Educators are the bedrock of our society. Be the bridge to higher education with a top master's in secondary education degree.
Teachers are given one of the most challenging and rewarding tasks out there — to educate and nurture our young people. Teenagers often spend more hours in a day with their teachers than with anyone else. So we need the right people on the job!
Most of us can think of an educator in our lives that made a difference. Someone who encouraged us to take a risk, or showed us our true potential. By earning a master's in secondary education, you could be that teacher who makes a huge difference.
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What kind of master's in secondary education degree should you get?
The schools on this list are all standouts in their own right. You'll find Ivy League schools, Public Ivy universities, religiously-affiliated schools, and flagship universities. They really run the gamut. But they all share one thing in common: excellent master's in secondary education degrees.
You might see a few different degree titles on this list — MA or MEd are the most common. A master of arts in teaching will likely be grouped with a specialization in a content area. This is your standard licensing degree. A master of education tends to have a broader scope and focus on a specific issue in education like curriculum & instruction or technology in the classroom.
If you'd prefer to do distance education, check out College Choice's ranking of the 15 Most Affordable Online Master's in Education.
What can you do with a master's in secondary education degree?
Middle school and high school were either the best times of your life or the worst. Regardless, as secondary education teacher, your job is to try to make everyone's middle and high school experience the best it can be. It's true though — a side perk of the job is that you can either relive the glory days or get a second chance!
A huge number of students jump into teaching right out of their undergraduate degree. And for the record, they are some of the most innovative and forward-thinking educators out there. But with an advanced degree in secondary education, you're able to dig deeper into curriculum, classroom dynamics, and educational policy.
You'll also be able to specialize. Most middle school and high school teachers pick out one or two content areas that they want to teach. The four common ones are English, science, math, or social studies. When you graduate, you'll be qualified to teach grades 7-12 in your content area.
How much money do people make with a master's in secondary education degree?
It's widely known that teacher's often don't get paid fairly for the huge amount of work they put into their careers. But that's no reason to stay away from the profession! And by earning an advanced degree in education, you're guaranteeing yourself a higher paycheck. Here are the average salary ranges for educators across the country:
High School Teacher: $39k to $95k
Middle School Teacher: $38k to $91k
Clearly, there's quite a range in salary. Most secondary education teachers end up making around $55,000 per year. But here's the thing — we're always going to need dedicated folks to teach and nurture our young people. The reward in that, I'm sure many teachers would agree, is priceless.
What are the best master's in secondary education degrees?
The ranking below outlines the 35 best master's in secondary education degrees. These programs have graduated literally thousands of educators who are now top teachers in their schools. Soon enough, you'll be able to join the ranks and make a huge difference in the lives of countless young people!
Here's what you'll find below: a short bio of each program and school, a sampling of courses from the curriculum, a glimpse at the tuition rates and school websites, and our College Choice rating.
We've considered tuition rates, retention rates, post-graduation salaries, and everything in between! Our metrics come directly from the program websites, as well as the highly reputable U.S. News & World Report and Payscale.com.
Rankings
See our rankings methodology page.
