Best Value Master’s in Teaching Programs by State 2026

Q: Do I need a master's degree to become a teacher?

A master's degree is not generally required for initial teacher licensure. A bachelor's degree is the typical minimum for standard public-school teacher licensure, although preparation, assessment, and other requirements vary by state, credential, and pathway. People who already hold a bachelor's degree may pursue a master's program leading to initial licensure, a post-baccalaureate program, or an alternative certification pathway. Costs and completion times vary by program. Some school districts also provide higher salary placement for qualifying graduate degrees or credits, but compensation policies and eligibility rules are determined locally.

Q: What will one of these programs cost me in total?

The total cost of a teacher-preparation program can include more than tuition. Prospective students should consider the required number of credits, tuition per credit, program and technology fees, background checks, required assessments, licensing application fees, books and materials, and other program-specific expenses. Clinical practice or student teaching can also affect the total financial cost, particularly when it requires substantial daytime availability or limits a student's ability to maintain outside employment. Requirements and costs vary by state and program, so candidates should request a complete cost estimate before enrolling.

Q: Is CAEP accreditation required for me to get a teaching license?

CAEP accreditation is not itself a universal national requirement for teacher licensure. Teacher-preparation program approval and licensing requirements are established by individual states, and the role of CAEP, AAQEP, or other accreditation can vary by jurisdiction and program. Prospective students should confirm that a specific program is approved or otherwise accepted by the licensing agency in the state where they intend to become licensed rather than relying on accreditation status alone.

Q: Can I earn a teaching license entirely online?

Many teacher-preparation programs offer academic coursework online, but initial licensure pathways commonly include supervised clinical or classroom experience that must be completed in an appropriate educational setting. The required amount and structure of clinical experience vary by state, pathway, and credential. Students considering an online program should confirm both that the program meets the licensing requirements of the state where they plan to teach and that it can arrange or approve required field placements in their location.

Q: Does the degree name, MAT or MEd or MSEd, affect my license?

The degree title alone does not determine eligibility for teacher licensure. Universities may use titles such as MAT, MEd, or MSEd for programs with different purposes and requirements. What matters for initial licensure is whether the specific program and concentration meet the requirements for the credential, subject, and grade level sought in the state where the candidate intends to become licensed. A university may offer both licensure and non-licensure programs with similar degree titles, so prospective students should verify the status of the specific program with the institution and applicable state licensing agency.

Edited by Salpy Baharian, M.Ed, Last Updated: September 11, 2026

The best value master's in teaching programs combine a low cost per credit with a state-approved path to your first teaching license. In-state public options in this guide start under $200 per credit, and private programs typically run higher. Cost per credit, not total sticker price, is the number to compare.

Featured Programs:

Who These Programs Are For

Master's-level initial preparation programs serve a specific person: someone who earned a bachelor's degree, spent time working in that field, and now wants to teach the subject rather than practice it. You are not starting over. Your content knowledge is the reason a program will take you, and in shortage subjects like math, chemistry, and special education it is the reason districts will want you.

What you are missing is the pedagogy, the supervised classroom hours, and the license. That is what these programs supply. Most run 10 months to two years, most build in a student teaching placement, and many are structured for people holding down a job while they study, with evening classes, cohort scheduling, or online coursework.

Be clear-eyed about one thing. A master's is a more expensive route to a first license than an alternative certification program or a post-baccalaureate certificate. What you get for the money is a graduate degree in hand at the start, which may qualify you for a higher salary lane depending on your district's policy, rather than one you go back for later.

What "Best Value" Means on This List

Value here means the lowest cost per credit among programs that clear two bars: specialized accreditation, and a published entrance exam requirement. Both are explained in the sections below.

We compare cost per credit rather than total program cost. Programs differ in concentration, credit load, and term length, so total cost compares a 30-credit program against a 45-credit one and tells you nothing useful. Cost per credit holds the comparison steady. Where a school publishes only a per-semester rate, we converted it using the 12-credit load that counts as full time for most graduate students.

Public and private institutions are averaged and compared separately, because their funding structures make a direct comparison meaningless. A private program at $500 per credit may be well below its state's private average while sitting far above every public option in the same state. Where two programs in the same category came out close enough that neither was clearly the better value, both are listed.

On the tuition figures. Every cost per credit below comes from the school's published graduate rate at the time of our program survey. Graduate tuition changes most academic years, and online, in-state, and out-of-state rates often move independently of each other. Treat these numbers as a starting point for narrowing your list, then confirm the current rate with the school's graduate admissions office before you apply.

Accreditation and What It Actually Affects

Two different approvals matter here, and prospective teachers mix them up constantly.

State program approval is the one that governs your license. Each state's educator-licensing agency approves the preparation programs whose graduates it will license. If a program is not approved in the state where you plan to teach, finishing it does not get you a license there. This is the approval to verify first, and you verify it with the state, not the school.

Specialized accreditation is a separate, voluntary quality review. The main body is the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), formed in 2013 when two earlier accreditors, NCATE and TEAC, merged. A second recognized accreditor, the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), also reviews preparation programs. Both are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Specialized accreditation is common but it is not required, in any state, for you to be licensed. A state-approved program without CAEP or AAQEP accreditation can still lead to a license. What accreditation gives you is an outside review of things you cannot easily assess from a program website: how the curriculum is built, how faculty are hired and evaluated, and what the field placements are actually like. That is why we used it as a filter for this list.

You will see NCATE and TEAC named in the entries below, because that is what our survey recorded. Those are historical accreditations rather than current ones. CAEP reports that no programs remain in transition under either body: they have since earned CAEP accreditation, withdrawn, or let accreditation lapse. Historical NCATE or TEAC accreditation is not the same as holding current CAEP or AAQEP accreditation, and the difference has to be checked school by school. Neither substitutes for confirming that a program is approved for licensure in your state.

Entrance Exams and Why We Used Them as a Filter

You will not learn in a vacuum. Most master's-level preparation programs are cohort-based, which means the same group of people moves through every course with you, and the level those people are working at shapes what your instructors can ask of the class. A program that screens applicants with a standardized exam is a program where the floor is set somewhere.

Every program on this list requires at least one of the following. Fees change, so confirm the current cost with the testing service.

Exam	What it measures	Fee	Where it turns up
GRE	Verbal and quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, analytical writing	$205	General graduate admission, used by programs across every state
Praxis Core	Reading, mathematics, and writing at the level teacher preparation requires	$150	Designed for teacher preparation specifically, and required for licensure in some states
State testing requirements	Set by each state, and not always a single exam. Several states let applicants satisfy basic-skills requirements through approved coursework or a combination of exams instead. California is one example.	Varies	Examples include WEST-B, CBEST, VCLA, MTEL, GACE, MTTC, and OGET. These structures change, so confirm the current requirement with the state rather than relying on a program's older published list.
Other accepted exams	General academic or subject-specific reasoning	Varies	GMAT, SAT, or ACT at some schools, plus subject exams such as ACTFL for world languages

The Praxis Core deserves a note. Unlike the GRE, it was built by and for teacher preparation programs, and the faculty who will teach you may have contributed questions to it or served on the committees that developed it. It is administered in three sections, which you can take in one sitting or across three separate days. Which sections you need varies by state and by school, and in several states passing it is a licensure requirement rather than only an admission one, so the exam does double duty.

Two cautions on state testing. Scores rarely transfer, so a passing result in Washington does not satisfy Virginia. And the requirement may not be a single test at all, because several states now accept qualifying coursework or a combination of exams in place of one basic-skills assessment. Check what the state you intend to teach in currently requires before you pay for anything.

Which Master's Degree Leads to a First License

The credential names on this list vary more than the programs behind them do. MAT, MEd, MSEd, MS, MA, MIC, MAC: schools use different labels for programs that produce the same license and often the same coursework. Do not read the letters as a ranking.

Credential	Full name	Usual emphasis
MAT	Master of Arts in Teaching	The most common initial-licensure label. Weighted toward classroom practice and field experience.
MEd	Master of Education	Used for both initial licensure and advanced study for licensed teachers. Check which version a program is.
MSEd / MS	Master of Science in Education	Often signals a research or content-area emphasis, particularly in special education and STEM fields.
MA	Master of Arts	Typically a content-area master's with a licensure track attached.

The question that matters is not which letters you end up with. It is whether the specific program, in the specific concentration and grade band you want, is approved for initial licensure in your state. A school can offer an MEd that licenses you and an MEd that does not, in the same department, and the difference will not be obvious from the degree name.

How to Compare Cost Per Credit Without Getting Burned

A low per-credit rate is the start of the calculation, not the end of it. Five things move the real number:

Credits required. A $500 program at 30 credits costs less than a $400 program at 45. Get the credit count for your concentration, not the department's minimum.
Which rate applies to you. Many schools charge a third rate for online study that sits between in-state and out-of-state. Some charge online students the same rate regardless of residency, which is what makes a handful of these programs viable from anywhere.
Fees outside tuition. Technology fees, program fees, background checks, licensure application fees, and the exams themselves. On a 30-credit program these routinely add several hundred dollars.
The student teaching semester. Full-time supervised placements are usually unpaid, and most of them are not compatible with a full-time job. Budget for lost income, which for many career changers is the largest single cost of the whole route.
State alignment. A cheaper program is not a better value if its approval does not extend to the state where you want to teach. Verify this before cost enters the decision at all.

What Teachers Earn and How Many Positions Open

Cost is one half of a value calculation. Here is the other half, at the national level.

Occupation	Median annual wage	Projected change, 2024-2034	Average annual openings
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	$62,680	-1.7%	12,800
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$63,970	-2.0%	91,000
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$64,370	-2.0%	40,500
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$72,040	-1.6%	66,200

These are the 2024-2034 Projections Central figures, which are not the newest outlook available: the Bureau of Labor Statistics has since moved its Occupational Outlook Handbook to a 2025-2035 projection period. Read the two right-hand columns together, because separately they mislead. Employment in core K-12 teaching is projected to shrink slightly, about 1.6% to 2.0% across the 2024-2034 period. Over that same period it estimates roughly 91,000 elementary teaching positions opening every year, plus another 66,200 at the secondary level. That demand is replacement rather than expansion: teachers retiring, changing schools, and leaving the profession. For someone deciding whether there will be a job, replacement demand at that scale is the number that answers the question.

Pay varies far more by state and district than these national medians suggest, and your state's figures are the ones worth looking up before you commit to a program.

State-by-State Guide to the Best Value Master's Programs

Each entry lists the concentrations available, the entrance exam the program requires, the published cost per credit, and how that rate compares to the state average for its category. Programs marked (PU) are public and (PR) are private. If you want the same programs ranked on quality rather than price, our top picks for initial teacher certification master's programs covers a different cut of the same field.

Alabama

Troy University (PU)

Troy University logo

College of Education
Troy, AL
Website

MSEd

Art Education P-12 (on-campus)
Biology Education 6-12 (on-campus)
Collaborative/Special Education 6-12 (on-campus)
Early Childhood Education P-3 (on-campus, online)
Elementary Education K-6 (on-campus)
English/Language Arts Education 6-12 (on-campus)
General Science Education 6-12 (on-campus)
History Education 6-12 (on-campus)
Instructional Leadership and Administration, Education Specialist P-12 (on-campus, online)
Mathematics 6-12 (on-campus, online)
Music Education, Choral P-12 (on-campus)
Music Education, Instrumental Alternative P-12 (on-campus)
Physical Education P-12 (on-campus)
Social Science Education 6-12 (on-campus)

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $425 (in-state), $495 (online), $850 (out-of-state)

$9 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

On-campus programs run through Troy's Dothan, Montgomery, Phenix City, and Troy locations
15:1 student-to-faculty ratio

Troy's MSEd covers more grade bands and content areas than almost any other program in Alabama, which matters if you want to teach a subject the smaller programs do not offer. The cost per credit sits just below the state average for public institutions, and four campus locations plus online delivery in early childhood, mathematics, and instructional leadership give you options if you cannot relocate. The out-of-state rate is double the in-state rate, so this is a program that pays off for Alabama residents.

