Enhance your impact in the classroom with an affordable online masters' degree in elementary education!
If you want to work with young children and become a leader in your school, then a master's in elementary education is probably in your future.Whether you're already a working teacher or looking to obtain your first teaching license, a master's degree is a great way to learn new skills – and open doors to other career possibilities in the world of K-12 education.
But a master's in education does more than expand employment possibilities. The U.S. Department of Education reports that high-quality teacher preparation can make a dramatic impact on student outcomes – even outweighing negative factors like poverty.
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What kind of master's in elementary education degree should you get?
Not all master's in elementary education are created equal. And one of the biggest distinctions to be made is between degrees that lead to licensure and those that do not. If you don't already have a teaching license and need one, look for those that provide initial teaching licensure – and make sure it will be accepted in your home state.
If you're ready to take the plunge into a master's program but can't leave your home or work to do so, don't despair! There are plenty of good, accredited online options available. Online programs provide both affordability and flexibility while providing a path to an advanced degree that employers will respect.
For more information, check out our ranking of the Most Affordable Online Colleges for a Graduate Degree.
How much money do people make with a master's degree in elementary education?
Salaries vary widely state by state – but master's degrees in Education generally do pay off. In an article by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, educational careers rank among the professions in which having an advanced degree delivers a "relatively high" payoff. That's strong language for the BLS. Here are some examples of the difference a master's makes to median annual wages:
Education Administrators with bachelors only: $52,000
Education Administrators with masters: $75,000 ($23,000 annual wage premium)
Elementary teachers with bachelors only: $42,100
Elementary teachers with master's degree: 54,000 ($11,900 annual wage premium)
What can you do with a master's degree in elementary education?
Well, obviously you can teach. And a master's degree provides advanced skills that will greatly enhance your classroom practice.
But there are also a number of non-teaching careers that make good use of a master's in education. From school administration to educational consultancy or even corporate training – you'll gain organizational and leadership skills that you can put to work in a number of careers. Here are some jobs you might qualify for:
Principal or Administrator
Special Education Teacher
School or Career Counselor
Instructional specialist
Content Developer (writing lesson outlines or standardized tests)
What are the requirements for a master's degree in elementary education?
Admission requirements vary widely depending on the degree program. Program websites are valuable sources for admissions information, and scouring these for specific requirements is a good idea. But here are a few common requirements:
All programs require a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
Many master's programs are intended for experienced teachers and require an initial teacher's license for admission to the program.
Some programs require standardized test scores like the GRE.
For programs that don't require a teaching license, you may need to provide evidence that you have experience working with children in some capacity.
What are the most affordable online master's in elementary education degrees?
At College Choice, we know you're looking for good value for your master's degree. But spending hours perusing the National Center for Educational Statistics website isn't really a good use of your time.
So we've done it for you. We've found 25 cheap, accredited online master's in elementary education programs and ranked them according to their net price. The net price takes into consideration the extra fees that many schools pile on top of their per-credit tuition rate, so you can feel confident that the price you see will reflect what the school will expect you to pay.
We hope this ranking helps you find a great – and affordable – program!
Ranking
See our rankings methodology page.
