Key takeaway: 1,891 of the 2,817 institutions in our directory that offer fully online programs report education completions to the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS CIP 13). The most important distinction in online education degrees is whether a program leads to teacher licensure in your state. Licensure programs include in-person student teaching and must be approved for your state; non-licensure programs serve current teachers and people working in education outside the classroom. The schools below are ordered by BOC Score.
Education degrees are offered online at every level, from bachelor’s programs for future teachers to master’s programs for licensed teachers and doctorates for administrators. Start by deciding whether you need a license, then check that the program leads to one where you live.
Schools to Compare
These accredited institutions report education completions and at least one program completable entirely online. Ranked by BOC Score within that group.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$124,080
Avg net price
$13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 100
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
11%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,446
Avg net price
$13,481/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 127
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,588
Avg net price
$6,541/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 172
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
8%
Graduation rate
95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$89,718
Avg net price
$13,370/yr
TuitionIn‑state$64,144
Out‑of‑state$64,144
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 78
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
9%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$82,511
Avg net price
$12,548/yr
TuitionIn‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 161
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$83,648
Avg net price
$13,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 206
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$91,885
Avg net price
$14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 99%
- Programs offered: 105
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
27%
Graduation rate
87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$84,943
Avg net price
$12,470/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,758
Out‑of‑state$50,958
Key stats
- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 133
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$76,310
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,200
Avg net price
$11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 117
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$91,565
Avg net price
$15,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 96%
- Programs offered: 157
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Two IPEDS fields produced this list: completions reported under the education CIP family (CIP 13) and the distance education program flag from the Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024). Those fields confirm that a school awards education degrees and runs fully online programs. They do not confirm that a specific education program is offered online or that it leads to licensure in your state. Check the school’s catalog and its state licensure disclosures before you apply.
Licensure or non-licensure
- Licensure programs. For people who want to become certified teachers. They include supervised student teaching in a school, which is done in person even when coursework is online, and they must be approved to lead to licensure in the state where you plan to teach. Schools are required to disclose whether an online program meets licensure requirements in each state.
- Non-licensure programs. For licensed teachers adding a master’s, and for people working in instructional design, training, higher education, or education policy. These are commonly completed fully online.
Pick the specialty
The online education degree guide covers the field as a whole.
What to check in an online education program
- State licensure disclosure. Find the school’s page listing which states the program leads to licensure in. If your state is not listed, the program may not qualify you to teach there.
- Student teaching placement. Ask whether the school places you in a school near you and how long the placement lasts.
- Programmatic accreditation. The programmatic accreditors for educator preparation are CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) and AAQEP (Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation). State approval is what licensure depends on, so check both.
- Credit for current teaching. Some master’s programs are designed around your classroom and count projects done in your own school. Ask how practicum requirements work for working teachers.
- Outcomes. Use the graduation, retention, and earnings figures on each card, which come from College Scorecard and IPEDS.
Quick Answers
Can you become a teacher with an online degree?
Yes, if the program is approved to lead to licensure in your state. Licensure programs include in-person student teaching even when coursework is online, and you must also meet your state’s testing and background requirements.
How many online colleges offer education degrees?
In our directory, 1,891 institutions with fully online programs report education completions (IPEDS CIP 13). Confirm which education programs each school offers online and where they lead to licensure.
What is a non-licensure education master’s?
A graduate degree that does not by itself lead to a teaching license. It is designed for licensed teachers deepening their practice and for people in education roles outside the classroom, such as instructional design or training.
Next steps
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completions survey (CIP 13 education) and Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024) distance education program flags (DISTPGS); directory counts as of the September 2026 data refresh.
