Achieve your career goals and inspire the next generation of learners with a master's in elementary education from a top university.
If you have a passion for helping children learn, this ranking is for you. We all know that having a great teacher can make a massive impact on a child's life – but nobody becomes a master teacher overnight.
Mastering the art of teaching takes time, experience, and preparation. Studies show that excellent teacher preparation makes a huge difference in student outcomes. By pursuing an advanced degree in education, you'll learn evidence-based practices and experience the essential mentorship that you'll need to excel in the classroom.
What kind of Master's in Elementary Education degree should you get?
There are a lot of options out there. This ranking covers quite a few – from degrees that provide initial licensure to those that provide advanced credentials. Some are practitioner focused, while others lead to careers in research.
One thing that all the programs on this ranking do have in common is that they are campus-based programs. But if you can't (or don't want to) put your life on hold to complete your master's degree, there are excellent online options available.
The days when an online degree was a dubious achievement are well in the past. Accredited online degrees are as rigorous as their campus-based counterparts and respected by employers.
For more information, check out our ranking of the Best Online Master's in Elementary Education Degrees.
Accredited Online College Programs
Explore our featured online programs and find the right match for you today.
How much money do people make with a master's in elementary education?
Nobody goes into education to become rich. That said, getting a Master's degree in Education can deliver huge benefits to your paycheck – even after you factor in the cost of the degree. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks a Master's in Education among the degrees that deliver a "relatively high" payoff.
A master's degree opens doors to the highest paying jobs in education (like school principalships), and for all other jobs it confers a significant yearly wage premium. Here are a few incentivizing numbers from the BLS:
Education Administrators with master's: $23,000 average annual wage premium
Elementary teachers with master's: $11,900 average annual wage premium
Elementary, Middle, High School Principal: $92,510 median annual salary
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What can you do with a master's degree in elementary education?
The schools on this ranking have some of the top education programs in the country, and their Master's in Education programs provide outstanding training in both teaching and leadership. Whether you want to teach for the rest of your life or move into another career, your master's degree will open doors to countless job opportunities. Here are some possibilities:
Principal or Administrator
Educational Researcher
Instructional Specialist
Corporate Trainer
Educational Consultant
What are the requirements for a master's degree in elementary education?
The programs on this ranking are some of the most selective in the country. These schools are looking for highly qualified and committed candidates—and it's your job to prove that they want you in their program.
Admissions teams do look at academic performance, but good grades are only one part of the package. You will need to demonstrate your passion for educating young children in diverse and inclusive settings. Schools provide a variety of ways to do this, but here are a few common admission requirements:
A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and a pretty healthy GPA
GRE or other standardized test scores
Experience working with children in some capacity (coaching, mentoring, tutoring)
A personal statement outlining your career goals
For programs leading to advanced credentials, you may need an initial teaching license.
What are the best master's in elementary education degrees?
So what makes for a top program? At College Choice, we are looking for schools that deliver both academic excellence and return on investment.
First of all, accreditation is critical, so all the schools on our list are regionally accredited. Additionally, many programs are accredited by the main educational accrediting bodies: NCATE, CAEP, or TEAC.
The College Choice score we give to each school takes into account a variety of factors. Our research team slogs through the data, weighing academic reputation rankings, program tuition rates, early career earnings of graduates, and student satisfaction. And we're confident that the resulting score reflects the quality of program you'll encounter.
Best Master's in Elementary Education Degrees
See our rankings methodology page.