University of North Alabama (PU)

University of North Alabama logo

College of Education and Human Sciences
Florence, AL
Website

MAEd (on-campus)

Biology (6-12)
Business Marketing (6-12)
Chemistry (6-12)
English Language Arts (6-12)
ESOL (P-12)
General Science (P-12)
General Social Studies (6-12)
History (6-12)
Mathematics (6-12)
Music Choral (P-12)
Music Instrumental (P-12)
Physical Education (P-12)
Spanish (6-12)

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $370 (in-state), $740 (out-of-state)

$64 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Research opportunities through the Education Research and Inservice Center
Academic advising, tutoring, and writing support available to graduate students

At $64 below the state average for public institutions, North Alabama is one of the cheapest routes to a first license in the state. The university was the first state-supported teachers college south of the Ohio River, and it still runs a laboratory school, the Kilby Laboratory School, alongside the Education Research and Inservice Center. The MAEd is on-campus only, so this one works if you are in or near Florence.

Jacksonville State University (PU)

Jacksonville State University logo

School of Education
Jacksonville, AL
Website

MSEd (hybrid)

Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Special Education, Collaborative Setting K-12
Special Education, Collaborative Setting K-6 and 6-12

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $400 (in-state), $800 (out-of-state)

$34 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Clinical experiences built on JSU's co-teaching model
18:1 student-to-faculty ratio

Jacksonville State narrows its focus to early childhood, elementary, and special education, and builds the whole program around co-teaching. The School of Education founded its Co-Teaching Institute in 2012, and its clinical placements put you alongside a cooperating teacher rather than in front of a class alone. If you are heading toward a collaborative or inclusion setting, that structure is the reason to look here.

Alabama State University (PU)

Alabama State University logo

College of Education
Montgomery, AL
Website

MEd

Early Childhood (on-campus, online)
Elementary Education (on-campus, online)
English/Language Arts 6-12 (on-campus)
History Education 6-12 (on-campus)
Mathematics 6-12 (on-campus)
Music P-12 (on-campus)
Social Science 6-12 (on-campus)
Special Education/Collaborative Teacher K-6 (on-campus)
Special Education/Collaborative Teacher 6-12 (on-campus)

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $412 (in-state), $824 (out-of-state)

$24 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Teacher preparation programs offered since 1867
Early childhood and elementary MEd available on-campus or online

The College of Education is Alabama State's oldest and largest college, and it has been preparing teachers since 1867. Its partnerships with Montgomery-area schools are where student teaching placements come from, and the early childhood and elementary tracks are available online if you need to keep working. The rate sits modestly below the state average for public institutions.

Auburn University at Montgomery (PU)

Auburn University at Montgomery logo

College of Education
Montgomery, AL
Website

MEd (hybrid)

Elementary and Early Childhood Education P-6
Collaborative Teacher K-6
Collaborative Teacher 6-12
Early Childhood Special Education P-3
English/Language Arts 6-12
General Science 6-12
Social Science 6-12
Mathematics 6-12
History 6-12
Biology 6-12
Art 6-12
Physical Education

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $409 (in-state), $919 (out-of-state)

$25 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Hybrid delivery across all MEd concentrations
17:1 student-to-faculty ratio

Every MEd concentration here runs hybrid, which is the practical difference between this program and Alabama State's mostly on-campus offering at a similar price. Clinical placements come through partnerships with more than 150 area schools and organizations. Auburn at Montgomery was named among regional public universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report in 2018 and among the best colleges in the Southeast by the Princeton Review.

Alabama A&M University (PU)

Alabama A&M University logo

College of Education, Humanities, and Behavioral Sciences
Huntsville, AL
Website

MEd (on-campus)

Elementary Education K-6
Biology 6-12
English Language Arts 6-12
Family and Consumer Sciences 6-12
General Science 6-12
General Social Science 6-12
Mathematics 6-12
Music, Choral P-12
Music, Instrumental P-12
Special Education Collaborative Teaching K-6
Special Education Collaborative Teaching 6-12

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $422 (in-state), $840 (out-of-state)

$12 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

More than 50 student organizations and an active alumni network
Job placement support through Career Development Services

Alabama A&M's MEd is the Huntsville option, which puts you in reach of the Madison County and Huntsville City districts for placements. The cost per credit is a little under the state average for public institutions. Career Development Services runs seminar courses, resume reviews, and mock interviews, which are worth using if this is your first time job-hunting in education rather than in your previous field.

Alaska

Alaska Pacific University (PR)

Alaska Pacific University logo

Anchorage, AK
Website

MS in Outdoor and Environmental Education (on-campus)

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $650

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Immersive study at APU's Kellogg campus in Palmer
Small cohort model

This is the most unusual program on the list. APU's MS in Outdoor and Environmental Education leads to initial certification in elementary education, and much of the coursework happens at the Kellogg campus in Palmer, which includes an outdoor education lab school. The cohort is small. If you want an elementary license and your background is in science, ecology, or outdoor education, there is nothing else structured like it.

University of Alaska Southeast (PU)

University of Alaska Southeast logo

College of Education
Juneau, AK
Website

MAT

Elementary Education K-8 (online)
Secondary and Middle Grades Education 6-12 (on-campus, online)
Special Education (online)

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $489 (in-state), $1,028 (out-of-state)

$12 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

On-campus and online delivery
Placements available in both urban and rural Alaska districts

UAS runs its MAT through the University of Alaska's College of Education, which coordinates teacher preparation across the UA system. Two of the three tracks are fully online, and the internships include rural placements, which is the training that actually prepares you for a village school. Alaska has persistent teacher shortages in rural districts, so a license earned here has somewhere to go.

Arkansas

Harding University (PR)

Harding University logo

Cannon-Clary College of Education
Searcy, AR
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Elementary K-6
Middle Level 4-8: Language Arts, Math, Science, or Social Studies
Drama 7-12
English 7-12
Family and Consumer Science 7-12
Life Sciences 7-12
Mathematics 7-12
Physical Science 7-12
Social Sciences 7-12
Speech 7-12
Art K-12
Drama/Speech K-12
Foreign Language K-12
Music, vocal or instrumental, K-12
Kinesiology and Health K-12
Special Education K-12
Early Childhood/Special Education Integrated

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $491

$58 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Available at the Searcy campus and at the North Little Rock and Rogers campuses
International campuses in Zambia, Australia, Chile, England, France, Greece, and Italy

Harding's MAT has the widest concentration list of any private program in Arkansas, including several K-12 licenses that the state's public programs do not offer. Three Arkansas campus locations make it workable from Little Rock or northwest Arkansas as well as Searcy. The rate is below the state private average, though still well above every public option in Arkansas.

John Brown University (PR)

John Brown University logo

Graduate Education
Siloam Springs, AR
Website

MAT (hybrid)

Grades 4-8: Math, English, Social Studies, or Science
Grades 4-12: Computer Science
Grades K-12: Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, Art, Drama/Speech, Physical Education and Health, or Foreign Languages
Grades 7-12: English, Math, Social Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physical Science, Physics/Mathematics, Drama, or Speech
Career Education 7-12: Business Technology, Agriculture Science and Technology, Family and Consumer Science, or Industrial Technology

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $460

$89 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Recognized as a top regional university by U.S. News & World Report
Hybrid delivery combines synchronous online study with evening classes at the JBU Rogers Center

JBU is the cheapest private option in Arkansas and the only one on this list with a career and technical education track, which is worth knowing if your background is in business, agriculture, or industrial technology. The hybrid format runs synchronous online sessions plus evening courses at the Rogers Center, so northwest Arkansas residents can finish this without leaving a job. Founded in 1919, JBU is a Christian university, and the curriculum reflects that.

Henderson State University (PU)

Henderson State University logo

Department of Advanced Instructional Studies
Arkadelphia, AR
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Teaching Grades 4-8
Teaching Grades 7-12
Special Education K-12
Elementary Education K-6

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $281 (in-state), $351 (out-of-state)

$26 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

K-12 and secondary educator programs recognized in Arkansas and nationally
Small cohorts with direct faculty contact

Henderson State has the narrowest out-of-state penalty of any program in this guide: $351 against an in-state rate of $281, a difference of $70 per credit where most public universities charge double or triple. If you are moving to Arkansas or studying from a neighboring state, that gap is the finding. The MAT is on-campus in Arkadelphia and covers the four broad licensure bands rather than individual subjects.

Southern Arkansas University (PU)

Southern Arkansas University logo

College of Education
Magnolia, AR
Website

MAT (online)

Elementary Education K-6
Math 4-8, Literacy 4-8, Science 4-8, Social Studies 4-8
Art K-12/4-12, Business Education 4-12, French K-12/4-12, Music K-12/4-12, Physical Education K-12/4-12, Spanish K-12/4-12
Agriculture 7-12, Art 7-12, Business Education 7-12, Computer Science 7-12, Drama/Speech 7-12, English 7-12
Family and Consumer Science 7-12, Math/Physics 7-12, Life Science 7-12, Mathematics 7-12
Music 7-12, Physical Science 7-12, Physical Education 7-12, Social Studies 7-12

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $280 (in-state), $440 (out-of-state)

$27 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Fully online course of study
Ranked first in Arkansas for return on investment based on U.S. Department of Education data

Southern Arkansas offers the largest fully online concentration list in the state at $280 per credit in-state, which is the combination most career changers are actually looking for. Twenty-five subject and grade-band options run online, including agriculture and computer science. Using U.S. Department of Education data, the university ranks first in Arkansas for return on investment.

University of Arkansas at Monticello (PU)

University of Arkansas at Monticello logo

School of Education
Monticello, AR
Website

MAT (online)

Elementary K-6
Middle Level 4-8
Secondary 7-12
Special Education K-12

Entrance exam required: ACT with writing

Estimated cost per credit: $276 (in-state), $316 online in-state, $561 online out-of-state, $521 (out-of-state)

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Fully online MAT programs
Recent graduates reported a 100% pass rate on the Praxis exams

UAM is the option for applicants who have an ACT score with writing and would rather not sit the Praxis Core or the GRE to get in. All four tracks run online, and the in-state online rate of $316 is among the lowest in the guide. The School of Education reports a 100% Praxis pass rate among recent graduates and has produced close to 300 licensed educators since 2009.

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (PU)

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff logo

School of Education
Pine Bluff, AR
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Elementary Level
Middle Level
Secondary Level
Broad Range

Entrance exam required: GRE or ACT

Estimated cost per credit: $216 (in-state), $490 (out-of-state)

$91 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

15:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Study abroad options and more than 90 student organizations

At $216 per credit in-state, Pine Bluff is the least expensive program in Arkansas and one of the five cheapest in this guide. UAPB is an HBCU with a 130-year history of preparing teachers, and it accepts the ACT in place of a graduate exam. The MAT is on-campus, which is the trade-off against the online programs at Southern Arkansas and Monticello.

