340 |
Four checks before you apply
-
Decide: first license or post-license
If you do not hold a teaching license, only an initial-licensure program gets you into a public classroom. Ask the school to confirm it in writing.
-
Confirm your state accepts it
Check your state education department’s list of approved preparation programs and its rules for programs based in other states.
-
Ask how student teaching works
Find out where you would student teach, for how long, and whether you can keep your job during it. Phoenix, for example, lists at least 12 weeks of full-time clinical practice.
-
Price it with this year's tuition
Scorecard debt is not the price. Get the current tuition and fees, including any student teaching fee, then subtract any district or employer benefit.
Three ways to cut the cost
TEACH Grants. Federal TEACH Grants pay up to $4,000 a year for students in eligible programs who agree to teach a high-need field at a low-income school for four years within eight years of finishing. Awards first disbursed before October 1, 2026 are reduced to $3,772 by sequestration. If you do not finish the service, the grant becomes a loan with interest.
Federal loans. Graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 a year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Grad PLUS loans are no longer available to new borrowers after July 1, 2026, per Federal Student Aid, and Pell Grants do not cover graduate study. The Grad Loan Gap Check shows what those loans cover of a program’s yearly cost and the gap left.
District or employer help. Up to $5,250 a year of employer-paid education can be tax-free under IRS Section 127. Ask your district whether it reimburses graduate coursework.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a teaching license with an online degree?
Yes, if the program is an initial-licensure program your state accepts. You will still complete student teaching or an internship in a real school, and pass your state’s required tests.
What is the difference between an MAT and an M.Ed.?
An MAT usually prepares career changers for a first license. An M.Ed. is often for licensed teachers adding a specialty or moving toward leadership, though some M.Ed. programs, like Arizona State’s certification track, also lead to a first license.
Will a master’s raise my teacher pay?
It depends on the district. BLS notes that some states require teachers to earn a master’s after they are certified and hired, and each district’s salary schedule sets what a master’s adds. Read your district’s published schedule before you weigh it against tuition.
Next step: see what federal loans leave you to cover
Shortlist two or three programs from the tables, then get this year’s tuition from each, with any student teaching fee. Put the yearly cost into the Grad Loan Gap Check to see what federal loans cover and the gap left before you commit to one.
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Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data (updated June 10, 2026)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (25-2021)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Middle School Teachers (25-2022)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary (25-2052)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Instructional Coordinators (25-9031)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary (11-9032)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
- NASDTEC Interstate Agreement
- 34 CFR 668.14(b)(32), program licensure requirements by state (eCFR)
- Federal Student Aid, TEACH Grants
- Federal Student Aid, OBBBA loan limit definitions (updated Aug. 24, 2026)
- Arizona State University Online, M.Ed. in Elementary Education, Teacher Certification
- Drexel University School of Education, MS in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum with Pennsylvania certification
- University of Phoenix, MA in Elementary Teacher Education
- American College of Education, Master in Secondary Teaching
- IRS Publication 5993, employer educational assistance
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