Best Online Master’s in Educational Leadership Programs of 2025

If you’re a teacher looking to break into leadership positions, a master’s in educational leadership program can prepare you for jobs both inside and outside of the classroom.

The leadership-focused curriculum can help you build on your teaching experience, step into instructional design and school administration careers, and can also set you up for success as a corporate trainer. Online programs are often focused on flexibility to help you pursue your degree around your work and personal life.

We ranked the best online master’s in educational leadership programs using factors like student outcomes and affordability to help you choose the best program for you.

Source: BLS, BestCollege

Make sure to pursue a degree at an accredited institution that fits your flexibility and affordability needs. If you want to pursue a degree while staying in the field, you might want to consider an asynchronous format.

An online graduate degree in education can cost under $7,000 yearly after grants and aid, but prices vary widely by program format and institution type. Degrees from private, selective institutions tend to be more expensive than those at regional public universities, and full-time programs are typically more costly than part-time programs.

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid can help you get loans and grants to help pay for your master’s degree.

Most master’s in educational leadership programs take 30 credits and between one and two years to complete, although some programs are offered in a self-paced or accelerated format to allow you to finish the degree faster. That’s about on pace for a typical master’s degree.

If you aren’t studying full-time, your program might take longer than two years to complete.

A master’s in educational leadership degree can prepare you for administrative roles, such as a principal or administrator, or can help you step into a leadership position within your teaching role.

But that isn’t all you can do with an educational leadership graduate degree: The financial and management focus of the degree will also open up doors in the corporate world, such as a corporate trainer or instructional coordinator.

While principal positions are projected for a decline over the next decade, the BLS projects corporate trainers to grow faster than average.

Source: BLS

While employment of principals is projected to see an overall decline as the U.S. sees a demographic cliff in education, a master’s in educational leadership can position you as a leader in your field and prepare you for careers both inside and outside of traditional education.

Corporate trainers, for instance, made a median annual salary of more than $125,000 as of May 2023. A master’s degree can also boost your earning potential within your current career. Ninety-two percent of online psychology, education, and social sciences students and graduates we surveyed said that earning an online degree has had or will have a positive return on investment.

Most online educational leadership master’s degrees are designed for working professionals, meaning you won’t have to sacrifice work or family obligations to get your degree.

A master’s in educational leadership can also position you to pursue a doctorate in that field or a related discipline. A doctoral degree has a heavy research and theory focus and can position you to pursue a professorial or research career.

A doctoral degree in educational leadership coupled with work experience can also open up high-level leadership positions, such as a district superintendent or administrator at a university. It can also position you for leadership positions within a university’s faculty.

Keep in mind that a doctoral degree doesn’t guarantee any of those highly competitive positions, but rather prepares you with the right skills to help you succeed.