Arkansas Tech University (PU)

Arkansas Tech University logo

College of Education
Russellville, AR
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Art 4-8, 7-12
Business 4-8, 7-12
Life/Earth Science 4-8, 7-12
English 4-8, 7-12
Physical/Earth Science 4-8, 7-12
Mathematics 4-8, 7-12
Physical Education 4-8, 7-12
Wellness and Leisure 4-8, 7-12
Social Studies 4-8, 7-12
Music, instrumental and vocal, 4-8, 7-12

Entrance exam required: ACT with writing

Estimated cost per credit: $292 (in-state), $584 (out-of-state)

$15 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Third largest university in Arkansas with more than 12,000 students
18:1 student-to-faculty ratio, free tutoring, and one-on-one academic coaching

Arkansas Tech pairs every concentration with two grade bands, so a single application can position you for either a middle-level or a secondary license in your subject. Like Monticello, it takes the ACT with writing rather than requiring a graduate exam. It is the third-largest university in the state, which brings more student services than the smaller programs on this list without pushing class sizes up much.

California

Azusa Pacific University (PR)

Azusa Pacific University logo

School of Education
Azusa, CA
Website

MAEd (on-campus)

Special Education with Moderate/Severe Disabilities, Education Specialist
Special Education with Mild/Moderate Disabilities, Education Specialist
Teaching and Multiple Subject Teaching K-8
Teaching and Single Subject Teaching 7-12

MA in Physical Education with Single Subject Teaching (online)

Entrance exam required: CBEST or CSET

Estimated cost per credit: $745

$300 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Named among 'America's Top Colleges' by U.S. News & World Report in 2017 and among the best schools in the nation by Forbes
Study abroad options in South Africa, Ecuador, and elsewhere

Azusa Pacific runs its MAEd at the Azusa campus and at satellite locations in High Desert, Inland Empire, Murrieta, Orange County, and San Diego, which covers most of Southern California. Classes meet one night a week. Both Education Specialist tracks lead to a special education credential, which is the shortage area California districts hire into most consistently. At $745 per credit, it is $300 below the state private average and still roughly twice what Cal State charges.

UMass Global (PR), previously Brandman University

UMass Global logo

Irvine, CA
Website

MAT

Elementary Education (hybrid, online)
Secondary Education (hybrid, online)
Mild/Moderate (hybrid)
Moderate/Severe (hybrid)
Early Childhood Education Specialist (hybrid, online)
Mild/Moderate and Moderate/Severe (hybrid)

Entrance exam required: CBEST, Praxis Core, or another CTC-approved basic skills exam

Estimated cost per credit: $660

$385 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

All programs delivered fully online or hybrid
Formerly Brandman University, renamed after joining the University of Massachusetts system

This institution operated as Brandman University when we surveyed it and is now UMass Global. Its MAT tracks are online or hybrid rather than campus-based, and the dual Mild/Moderate and Moderate/Severe option is uncommon: it produces two special education credentials from one program. Because the name change came with a shift in how the university delivers programs, confirm the current concentration list and rate directly with admissions.

Point Loma Nazarene University (PR)

Point Loma Nazarene University logo

School of Education
San Diego, CA
Website

MAT (hybrid)

Elementary K-12
Education Specialist Mild/Moderate K-12
Education Specialist Moderate/Severe K-12
Secondary Language Arts
Secondary Mathematics
Secondary Science
Secondary Social Science
Secondary Foreign Language
Secondary Visual Arts
Secondary Physical Education
Content-Specific Pedagogy in business, music, agriculture, and home economics

Entrance exam required: CBEST, Praxis Core, or another CTC-approved basic skills exam

Estimated cost per credit: $660

$385 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

14:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Mentorship from faculty and career counselors, plus an active alumni network

Point Loma's hybrid MAT blends online coursework with in-person sessions and carries the widest single-subject list of any private program in California, including agriculture and home economics pedagogy. The Content-Specific Pedagogy track is the one to look at if your bachelor's is in a field the standard single-subject credentials do not cover.

California State University Fullerton (PU)

California State University Fullerton logo

College of Education
Fullerton, CA
Website

MSEd in Curriculum and Instruction, multiple subject credential (online)

Entrance exam required: CBEST

Estimated cost per credit: $299 (in-state), $744 (out-of-state)

$22 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Named among 'Best Colleges For Your Money' by Money magazine in 2018
Named among 'Best Value' institutions by Forbes in 2018

Cal State Fullerton is the cheapest route to a California multiple subject credential on this list, at $299 per credit in-state, and the program runs fully online. It was recognized among U.S. News & World Report's 'Best Online Education Programs' in 2018. The narrow scope is the trade-off: one concentration, elementary only, so anyone wanting a single subject or special education credential needs to look at the private programs above.

Connecticut

University of Hartford (PR)

university of hartford logo

Department of Education
West Hartford, CT
Website

MEd

Early Childhood Education (on-campus)
Elementary Education (on-campus)
Special Education (online)
Montessori Concentration (online)

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $596

$185 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Alumni network of more than 85,000
Reported 94% job placement rate within six months of graduation
More than 55 partner schools across Connecticut for field placements

The Montessori concentration is what sets Hartford apart. It runs online and pairs the master's with the Association Montessori Internationale diploma, which is recognized internationally and difficult to obtain inside a licensure program. The special education track is also online. Hartford reports 94% of graduates placed within six months, and at $596 per credit, the program runs $185 below the state private average.

Central Connecticut State University (PU)

Central Connecticut State University logo

School of Education and Professional Studies
New Britain, CT
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Teacher Education with a specialization in English (7-12)
Teacher Education with a specialization in History/Social Studies (7-12)
Teacher Education with a specialization in Mathematics (7-12)
Teacher Education with a specialization in Sciences (7-12)
Teacher Education with a specialization in Spanish (7-12)
Teacher Education with a specialization in Special Education (7-12)

Entrance exam required: GRE or the CCSU writing exam

Estimated cost per credit: $515 (in-state), $1,048 (out-of-state)

$106 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Accelerated 13-month cohort model
Partner universities in Ghana, Japan, South Korea, China, Germany, and France

Thirteen months is the draw here. CCSU's MAT is built as a single accelerated cohort, which is the fastest route to a Connecticut secondary license on this list, and the in-house writing exam gives you an alternative to paying for the GRE. All tracks are 7-12 or TESOL, so this is not the program for an elementary license. CCSU has been preparing teachers for more than 170 years.

Delaware

Wilmington University (PR)

Wilmington University logo

College of Education
New Castle, DE
Website

MEd (on-campus)

Elementary Studies K-6
Special Education
Career and Technical Education 9-12

MA in Teaching, Secondary Education 7-12 (on-campus)

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $488

$56 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

17:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Programs available at the New Castle, Dover, Georgetown, and Cumberland campuses
Day and evening class options

Wilmington is the only Delaware program on this list, and it covers the widest span of the four: elementary, special education, career and technical, and secondary. Four campus locations and a choice of day or evening classes make it manageable around a job, and the faculty are largely working practitioners. The Student Success Center handles tutoring and workshops for graduate students.

District of Columbia

Howard University (PR)

Howard University logo

School of Education
Washington, DC
Website

MEd (on-campus)

Elementary Education 1-6
Secondary Education 7-12
Special Education K-12

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $1,305

$364 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

School of Education recognized among the top 100 graduate schools of education nationally by U.S. News & World Report
More than 150 years of academic history

Howard is the most expensive program in this guide at $1,305 per credit, and it still comes in $364 below the District's private average, which tells you something about graduate tuition in Washington. What you are buying is a School of Education ranked among the top 100 nationally and a research university founded in 1867 that has awarded more than 120,000 degrees. Compare it against UDC below before deciding the premium is worth it.

University of the District of Columbia (PU)

University of the District of Columbia logo

College of Arts and Sciences
Washington, DC
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Elementary Education
Secondary English
Secondary Math
Secondary and Elementary Music
Secondary Science
Secondary Social Studies

MA (on-campus)

Early Childhood Education

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Applicants also submit an official transcript, two letters of recommendation, and a 500-word essay.

Estimated cost per credit: $500 (resident), $962 (non-resident)

Accreditation: CAEP

Lowest tuition of any university in Washington, DC
Experiential learning placements in District of Columbia Public Schools

UDC costs about a third of what Howard charges and holds the same CAEP accreditation. Many of the adjunct faculty teach in District of Columbia Public Schools, and the university's partnership with DCPS is where placements and mentors come from. That local pipeline is worth more than it sounds if you intend to teach in the District, because the people supervising you are the people who hire.

Florida

Florida Atlantic University (PU)

Florida Atlantic University logo

College of Education
Boca Raton, FL
Website

MEd (on-campus)

Elementary Education with ESOL
Secondary Education: Art, Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics, Physics, or Social Sciences

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $304 (in-state), $928 (out-of-state)

$93 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Alumni network of nearly 150,000
Home to the Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development

FAU was the first institution in Florida to earn CAEP accreditation, and at $93 below the state public average, it is the cheapest accredited route on this list in a state with a large teacher shortage. The elementary track builds in an ESOL endorsement, which Florida requires for most elementary positions and which many candidates otherwise add later at their own cost. Programs run across the Boca Raton, Jupiter, and Davie campuses.

Georgia

Clark Atlanta University (PR)

Clark Atlanta University logo

School of Education
Atlanta, GA
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Mathematics 6-12
Science 6-12

MA in Special Education (on-campus)

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $887

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

15:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Largest institution in the Atlanta University Center Consortium

Clark Atlanta concentrates on the three areas Georgia districts struggle hardest to staff: secondary math, secondary science, and special education. It is the largest member of the Atlanta University Center Consortium and the largest of the 37 UNCF institutions, with a history dating to 1865. Recent recognition includes a place among the Princeton Review's 'Best Southeastern Universities' and among America's best HBCUs by U.S. News & World Report.

University of West Georgia (PU)

University of West Georgia logo

College of Education
Carrollton, GA
Website

MAT 6-12 (hybrid)

Biology
Broad Field Science
Business Education
Chemistry
Economics
English
History
Mathematics
Physics
Political Science

Entrance exam required: GACE

Estimated cost per credit: $241 (in-state), $935 (out-of-state)

$9 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

19:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Recognized among the nation's top colleges by U.S. News & World Report and as a Best Regional College by the Princeton Review in 2018

West Georgia's MAT is hybrid and secondary-only, with ten content areas including economics and political science, which few programs offer as standalone licenses. In-state cost is $241 per credit. The out-of-state rate is nearly four times that, so this is an option for Georgia residents or for anyone who can establish residency first.

Columbus State University (PU)

Columbus State University logo

College of Education and Health Professions
Columbus, GA
Website

MAT

Early Childhood Education (on-campus)
Secondary Biology, Chemistry, Earth Space Science, Mathematics, or Physics (online)
K-12 Computer Science (online)
Art Education (on-campus)
Health and Physical Education (on-campus)
Middle Grades Education, paired fields in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies (on-campus)
Secondary Education: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, English Language Arts, History, or Mathematics (on-campus)
Special Education (on-campus)

Entrance exam required: GACE

Estimated cost per credit: $210 (in-state), $385 (online), $817 (out-of-state)

$40 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

18:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Outreach centers include the Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center

At $210 per credit in-state, Columbus State is among the least expensive programs in Georgia and in this guide. Six of its science and computer science tracks run fully online at $385, which is the rate that matters if you are outside commuting distance. The middle grades tracks pair two content areas, which widens what a single license lets you teach.

University of North Georgia (PU)

University of North Georgia logo

College of Education
Dahlonega, GA
Website

MAT (hybrid)

Middle Grades: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, or Social Science
Health and Physical Education P-12
Secondary English 6-12
Secondary History 6-12
Secondary Mathematics 6-12

Entrance exam required: GACE or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $230 (in-state), $916 (out-of-state)

$20 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Cohort intake each June
Named among the 'Best Public Universities in the South' by U.S. News & World Report in 2016

North Georgia takes one cohort a year, starting each June, which means the application timing is less forgiving than at the rolling-admission programs. In exchange, you move through with a fixed group and finish on a predictable schedule. Courses are on-campus and hybrid, and at $230 per credit in state it sits just behind Columbus State on price.

Clayton State University (PU)

Clayton State University logo

School of Education
Morrow, GA
Website

MAT in Secondary Education (on-campus)

English
Mathematics
History
Biology

Entrance exam required: GACE or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $200 (in-state), $732 (out-of-state)

$50 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Cohort model with small classes
Faculty of active practitioners

Clayton State is the cheapest program in Georgia at $200 per credit in-state, and one of the three cheapest in this guide. Four secondary concentrations, a cohort structure, and a location in Morrow that puts you inside the metro Atlanta hiring market. The program blends content and methods courses with field-based experience, and it is the one to start with if cost is the deciding factor and you want to teach English, math, history, or biology in Georgia.

Hawaii

Chaminade University (PR)

Chaminade University logo

School of Education and Behavioral Science
Honolulu, HI
Website

MAT (online)

Early Childhood Education PK-3
Early Childhood Education Montessori PK-K
Elementary Education K-6
Secondary Education 6-12
Special Education K-12

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $825 (on-campus), $918 (online)

Historical accreditation: TEAC. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Service-learning projects, research, and internship placements
21-month completion timeline

Chaminade is the only Hawaii program on this list, and it covers every grade band from PK through 12 plus special education and a Montessori track. The MAT runs 21 months to both the degree and the license. Online delivery costs more per credit than on-campus here, which is the reverse of the usual pattern, so run the numbers on both before you choose a format.

Illinois

Concordia University Chicago (PR)

Concordia University Chicago logo

College of Education
River Forest, IL
Website

MAT

Elementary Education (hybrid)
Secondary Education (on-campus): English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Physical Education, Social Science and History, Science and Biology, or Science and Chemistry

Entrance exam required: Illinois TAP. The state no longer requires the TAP by law, though individual Illinois universities may still use it for admission.

Estimated cost per credit: $510

$160 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

11:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Reported 90% employment rate within six months of graduation

Concordia Chicago has the lowest student-to-faculty ratio of any program in Illinois on this list, at 11:1 across a graduate college of roughly 4,300 students, and it reports 90% of graduates employed within six months. The elementary track is hybrid and the six secondary tracks are on-campus in River Forest, ten miles west of the Loop.

Saint Xavier University (PR)

Saint Xavier University logo

College of Arts and Sciences
Chicago, IL
Website

MAT

Early Childhood Education, Birth to Grade 2 (on-campus)
Elementary Education 1-6 (online)
Middle Level Education 5-8 (on-campus)
Music Education K-12 (on-campus)
Secondary Education 9-12 (on-campus): Art, Biology, English, Mathematics, Social Science, or Spanish
Spanish Education K-12 (on-campus)

Entrance exam required: Illinois TAP. The state no longer requires the TAP by law, though individual Illinois universities may still use it for admission.

Estimated cost per credit: $575

$95 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Ranked among the best value schools in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report in 2019
Small class sizes

Saint Xavier spans the widest grade range of the three Illinois programs here, from birth through grade 12, and the elementary track is the only fully online option among them. Two Spanish routes, K-12 and secondary, make it a reasonable choice for bilingual candidates targeting Chicago Public Schools, where the demand is steady.

Dominican University (PR)

Dominican University logo

School of Education
River Forest, IL
Website

MAT (Alternative Licensure Program) and MS in Special Education

Early Childhood with ESL or Bilingual Endorsement
Elementary with ESL or Bilingual Endorsement
Middle: English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences, Biology, or Chemistry
Special Education

Estimated cost per credit: $550

$120 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Ranked third among 'Best Value Schools' in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report
20 study abroad programs

Dominican is the Illinois program to look at if you want an ESL or bilingual endorsement attached to your first license rather than added afterward, and it builds that option into both the early childhood and elementary tracks. It runs as an alternative licensure program, which means you can be teaching sooner. Graduates who earned an undergraduate endorsement at Dominican can apply those credits toward the MAEd-Elevation offered here.

Indiana

American College of Education (PR)

American College of Education logo

Indianapolis, IN
Website

MA (online)

Elementary Teaching
Secondary Teaching

Entrance exam required: ACT, SAT, or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $235

$265 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: TEAC. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Fully online except for required hands-on learning
Five-week course format

At $235 per credit, American College of Education is the cheapest private program in this guide and cheaper than most public ones. It is built for exactly the reader this page is for: online delivery apart from the required field hours, five-week courses, and admission on an ACT, SAT, or GRE score. Two tracks only, elementary and secondary, and the field placement still has to happen in person wherever you live.

Kansas

University of Saint Mary (PR)

University of Saint Mary logo

Overland Park, KS
Website

MA (on-campus)

Elementary Education
Secondary Education

Entrance exam required: CBase or equivalent

Estimated cost per credit: $410

$76 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Named a 'Best Midwestern College' by the Princeton Review since 2005
Accelerated schedule leads to licensure and the master's in two years

Saint Mary's accelerated MA covers licensure and the degree in two years, and it is the only on-campus master's in the Kansas City area built specifically for degree-holders seeking a first license. That geographic monopoly is the reason to consider it over the cheaper public options downstate. Two tracks only: elementary and secondary.

Pittsburg State University (PU)

Pittsburg State University logo

College of Education
Pittsburg, KS
Website

MAT (online)

Elementary Education K-6
Secondary Education
Special Education, high incidence K-6 or 6-12, designed for para-educators with at least one year of experience
ESOL PreK-12

Entrance exam required: Professional Disposition Assessment

Estimated cost per credit: $354 (online, in-state and out-of-state)

Accreditation: CAEP

19:1 student-to-faculty ratio
MAT ranked among the top 25 online graduate education programs nationally by U.S. News & World Report

Pittsburg State charges one online rate regardless of residency, which makes this a national option at $354 per credit. The special education track is restricted to people with at least a year of paraprofessional experience, so if you have been working as a para, this is the fastest route from that job to a licensed one. The ESOL PreK-12 track is rare at this price.

Wichita State University (PU)

Wichita State University logo

School of Education
Wichita, KS
Website

MAT Early Childhood Unified Residency Program, Birth to Grade 3 (on-campus)

MAT (hybrid)

Art PreK-12
Biology 6-12
Chemistry 6-12
Earth/Space 6-12
English 5-8, 6-12
French PreK-12
History/Government 6-12
Math 5-8, 6-12
Music PreK-12
Physics 6-12
Science 5-8
Spanish PreK-12

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $302 (in-state), $742 (out-of-state)

$50 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Hybrid delivery, completable in two years
More than half the teachers and administrators in Wichita public schools are WSU graduates

More than half the teachers and administrators in Wichita's public schools came through WSU, which is about as direct a hiring pipeline as a preparation program can offer. The Early Childhood Unified residency is a separate, on-campus track from birth through grade 3. Everything else runs hybrid across twelve content areas at $302 per credit in-state.

Emporia State University (PU)

Emporia State University logo

The Teachers College
Emporia, KS
Website

MS in Elementary Education (online)

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $260 (in-state), $341 (in-state online), $481 (out-of-state online), $808 (out-of-state)

$11 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Online format built for working adults
Kansas's first public institution charged with preparing teachers

Emporia State was the first public institution in Kansas charged with preparing teachers, and its college is still called The Teachers College. The online MS in Elementary Education is a single track, so this is the option if you know you want elementary and want it online. Note the four-tier pricing: the in-state online rate of $341 is the one most applicants will pay.

Kentucky

Campbellsville University (PR)

Campbellsville University logo

School of Education
Campbellsville, KY
Website

MA in Special Education (online)

Entrance exam required: GRE or Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $299

$137 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Named among the nation's 'Best Online Education Programs' by U.S. News & World Report
Fully online delivery

Campbellsville does one thing here: a fully online MA in Special Education at $299 per credit, $137 below the Kentucky private average. Special education is the licensure area with the most persistent vacancies in the state, and an online program at this price is the shortest distance between a bachelor's in another field and a classroom that needs someone.

Georgetown College (PR)

Georgetown College logo

Georgetown, KY
Website

MAEd (online)

Learning and Behavior Disorders P-12, and Moderate and Severe Disabilities P-12
Middle or High School: Biological Science, Chemistry, Physics, English, Mathematics, or Social Studies
French P-12
German P-12
Spanish P-12
Instrumental and Vocal Music P-12

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $410

$26 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Named among the nation's 'Best Online Graduate Education Programs' by U.S. News & World Report in 2019
Cohort format with seven- and 15-week courses

Georgetown College runs the broadest online concentration list in Kentucky, including three world languages and both special education tracks. Courses come in seven- and 15-week blocks and you move through with a cohort, which is unusual for a fully online program and does mean deadlines are shared rather than self-paced.

Spalding University (PR)

Spalding University logo

College of Education
Louisville, KY
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Elementary P-5
Middle School 5-9
Secondary 8-12
Art P-12
Biological Science 5-12
Business and Marketing 5-12
Chemistry P-12
Earth Science P-12
English P-12
Mathematics P-12
Social Studies P-12
Spanish P-12
Learning and Behavioral Disorders P-12

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $395

$41 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Six-week class blocks followed by a one-week break
Evening and Saturday courses

Spalding's six-week block schedule, with a week off between blocks, is the reason people pick this program. Courses run evenings and Saturdays in downtown Louisville, so it is workable alongside a full-time job, and the block structure means you are only ever juggling one or two courses at a time. Thirteen concentrations from P-5 through secondary.

University of the Cumberlands (PR)

University of the Cumberlands logo

Graduate School
Williamsburg, KY
Website

MAT (online)

Elementary Education P-5
Middle School Education 5-9
Secondary Education 8-12
All Grades P-12
Business and Marketing 5-12
Special Education, Learning and Behavioral Disorders P-12

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $315

$121 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Eight-week online courses
Small class sizes with regular faculty contact

Cumberlands is the cheapest online MAT in Kentucky that covers the full grade range, at $315 per credit across six tracks including P-12 and special education. Eight-week courses keep the pace up, and the university has been running teacher preparation for more than a century. If you want online delivery and more than one licensure option, this beats Campbellsville's single track.

Eastern Kentucky University (PU)

Eastern Kentucky University logo

Graduate Education and Research
Richmond, KY
Website

MAT

Elementary Education (online)
Middle Grades Education 5-9 (online): Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, or English/Language Arts
Secondary Education 5-12 (hybrid): Agriculture, Business and Marketing, Engineering and Technology, Family and Consumer Science, or Industrial Technology
Secondary Education 8-12 (hybrid): Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Science, English, Mathematics, Physics, or Social Science
P-12 (hybrid): Art, French, Health Education, Music, Physical Education, Physical Education and Health, School Health, or Spanish

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $550 (in-state), $510 (online), $800 (out-of-state)

$26 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Online core courses with online and hybrid content-area courses
MAT named among the nation's best online graduate programs by U.S. News & World Report in 2017

EKU has the longest concentration list in Kentucky by a wide margin, including career and technical fields like agriculture and industrial technology that almost no other program on this page licenses. The online rate of $510 undercuts the in-state campus rate of $550, which is worth noticing before you enroll in the campus version by default.

Kentucky State University (PU)

Kentucky State University logo

School of Education and Human Development
Frankfort, KY
Website

MAT in Special Education, Learning and Behavior Disorders P-12 (online)

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $420 (in-state), $500 (online), $630 (out-of-state)

$156 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

12:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Support through the Career and Professional Development Center

Kentucky State's MAT sits $156 below the state public average, the largest gap of any Kentucky program here. It is one track, special education with a Learning and Behavior Disorders endorsement, delivered online. The 12:1 ratio is the lowest in the state on this list, which for a special education program means more supervision during placements.

University of Kentucky (PU)

University of Kentucky logo

College of Education
Lexington, KY
Website

MIC in Secondary Education (on-campus)

English
Social Studies

MAT in STEM (hybrid)

Math
Science

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $544 (in-state), $1,307 (out-of-state)

$32 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Clinically based model puts candidates in classrooms from the first term
Named among the nation's 'Top Public Schools' by U.S. News & World Report in 2020

UK's clinical model starts classroom work in the first term rather than saving it for a final placement, which is the strongest argument for paying more here than at Kentucky State or Cumberlands. Four narrow tracks: English and social studies through the MIC, math and science through the STEM MAT. The out-of-state rate of $1,307 is among the highest in this guide.

Louisiana

Louisiana Christian University (PR)

Louisiana Christian University logo

Pineville, LA
Website

MAT + TEACH (hybrid)

Elementary Education
Middle School Education
Secondary Education
Special Education

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $412

$244 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: TEAC. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Hybrid format blending online and on-campus study
Formerly Louisiana College, renamed Louisiana Christian University

We surveyed this institution as Louisiana College. It is now Louisiana Christian University, and confirming the current program list and rate with admissions is worth the phone call. Founded in 1906 as the only four-year Baptist institution in Louisiana, it delivers the MAT+TEACH in a hybrid format at $412 per credit, which is $244 below the state private average.

Louisiana Tech University (PU)

Louisiana Tech University logo

College of Education
Ruston, LA
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Early Childhood Education PK-3
Middle School Education 4-8: Mathematics or Science
Secondary Education 6-12: Agriculture, Business, English, General Science with Biology, Chemistry, or Physics, Mathematics, or Social Studies
Special Education, Visually Impaired
Elementary and Special Education 1-5

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $162 (in-state), $307 (out-of-state)

$159 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Louisiana Tech has prepared educators since 1894
Support from dedicated faculty and student success specialists

At $162 per credit in-state, Louisiana Tech is the least expensive program in this entire guide, and its out-of-state rate of $307 is lower than most schools charge their own residents. The Visually Impaired track is close to unique among the programs here. If cost is your first filter and you can get to Ruston, start with this entry.

Southeastern Louisiana University (PU)

Southeastern Louisiana University logo

College of Education
Hammond, LA
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Special Education, Early Intervention
Elementary Education 1-5

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or ACT

Estimated cost per credit: $288 (in-state), $798 (out-of-state)

$33 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Apprenticeship model with guided field experiences
Partnerships with more than 300 schools and agencies

Southeastern runs an apprenticeship model, which means closer faculty mentorship through field experience than a conventional placement gives you. More than 300 partner schools and agencies feed those placements. Two tracks only: elementary and early intervention special education, both on-campus in Hammond between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana (PU)

Northwestern State University of Louisiana logo

School of Education
Natchitoches, LA
Website

MAT (online)

Early Childhood Education PK-3
Elementary Education 1-5
Middle School Education 4-8 in a content area
Secondary Education 6-12 in a content area
Special Education Integrated Mild/Moderate 1-5
Special Education Integrated Mild/Moderate 4-8
Special Education Mild/Moderate 6-12, dual in special education and a content area

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or ACT

Estimated cost per credit: $239 (in-state), $475 (online), $687 (out-of-state)

$82 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

eNSU is the largest online campus in Louisiana
Fully online delivery

Northwestern State has the deepest special education offering in Louisiana, including three integrated tracks and a dual license pairing special education with a content area at the secondary level. Dual licensure makes you considerably more employable in a state with chronic special education vacancies. Delivery is online through eNSU, the largest online campus in Louisiana.

University of New Orleans (PU)

University of New Orleans logo

Department of Education and Human Development
New Orleans, LA
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Elementary Education 1-5
Secondary Education 6-12: English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, General Science, Physics, or Social Studies
General Special Education, Mild/Moderate, integrated to merged approach 1-5
General Special Education, Mild/Moderate, integrated to merged approach 6-12
Special Education, Early Intervention, Birth to 5

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core, or ACT or SAT

Estimated cost per credit: $254 (in-state), $444 (out-of-state)

$67 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Named by U.S. News & World Report for six consecutive years among schools whose graduates carry the least debt
Alumni network of more than 10,000

UNO combines a low in-state rate with an out-of-state rate of $444 that stays reasonable, and for six straight years U.S. News & World Report placed it among the schools whose graduates leave with the least debt. For a career changer already carrying undergraduate loans, that record is the relevant part. Eight secondary content areas plus three special education tracks, all on-campus.

Maine

University of Southern Maine (PU)

University of Southern Maine logo

School of Education and Human Development
Portland, ME
Website

MS in Special Education (online)

MSEd (on-campus)

Elementary and Middle Level K-8
English 7-12
World Languages K-12
Life Sciences 7-12
Mathematics 7-12
Physical Science 7-12
Social Studies 7-12
ESL

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $421 (in-state), $526 (online), $1,141 (out-of-state)

$15 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: TEAC. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Career support through the Career and Employment Hub
Full-time or part-time study, with on-campus courses in afternoons, evenings, and weekends

Southern Maine is the only Maine program on this list. The special education MS runs online, and the MSEd tracks are on-campus in Portland, scheduled across afternoons, evenings, and weekends so part-time study is realistic. Out-of-state tuition is $1,141 per credit against $421 in-state, one of the widest residency gaps in this guide, so Maine residency matters a great deal here.

Maryland

Notre Dame of Maryland University (PR)

Notre Dame of Maryland University logo

School of Education
Baltimore, MD
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Art PreK-12
Music PreK-12
World Languages PreK-12
Early Childhood Education PreK-3
Elementary Education 1-6
Special Education 1-8 or 6-Adult
Secondary Education 7-12: Business, Computer Science, English, History, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, or Theatre

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $585

$112 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Ranked among the top regional colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report in 2019
Reports that 100% of graduates from the past three cohorts work in teaching

Ten months from start to finish is the shortest timeline of any Maryland program here, and courses run evenings and Saturdays with a fixed cohort. The Special Education 6-Adult track is unusual: most programs stop at 12. Notre Dame reports that every graduate from its last three cohorts is teaching, which is a claim worth asking them to break down by cohort size when you talk to admissions.

Stevenson University (PR)

Stevenson University logo

School of Education
Stevenson, MD
Website

MAT in Middle or High School (online)

Biology
Chemistry
Earth/Space Science
Physical Science
Physics
Mathematics

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core, SAT, ACT, or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $495

$202 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Eight-week online courses
Four accepted entrance exams, including the SAT and ACT

Stevenson is STEM-only and fully online, which is a narrow but well-aimed offering: math and the sciences are where Maryland districts have the hardest time filling secondary positions. Accepting an old SAT or ACT score in place of the Praxis Core or GRE removes a testing cost that trips up a lot of career changers. Eight-week courses keep the pace brisk.

McDaniel College (PR)

McDaniel College logo

Graduate Programs
Westminster, MD
Website

MS in Deaf Education K-12 (on-campus)

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core, SAT, ACT, or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $510

$187 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Evening, weekend, and select online courses
Study abroad opportunities at McDaniel Europe in Budapest, Hungary

Deaf education is the reason to look at McDaniel. Almost no program in this guide leads to a K-12 deaf education license, and the specialization is in demand well beyond Maryland because so few institutions prepare for it. Courses run evenings and weekends with some online options, and class sizes are small. McDaniel also offers an MS in Teaching, which is worth asking about directly.

Coppin State University (PU)

Coppin State University logo

School of Education
Baltimore, MD
Website

MEd in Special Education (on-campus)

MAT in Elementary Education (on-campus)

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $344 (in-state), $633 (out-of-state)

$141 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Founded in 1900 as a teachers college
Career services include dedicated teacher recruitment days

Coppin State opened in 1900 as a teachers college and has been preparing Baltimore's educators ever since. Day, evening, and weekend courses make either track manageable around work, and at $344 per credit in state it sits $141 below the Maryland public average. Two options: special education through the MEd, elementary through the MAT.

Morgan State University (PU)

Morgan State University logo

Graduate Studies
Baltimore, MD
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Elementary
Middle School
High School: Art, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, Foreign Language, History, Mathematics, or Music

Entrance exam required: Our survey recorded the Miller Analogies Test, which Pearson retired in November 2023. Confirm what Morgan State accepts now.

Estimated cost per credit: $455 (in-state), $894 (out-of-state)

$30 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

One of the nation's most diverse historically black colleges and universities
Career events and fairs through the Center for Career Development

Morgan State is a doctoral research university and one of the most diverse HBCUs in the country. Nine high school content areas plus elementary and middle school, all on-campus in Baltimore. Its admissions testing needs checking before you apply, because the exam our survey recorded no longer exists.

Bowie State University (PU)

Bowie State University logo

The Graduate School
Bowie, MD
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Secondary Education in a content area
Elementary Education
Early Childhood Education, or Early Childhood with Special Education

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $423 (in-state), $709 (out-of-state)

$62 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Located between Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis
Named among the nation's top HBCUs by U.S. News & World Report

Founded in 1865, Bowie State is the oldest historically black college in Maryland and among the ten oldest in the country. Its location puts three separate metropolitan job markets within commuting distance, which matters when you start applying. The combined Early Childhood and Special Education track produces two credentials from one program. The Economist has named it among the best value four-year institutions in Maryland.

Salisbury University (PU)

Salisbury University logo

Graduate Programs
Salisbury, MD
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Biology
Chemistry
English
Earth Science
French
History
Mathematics
Music
Physics
Spanish

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core, SAT, ACT, or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $412 (in-state), $746 (out-of-state)

$73 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

15:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Alumni network of more than 55,000

Full-time students finish Salisbury's MAT in 16 months, and part-time study is available. The program maintains a collaborative partnership with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and strong relationships with Delmarva-region K-12 schools, which is where field placements come from. Ten content areas, all secondary.

Towson University (PU)

Towson University logo

College of Education
Towson, MD
Website

MAT (on-campus)

PreK-3
Elementary 1-6
Secondary 7-12: Biology, Chemistry, Chinese (Mandarin), Earth-Space Science, English, French, Mathematics, Physics, Social Studies, or Spanish

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core, SAT, ACT, or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $439 (in-state), $908 (out-of-state)

$46 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Available as a one-year or part-time program
Second-largest university in the University System of Maryland

Towson gives you a real choice of pace: a one-year full-time route, or a part-time route with late afternoon and evening courses that takes two. It covers the widest grade span of any Maryland public program here, PreK-3 through secondary, and it is the only one licensing Mandarin. As the second-largest university in the system, it carries deeper student services than the smaller campuses.

Massachusetts

Fitchburg State University (PU)

Fitchburg State University logo

Education Department
Fitchburg, MA
Website

MEd (hybrid)

Early Childhood Education PreK-2
Elementary Education
Special Education, Reading Specialist
Special Education, Moderate Disabilities
Special Education, Severe Disabilities
Educational Leadership and Management

Entrance exam required: Massachusetts Test of Educator Licensure (MTEL)

Estimated cost per credit: $319 (in-state and out-of-state)

$167 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Hands-on learning through the McKay Arts Academy, an on-campus PreK-8 innovation school
Online coursework with on-campus evening courses

Fitchburg State charges $319 per credit to everyone, in-state or out-of-state, which is unusual and makes it viable for New England commuters. Three separate special education tracks, including severe disabilities, give more range than most programs at this price. The McKay Arts Academy is an on-campus PreK-8 school, so some of your practical work happens without leaving campus.

Cambridge College (PR)

Cambridge College logo

School of Education
Boston, MA
Website

MEd (on-campus)

Early Childhood Teacher PreK-2, in Boston, Lawrence, and Springfield
Elementary Teacher 1-6
ESOL
Special Education, Moderate Disabilities PreK-8 or 5-12

Entrance exam required: Massachusetts Test of Educator Licensure (MTEL)

Estimated cost per credit: $574

$734 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: TEAC. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Day, evening, weekend, and select online classes
One of the most ethnically diverse colleges in the country

Cambridge College shows the largest gap below its state private average of any program in this guide, which says as much about Massachusetts private tuition as about the college. Three campus locations for the early childhood track, an ESOL license, and a schedule spanning days, evenings, weekends, and some online study. The student body is among the most ethnically diverse in the country.

Framingham State University (PU)

Framingham State University logo

College of Education
Framingham, MA
Website

MEd (on-campus)

Early Childhood Education PreK-2
Special Education, Moderate Disabilities PreK-8 or 5-12
Secondary Education: Art, History, English, or Mathematics

Entrance exam required: Massachusetts Test of Educator Licensure (MTEL)

Estimated cost per credit: $463 (in-state), $716 (out-of-state)

$23 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

14:1 student-to-faculty ratio
The nation's first public institution of higher education dedicated to training teachers

Framingham State was the country's first public institution founded to train teachers, and it has been doing it for more than 180 years. The 14:1 ratio is the tightest in Massachusetts on this list. Its concentration list is shorter than Fitchburg's and it costs more, so the argument for Framingham is the smaller classes and the MetroWest location rather than price.

Salem State University (PU)

Salem State University logo

School of Education
Salem, MA
Website

MEd (on-campus)

Special Education
Reading
Early Childhood
Elementary Education
Library Media Studies

MAT (on-campus)

English
History
Math
Spanish
TESOL

Entrance exam required: Massachusetts Test of Educator Licensure (MTEL)

Estimated cost per credit: $230 (in-state), $425 (out-of-state)

$196 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Courses offered once a week in the evenings, many in hybrid format
Annual career events connecting students with hiring districts

Salem State is the cheapest program in Massachusetts on this list at $230 per credit in-state, and its out-of-state rate of $425 still undercuts what several in-state programs charge. Courses meet once a week in the evening. Between the MEd and the MAT, it covers ten licensure areas, including library media studies, which very few programs in this guide offer. Nearly 160 years of preparing teachers in the state.

Westfield State University (PU)

Westfield State University logo

College of Education, Health and Human Services
Westfield, MA
Website

MEd (on-campus)

Early Childhood PreK-2
Elementary 1-6
Special Education, Moderate Disabilities PreK-8
Special Education, Moderate Disabilities 5-12
Biology 8-12
History 5-8 or 8-12
Mathematics 5-8 or 8-12
Reading Specialist

Entrance exam required: Massachusetts Test of Educator Licensure (MTEL)

Estimated cost per credit: $361 (in-state and out-of-state)

$125 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Ranked among the best universities in the North since 2012 by U.S. News & World Report
Largest producer of new teachers among Massachusetts state universities

Westfield State produces more new teachers than any other Massachusetts state university, and it charges one rate, $361, regardless of residency. Year-round courses mean you do not have to pause over the summer, and evening and select online sections keep it compatible with work. Eight concentrations span PreK through 12.

Michigan

Wayne State University (PU)

Wayne State University logo

College of Education
Detroit, MI
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Art Education K-12
Secondary Education: French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Bilingual-Bicultural, ESL, or Career and Technical Education
Elementary Education, with options for Bilingual and ESL
Elementary Education, with the option to add a Special Education endorsement
English Education, elementary and secondary
Mathematics, elementary and secondary
Science Education, elementary and secondary
Social Studies Education, elementary and secondary

Entrance exam required: Our survey recorded the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC). Michigan has since changed its certification structure, adding Professional Knowledge and Skills testing across further endorsement areas from 2026, so confirm current admission and certification testing with the program.

Estimated cost per credit: $679 (in-state), $1,470 (out-of-state)

$35 more than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Study abroad programs across 20 countries
Program built around the College of Education's themes of excellence, inclusion, and social justice

Wayne State costs $35 per credit more than the Michigan public average, so it earns its place here on range rather than price. Six world languages plus bilingual-bicultural and ESL licensure is the deepest language offering in this guide, and the college is built around urban education in Detroit. Evening classes and full- or part-time enrollment are both available.

University of Michigan-Flint (PU)

University of Michigan-Flint logo

Graduate Programs
Flint, MI
Website

MAC, Master of Arts with Secondary Certification (hybrid)

Estimated cost per credit: $604 (in-state), $904 (out-of-state)

$40 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Field-based, clinically focused program aimed at high-need high schools
Placements in Detroit, Flint, and other challenging environments

UM-Flint's MAC is taught on-site in high schools rather than mostly in university classrooms, with placements in Detroit and Flint. That is training for the schools that struggle most to keep staff, and if that is where you intend to work it is more useful preparation than a suburban placement. Coursework blends online and on-campus, supervised by both university and high school faculty.

Western Michigan University (PU)

Western Michigan University logo

College of Education and Human Development
Kalamazoo, MI
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Secondary Math
Secondary Science
Chinese as a Second Language

Estimated cost per credit: $682 (in-state), $1,268 (out-of-state)

$38 more than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Reports a 91% employment rate among graduates
Ranked as a Top Tier university by U.S. News & World Report

Western Michigan runs $38 per credit above the state public average, and its three tracks are all shortage subjects: secondary math, secondary science, and Chinese as a second language. The university awards more master's degrees than any other in Michigan and reports 91% of graduates employed. If you want one of those three licenses, the premium is small in absolute terms.

University of Michigan Ann Arbor (PU)

University of Michigan Ann Arbor logo

School of Education
Ann Arbor, MI
Website

MAT (on-campus)

Elementary Education K-8, or 6-8 in subject-specific classrooms
Secondary Education: Biology, Chemistry, Earth/Space Science, Economics, English, French, German, History, Integrated Science, Latin, Mathematics, Physics, Political Science, Social Studies, Spanish, Psychology, or Italian

Estimated cost per credit: $507 (in-state), $1,025 (out-of-state)

$137 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: TEAC. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Ranked third nationally among Money magazine's 'Best Colleges for Your Money'
Ranked among the top universities in the world by Times Higher Education in 2018

This is the anomaly on the list: a School of Education ranked among the nation's best, at $507 per credit in state, which is $137 below the Michigan public average and cheaper than Wayne State or Western Michigan. Seventeen secondary content areas, including Latin, psychology, and economics. If you can get in and you are a Michigan resident, nothing else in this guide offers that combination.

Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University (PU)

Saint Cloud State University logo

School of Education
St. Cloud, MN
Website

MS in Special Education (on-campus)

Academic and Behavioral Strategist
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Developmental Disorders
Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
Learning Disabilities

MA in TESL (on-campus)

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $414 (in-state), $630 (out-of-state)

$110 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Reports a 97% employment rate among School of Education graduates
Roots as a Normal School dating to 1869

Saint Cloud State splits its special education MS into five distinct specializations, which is more granular than any other program in this guide. If you already know you want to work with autism spectrum disorders or emotional and behavioral disorders specifically, that focus is available from the start rather than as a later endorsement. The MA in TESL is the other route here. The school reports 97% of its education graduates working in the field.

Mississippi

William Carey University (PR)

William Carey University logo

School of Education
Hattiesburg, MS
Website

MEd Art of Teaching (on-campus)

Elementary Education 4-6
Special Education, Mild/Moderate Disabilities K-12
Secondary Education 7-12: Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, English, French, German, Health, Family and Consumer Science, Library Media Specialist, Marketing, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Spanish, Speech Communication, or Social Studies

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or ACT

Estimated cost per credit: $400

$113 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Academic advising, tutoring, and career services available to graduate students

William Carey licenses eighteen secondary content areas, including library media and family and consumer science, which are hard to find anywhere on this page. At $400 per credit, it is the only private option in Mississippi here, and it costs more than every public program in the state. The tradeoff is breadth: no Mississippi public program on this list comes close to that concentration list.

Delta State University (PU)

Delta State University logo

Division of Teacher Education, Leadership, and Research
Cleveland, MS
Website

MEd in Special Education, Mild Disabilities K-12 (online)

MAT (online)

Elementary Education
Secondary Education

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $313 (in-state and out-of-state)

$62 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Accelerated design completable in 13 months
Fully online delivery

Thirteen months, fully online, one rate of $313 whether you live in Mississippi or not. Delta State is the fastest route on this page from a bachelor's in another field to a Mississippi license, and the flat rate means out-of-state applicants are not penalized. Three tracks: elementary, secondary, and special education.

Mississippi University for Women (PU)

Mississippi University for Women logo

Division of Education and Outreach
Columbus, MS
Website

MAT (online)

Secondary Education 7-12: Art Education, Biology, Business Education, Chemistry, English, French, German, Home Economics, Marketing, Mathematics, Music Education, Physical Education, Physics, Social Studies, Spanish, Speech Communication, or Technology Education

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or ACT

Estimated cost per credit: $309 (in-state and out-of-state)

$66 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Fully online delivery
Ranked among the best and most affordable public universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report and Washington Monthly

The W charges $309 per credit to everyone and runs seventeen secondary concentrations entirely online, which is the widest online subject list in Mississippi. Secondary only, so no elementary or special education route here. Despite the name, the university has admitted men since 1982.

University of Southern Mississippi (PU)

University of Southern Mississippi logo

School of Education
Hattiesburg, MS
Website

MAT in Secondary Education (online)

Art K-12
Biology 7-12
Business Education 7-12
Chemistry 7-12
English 7-12
French K-12
Health 7-12
Home Economics 7-12
Library Media K-12
Mathematics 7-12
Physical Education K-12
Physics 7-12
Social Studies 7-12
Spanish K-12

MEd in Special Education (online)

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or ACT

Estimated cost per credit: $355 (in-state and out-of-state), $359 (online)

$20 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Reports that 100% of graduates have secured teaching positions
More than 220 student organizations and multiple study abroad programs

Southern Miss pairs fourteen online secondary concentrations with an online special education MEd, so it is the Mississippi program with both routes available at a distance. The online rate of $359 sits within a few dollars of the campus rate. Its reported 100% placement figure is the kind of claim to ask about by cohort when you contact the school.

Mississippi State University (PU)

Mississippi State University logo

College of Education
Mississippi State, MS
Website

MAT (online)

Secondary Education: Physical Education K-12, Biology 7-12, Chemistry 7-12, English/Language Arts 7-12, Physics 7-12, Social Studies 7-12, or Math 7-12
Special Education

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or ACT

Estimated cost per credit: $367 (in-state), $993 (out-of-state), $489 (online)

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Fully online course of study
Student support through the Center for Distance Education

Mississippi State is the most expensive of the state's public options on this list, and the online rate of $489 is what most applicants to this program will pay rather than the $367 campus rate. It has been preparing teachers since 1878 and the Center for Distance Education handles support for online students. Compare it against Delta State and The W before deciding.

Missouri

Lincoln University (PU)

Lincoln University logo

Office of Graduate Studies
Jefferson City, MO
Website

MEd (on-campus)

Middle School Education: Business, English, Math, or Science

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $304 (in-state), $564 (out-of-state)

$82 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Small classes in a collaborative learning environment
Graduate student resources and academic support services

Lincoln University is the only Missouri program on this list, and it is narrow: middle school only, in four content areas, on-campus in Jefferson City. At $304 per credit in state it is $82 below the Missouri public average. Middle school is a band many candidates overlook, and many districts struggle to staff, so a license aimed squarely at grades 5 through 9 is more useful than it first appears.

Nebraska

Doane University (PR)

Doane University logo

College of Education
Crete, NE
Website

MEd in Curriculum and Instruction

Elementary K-6
Secondary 7-12: Science, Mathematics, Social Science, English, Language Arts, Foreign Languages, or Art K-12
Special Education K-12

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $260

$448 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Initial Certification at the Advanced Level program runs from the Lincoln campus, with some courses online
Endorsements available in Early Childhood, English as a Second Language, Reading Specialist, Reading and Writing, and Special Education
Tuition stipends through an NSF Noyce STEM grant may be available to qualifying students

At $260 per credit, Doane is the second-cheapest private program in this guide and $448 below the Nebraska private average. The Noyce STEM stipend is the detail worth chasing: if you are heading into math or science teaching and qualify, it can cut the cost of the degree substantially. Classes run on flexible schedules with online components, and the program is designed for people who arrive with professional experience rather than straight from a bachelor's.

University of Nebraska-Kearney (PU)

University of Nebraska-Kearney logo

College of Education
Kearney, NE
Website

MA in Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Post-baccalaureate Transitional Certification Concentration

Credits earned through the Transitional Certification Program, UNK's alternative pathway to initial certification for applicants holding a non-teaching bachelor's or higher, can be applied toward the MA in Curriculum and Instruction. The program can also be taken on its own, without the degree, purely as a route to Nebraska certification.

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $252 (in-state), $554 (out-of-state), $309 (online)

$35 less than the state average for post-baccalaureate preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Teacher education at UNK dates to 1905
At least one UNK graduate teaching in every school district in Nebraska

UNK is the entry on this page that most directly matches what a career changer needs: a post-baccalaureate transitional certification route that can either stand alone as a licensure pathway or roll into a master's. At $252 per credit in state, or $309 online, it is among the cheapest options in the guide either way. The department puts candidates into classrooms early and often. UNK also offers a range of master's degrees for teachers who are already licensed and want additional endorsements, in areas including reading, special education, instructional technology, ESL, and Montessori.

Nevada

University of Nevada, Reno (PU)

University of Nevada, Reno logo

College of Education
Reno, NV
Website

MEd in Elementary Education K-8

MEd in Secondary Education

MEd in Special Education

Entrance exam required: GRE, Praxis, or CBEST

Estimated cost per credit: $286 (in-state), $587 (out-of-state)

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

On-campus centers including the Center for Learning and Literacy, the Early Learning Center, and the Learning Resource Center
Secondary program offers a fast-track option leading to a license in as few as two semesters
Initiatives such as the Nevada Math Project and the Northern Nevada Girls Math and Technology camp
Career Services assists with teacher placement and advising

The fast-track secondary option is the headline: two semesters to a Nevada license. UNR is the only Nevada program on this list and it covers all three broad routes at $286 per credit in state. Candidates build a performance portfolio across the program documenting competence in each required domain, and the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching lets you complete part of your student teaching internationally.

New Jersey

Georgian Court University (PR)

Georgian Court University logo

School of Education
Lakewood, NJ
Website

MAT in ESL

MAT in Early Childhood Education P-3

MAT in Elementary Education K-6

MAT in Teacher of Specific Subject K-12

Language Arts
Science
World Language
Math
Art
Business Education
Social Studies

Every MAT here includes a Teacher of Students With Disabilities endorsement.

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $681

$296 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: TEAC. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Ranked among the Best Regional Universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report in 2018
More than 90% of faculty hold doctoral degrees in their field

Every MAT at Georgian Court carries a Teacher of Students With Disabilities endorsement, which means you graduate with two credentials rather than one. That is a real hiring advantage in New Jersey, where districts fill special education vacancies year after year. Small classes and individual mentoring, at $681 per credit, which is $296 below the state private average.

Montclair State University (PU)

Montclair State University logo

College of Education and Human Services
Montclair, NJ
Website

MAT

Art
Biological Science
Chemistry
Earth Science
Early Childhood Education P-3
Elementary Education K-6
English
English as a Second Language
French
Health and Physical Education
Mathematics
Music
Physical Education
Physical Science
Social Studies
Spanish

MAT with Dual Certification as Teacher of Students with Disabilities

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core or GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $701 (in-state), $1,024 (out-of-state)

$16 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Center of Pedagogy brings together faculty from every discipline for mentoring and collaborative work
Early Childhood Education program approved by the National Association for the Education of Young Children
Newark Montclair Urban Teacher Residency partners with high-need city schools

Montclair has the longest concentration list in New Jersey on this list, sixteen areas plus a dual certification option in special education. The Newark Montclair Urban Teacher Residency places candidates in some of the most demanding schools in the country, which is either the reason to choose this program or the reason to look elsewhere, depending on where you want to teach. At $701 per credit, it is the most expensive public program in this guide.

New York

Touro University (PR)

Touro University logo

Graduate School of Education
New York, NY
Website

MS in Childhood Education and Special Education 1-6

MS in Early Childhood and Special Education, Birth to Grade 2

MS in Teaching Students with Disabilities 7-12

MS in Jewish Childhood Education and Special Education

MS in Mathematics Education

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $590

$482 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: TEAC. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Programs available on campus or online
Dual certification options in childhood and special education
An e-portfolio compiled through the program documents your development
Formerly Touro College, now Touro University

Four of Touro's five programs lead to dual certification pairing general and special education, which is the most employable combination in New York City. The MS in Jewish Childhood Education and Special Education is the only program of its kind on this page. Field experience is heavy, and the Teaching Academy runs in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, so placements and hiring contacts come from the district itself.

City College of New York (PU)

City College of New York logo

Department of Curriculum and Instruction
New York, NY
Website

MA in Art Education K-12

MA in Education 7-12

English
Mathematics
Social Studies
Biology
Chemistry
Earth and Atmospheric Science
Physics

MSEd in Bilingual Childhood Education

MSEd in Educational Theatre

MS in Mathematics Education 5-9

MSEd in Spanish Education 7-12

MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages PK-12

MSEd in Teacher of Students with Disabilities

Grades 1-6
Grades 5-9

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $449 (in-state), $830 (out-of-state)

$19 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Placed consistently in the top 1.2% of universities worldwide by the Center for World University Rankings
Research funding with graduate student participation
Campus resources include the Multimedia Center and the Learning and Technology Resource Center

City College offers the widest set of licensure routes in New York on this list, including educational theatre, bilingual childhood education, and TESOL, at $449 per credit in state. Founded in 1847, it has spent its history building programs the city actually needs, and right now that means teachers. The active education alumni group is worth using: in a district the size of New York's, knowing people is how vacancies get found.

Stony Brook University (PU)

Stony Brook University logo

School of Professional Development
Stony Brook, NY
Website

MAT 7-12, with an option for a 5-6 extension

Biology
Chemistry
Earth Science
English
French, Italian, or Spanish
Mathematics
Physics
Social Studies

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $471 (in-state), $963 (out-of-state)

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Collaborations with local districts, teacher centers, and BOCES for placements
Some courses available online or in the evenings
Distributed Teacher and Leader Education spans inner-city, rural, and suburban placements

Stony Brook gives you the most student teaching of any program in this guide: the entire final semester, 75 days split between a middle school and a high school classroom. Two settings rather than one is unusual, and it tells you a great deal about which age group you actually want. The 5-6 extension broadens a secondary license down into middle grades, which widens where you can apply.

North Carolina

Campbell University (PR)

Campbell University logo

School of Education
Buies Creek, NC
Website

MEd in Elementary Education 1-6

MEd in Middle Grades Education 6-9

Language Arts
Social Studies
Math

MEd in Health and Physical Education K-12

MEd in Secondary Education 9-12

English
Math
Social Studies

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $495

$457 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Accreditation: CAEP

Curriculum informed by the university's Baptist heritage
Candidates develop an action-based research plan through their own research project
15:1 student-to-faculty ratio

Campbell covers all four grade bands from elementary through secondary, plus K-12 health and physical education, and it sits $457 below the North Carolina private average. Coursework runs through teaching strategies, educational psychology, and working with students with special needs, and every candidate completes an action research project. The Christian framing of the program is explicit rather than incidental.

East Carolina University (PU)

East Carolina University logo

College of Education
Greenville, NC
Website

MAT

Art
Elementary Education
English
Family and Consumer Sciences (not accepting applicants at the time of our survey)
Hispanic Studies
History
Middle Grades
Music
Physical Education
Science
Special Education

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $198 (in-state), $746 (out-of-state)

$134 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Many graduates go on to attain National Board Certification
Collaboration across departments puts subject-matter faculty in your specialization courses
Center for STEM Education offers instruction and a resource library

At $198 per credit in-state, East Carolina is the second-cheapest program in this guide behind Louisiana Tech, and it offers eleven concentrations rather than the two or three most low-cost programs limit you to. The Center for STEM Education runs the AP Summer Institute and hosts Science Olympiad tournaments, which are practical ways to add experience hours before you finish. The out-of-state rate is nearly four times the in-state rate.

North Dakota

Mayville State University (PU)

Mayville State University logo

Division of Education
Mayville, ND
Website

MAT

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $310 (in-state), $336 (online), $310 (out-of-state)

$46 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Entirely online class format
Standards-based curriculum supporting North Dakota secondary content area licensure
Teaching Mentorship Clinical Experience provides classroom time before licensure

Mayville State charges the same $310 per credit to residents and non-residents, and delivers the MAT entirely online. North Dakota's teacher shortage is the reason this program exists in its current form, and the state's need is severe enough that a license here has somewhere to go immediately. The Teaching Mentorship Clinical Experience puts you in a classroom before you are licensed rather than after.

Ohio

Otterbein University (PR)

Otterbein University logo

Department of Education
Westerville, OH
Website

MAT in Middle Childhood Education 4-9

Language Arts and Reading
Mathematics

MAT Intervention Specialist K-12

Mild to Moderate
Moderate to Intensive

Entrance exam required: GRE or Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $559

$100 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Part-time program with evening courses or a blended format including some online study
Experiential learning built into every phase of the program

Otterbein's Intervention Specialist tracks go to the moderate-to-intensive level, which prepares you for students with significant disabilities and is a narrower specialization than most programs offer. The elective range is unusually wide for a program this size. Evening and blended scheduling on a part-time basis makes it one of the more manageable options in Ohio for someone still working.

Bowling Green State University (PU)

Bowling Green State University logo

School of Teaching and Learning
Bowling Green, OH
Website

MEd in Teacher Education

Integrated Mathematics/Science
World Languages

Entrance exam required: ACTFL OPI and WPT, or the OAE in pedagogy and your specialization content area

Estimated cost per credit: $445 (in-state), $778 (out-of-state)

$50 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

One of Ohio's largest master's-level preparation programs, with 34 full-time faculty and 250 graduate students
Career Services runs one of the largest teacher job fairs in the country
Classroom-based action research project as part of thesis work

The BGSU MEd carries more coursework and a deeper research component than Ohio's alternative licensing route for degree-holders, and the thesis is a classroom-based action research project rather than a library exercise. Only two concentrations: integrated math and science or world languages, so this is a program you choose for a specific license. The teacher job fair is among the biggest anywhere, which is worth real money to someone with no education network.

Ohio University (PU)

Ohio University logo

Patton College of Education
Athens, OH
Website

MEd in Adolescent-to-Young Adult and Multi-Age

Integrated Language Arts
Integrated Mathematics
Integrated Social Studies
Sciences: Integrated Science, Physical Science, Life Science, or Earth/Space Science
Art Education K-12
Family and Consumer Sciences K-12

MEd in Middle Childhood Education

Math and Social Studies
Science and Social Studies
Math and Science
Language Arts and Social Studies
Language Arts and Science
Language Arts and Mathematics

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $394 (in-state), $727 (out-of-state)

$101 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Office of Clinical Experience arranges a yearlong teaching internship placement
Support through the Center for Clinical Practice in Education and the OHIO Center for Equity in Mathematics and Science
A master's research project spans the full year, from question to findings
Math and science candidates may qualify for a Noyce program offering tuition support and a stipend

A yearlong internship placement and a yearlong research project make this the most immersive Ohio option on the list, and the middle childhood tracks pair two content areas so a single license covers more of a school's timetable. Math and science candidates should ask about Noyce funding early, because it can change the cost of the degree entirely. At $394 per credit in state it undercuts Bowling Green.

Oklahoma

Oral Roberts University (PR)

Oral Roberts University logo

College of Education
Tulsa, OK
Website

MAT

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $532

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Small cohorts with close contact between students and instructors
Graduates teach and lead in both public and private schools internationally
Faculty hold degrees from research universities across the country

Oral Roberts trains teachers inside an explicitly Christian framework, and the program treats ethics and professional conduct as coursework rather than assumption. Underneath that sits a conventional foundation in the history and philosophy of education, pedagogy, and instructional strategy across primary and secondary levels. One MAT, no published concentration list, so ask what content areas are currently supported.

Oklahoma State University (PU)

Oklahoma State University logo

School of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Sciences
Stillwater, OK
Website

MAT

Secondary Science 6-12
Secondary Mathematics 6-12
Elementary Education

Entrance exam required: OGET, plus the OSAT for your subject area

Estimated cost per credit: $230 (in-state), $876 (out-of-state)

$42 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Faculty include appointees to national science and mathematics associations
Average class size under 20
Ranked among the top 75 graduate programs in education by U.S. News & World Report
Centers include the Center for Research on STEM Teaching and Learning and the OSU Writing Project

OSU is the cheapest Oklahoma program here at $230 per credit in-state, and it concentrates on secondary math, secondary science, and elementary. The coursework covers managing diverse classrooms, curriculum design, and assessment strategy, with class sizes under 20. Note that Oklahoma requires both the OGET and a subject-area OSAT, so budget for two exams rather than one.

Northeastern State University (PU)

Northeastern State University logo

Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Tahlequah, OK
Website

MEd in Special Education, Autism Spectrum Disorders

Entrance exam required: GRE or GMAT

Estimated cost per credit: $250 (in-state), $556 (out-of-state)

$22 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP. The NCATE accreditation our survey recorded is historical.

Available at the Tahlequah, Muskogee, and Broken Arrow campuses
Graduate faculty hold doctorates or the highest terminal degree in their field
Community outreach through the Reading Clinic and the Capitola "Cappi" Wadley Center, which provides PK-12 tutoring

Autism spectrum disorder is one of the fastest-changing areas in special education, and NSU is the only program in this guide built entirely around it. Candidates take part in research and assessment work rather than only coursework, which matters in a field where practice keeps shifting. Three campus locations across northeastern Oklahoma at $250 per credit in state.

Oregon

University of Portland (PR)

University of Portland logo

School of Education
Portland, OR
Website

MAT

Entrance exam required: NES. Conditional admission is possible, but the exam must be passed during your first semester.

Estimated cost per credit: $995

$161 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

10-month cohort-based program
Holds to the Holy Cross tradition of whole-child education
Partnerships with 100 local schools and 18 area school systems
Full-time faculty hold doctorates and have classroom experience

Ten months, and it starts with a summer tutoring block where you work directly with students before any of the theory arrives. Student teaching then runs from fall through spring, so you are in a classroom during every phase. At $995 per credit, this is the second most expensive program in the guide, and the conditional admission option is useful if your NES score is not in hand when you apply.

Oregon State University (PU)

Oregon State University logo

College of Education
Corvallis, OR
Website

MAT in Clinically Based Elementary Education

MAT

Elementary K-8
Language Arts 5-12
Science 5-12: Integrated Science, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics
Mathematics 5-12
Social Studies 5-12

Entrance exam required: GRE, or NES plus ORELA

Estimated cost per credit: $359 (in-state), $560 (online), $694 (out-of-state)

$78 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

MAT in Clinically Based Elementary Education is a hybrid two-year program with in-person and online courses
OSU Ecampus is consistently ranked among the leaders in online education
Cohort MAT at OSU Cascades in Bend is the only site-based teaching degree in Central Oregon
ESOL endorsements available with additional coursework

Two different programs sit under one heading here. The clinically based hybrid places you in Portland Public Schools or the Beaverton School District, twice a week in year one and every day in year two, which is more classroom time than almost anything else in this guide. The Bend cohort at OSU Cascades is the only site-based option in Central Oregon and leans toward rural placements. Pick based on where you want to end up teaching.

Pennsylvania

Indiana University of Pennsylvania (PU)

Indiana University of Pennsylvania logo

College of Health and Human Services, and College of Education and Communications
Indiana, PA
Website

MEd in Health and Physical Education

K-12 Teacher Certification

MEd in Business and Workforce Development

Business, Computer, and Information Technology

Entrance exam required: GMAT, GRE, or Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $516 (in-state), $774 (out-of-state)

$44 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Accreditation: CAEP. The NCATE accreditation our survey recorded is historical.

Named among the Best Northeastern Colleges by the Princeton Review, which also lists it among the best business schools in the U.S.
Listed on the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges list
More Fulbright scholars on the faculty than any other school in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education

IUP is here for two licenses that are difficult to find anywhere: K-12 health and physical education, and business with computer and information technology. If your bachelor's is in business or IT, this is one of the few programs on this page that turns that degree directly into a teaching credential. The Health and Human Services department is the largest at the university and runs the Center for Sport Science Research and Education.

South Carolina

Anderson University (PR)

Anderson University logo

College of Education
Greenville, SC
Website

MAT in Elementary Education 2-6

Entrance exam required: Praxis Core

Estimated cost per credit: $380

$24 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Evening classes two nights a week
Ranked on the U.S. News & World Report Most Innovative Colleges list
85 hours of field experience and 65 days of clinical experience

Anderson runs one track, elementary 2-6, on a two-nights-a-week evening schedule that is about as compatible with a day job as a licensure program gets. It builds in 85 hours of field experience plus 65 days of clinical placement. Through the Call Me MISTER initiative, the program works specifically to bring minority men into elementary classrooms, where they remain heavily underrepresented.

South Carolina State University (PU)

South Carolina State University logo

College of Education
Orangeburg, SC
Website

MAT

Early Childhood Education K-3
Elementary Education 1-8
Secondary Education: English, Mathematics, or Science

Entrance exam required: GRE

Estimated cost per credit: $414 (in-state), $887 (out-of-state)

$124 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at public institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

The Child Development Learning Center supports volunteer work and research
Accredited for more than 40 consecutive years

SCSU takes candidates through the history and psychology of learning before building practical skills on top of it, which suits people who want to understand why a method works rather than only how to run it. Placements are supervised by faculty mentors throughout. Five tracks spanning K-3 to secondary, at $414 per credit in-state and $124 below the South Carolina public average.

Tennessee

Milligan University (PR)

Milligan University logo

Office of Graduate and Professional Studies
Milligan, TN
Website

MEd in Elementary Education K-5

MEd in Middle Grades Education 6-8

Math
Science

MEd in Secondary Education

Biology
Business and Business Technology
Chemistry
English
Visual Arts K-12
Theater K-12
History
Physical Education K-12
World Languages P-12
Math
Government
Psychology
Sociology

Entrance exam required: GRE, with a waiver available for high SAT or ACT scores

Estimated cost per credit: $365

$483 less than the state average for master's-level preparation programs at private institutions

Historical accreditation: NCATE. Current CAEP or AAQEP status needs confirming with the school.

Accelerated 4+1 option leads to a master's and a license in five years total
Ranked among both the best value colleges and the best colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report
ESL-specific versions of most content areas roughly double the concentration list
Completable in as few as four semesters, or 14 months
Formerly Milligan College, now Milligan University

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a master's degree to become a teacher?

No. A bachelor's degree is the typical minimum for standard public-school teacher licensure, but preparation and testing requirements vary by state and by pathway. A master's-level program is one route to a license, and it suits people who already hold a bachelor's in another field. The alternative routes are a post-baccalaureate certificate or an alternative certification program, both of which cost less and take less time. What the master's adds is a graduate degree from the start, which may qualify you for a higher salary lane depending on district policy. Salary schedules are set district by district, and both the differential and the eligibility rules vary.

What will one of these programs cost me in total?

Multiply the cost per credit by the credits your concentration requires, then add the parts that sit outside tuition: program and technology fees, background checks, the entrance exam, the licensure exams, and the application fee. Then account for the student teaching semester, which is usually full-time and unpaid. For a career changer leaving a salaried job, that lost income is frequently the largest single cost of the whole route, and it is the one nobody puts on a tuition page.

Is CAEP accreditation required for me to get a teaching license?

No. Specialized accreditation from CAEP or AAQEP is a voluntary quality review, not a licensure requirement, and no state conditions your license on it. The approval that governs your license is state program approval from your state's educator-licensing agency. A state-approved program without CAEP accreditation can license you. We used accreditation as a filter for this list because it signals an outside review of curriculum, faculty, and field placements, not because it is mandatory.

Can I earn a teaching license entirely online?

The coursework, yes. Many programs on this page run fully online, and several charge one rate regardless of where you live. The student teaching cannot happen online. Supervised classroom hours in a real school are required on almost every route, though the amount and structure differ by state, pathway, and credential type, so you will need a placement within reach of where you live and a schedule that allows you to be in a classroom during the school day. Ask any online program how it arranges placements for out-of-area students before you enroll.

Does the degree name, MAT or MEd or MSEd, affect my license?

Not in itself. Schools use different labels for programs that produce the same credential, and the letters are not a ranking. What matters is whether that specific program, in your concentration and grade band, is approved for initial licensure in the state where you intend to teach. The same department can offer one degree that licenses you and another that does not, so confirm the approval rather than reading the degree title.

Cost per credit, not sticker price - Programs on this page range from $162 to $1,305 per credit for credentials that do the same job. Multiply by the credits your concentration requires, and check which of the in-state, out-of-state, and online rates applies to you.
State approval decides your license, accreditation does not - Verify a program is approved by the licensing agency in the state where you want to teach. CAEP and AAQEP accreditation are useful quality signals and are required nowhere.
Online coursework is common, online student teaching is not - Several programs here charge one rate nationwide, but supervised classroom hours happen in person on almost every route, with the amount varying by state and pathway. Ask how a distance program handles placements before enrolling.
Budget for the unpaid semester - Full-time student teaching is usually unpaid and rarely compatible with a job. For most career changers this is the largest cost of the route and it appears on no tuition page.
Shortage subjects change the math - Special education, secondary math and science, and world languages have the most vacancies. A program licensing you into one of those is worth more than a cheaper program that does not.
Confirm every figure before you apply - The tuition rates here come from each school's published graduate rate at the time of our survey. Graduate tuition moves most years, so treat these numbers as a way to narrow the list rather than as a quote.

Salpy Baharian, M.Ed

Salpy Baharian knew she wanted to become an educator from early on. After being inspired by her sixth grade Social Studies teacher, she knew she wanted to do the same. Salpy has a Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential as well as a Master's Degree in Education, with a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction. As an educator, Salpy strives to create authentic learning experiences for her students in order to motivate them to excel at their highest potential. She hopes to give students the opportunity to develop into critical thinkers who are creative and conscious members of society. She hopes the information provided on this website will help passionate individuals begin careers in education.

See Full Bio

2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School Teachers. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.

Tuition rates and concentration lists change more often than a page like this can track, and the only figures that matter are the ones a school will put in writing for the term you plan to start. The sponsored programs on this page include online and hybrid options built for people who already hold a bachelor's in another field, and their admissions staff can tell you what a first license would cost you this year.

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