Best Colleges for Online Master’s Degrees: 2024

5 Things All of the Best Online Master’s Programs Have in Common

When comparing potential programs, certain facets keep in mind if you want to have a successful and fulfilling experience. Here are five components all of the best online master’s degrees should have in common:

Proper Accreditation

Attending a properly accredited online master’s program can make a difference in whether you’re able to transfer credits, receive certification/licensure, and even find a job after graduating. You should always look for colleges that hold regional accreditation from one of six approved bodies at the institutional level. Depending on your chosen subject, you may also need to ensure your program has programmatic accreditation through an approved agency. When in doubt, use the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Postsecondary Institutions and Programs to check on both institutional and programmatic accreditation status.

Reasonable Costs

Earning an online master’s degree shouldn’t mean you’re stuck paying student loans for decades. Finding reasonably priced programs is paramount to your success, and you can find top degrees that won’t break the bank. It’s essential to review both tuition and fees, as the fees can also add high costs to your program’s final price tag. If an option seems someone out of your price range, ask about school-sponsored financial aid programs that can help make the program more affordable.

Extensive Online Student Support

As the pandemic has shown, going it alone in work or school can add extra challenges. Finding a program that offers a wide variety of support services can help ease your burden and make the process feel more communal. The best online master’s programs provide cutting-edge services such as student coaches, online writing and math tutoring, digital libraries, and career offices that can help you find internships and jobs. If applicable, you should also ask about disability services and available accommodation support.

Strong Online Education Track Record

The best online master’s degrees proudly tout data showing their graduation and job placement rates. Suppose you’re going to invest substantial time and money into furthering your education. In that case, you want to know that the program you pick has a history of graduating successful and prepared students. If you can’t find data on the program website, reach out to an admissions counselor. You can also find program alumni on platforms such as LinkedIn to ask if they feel the program met their needs during and after enrollment.

Innovative and Reliable Online Learning Technologies

When your entire college career rests on accessing coursework and turning in assignments digitally, you want to make sure you find a program that continually invests in these technologies. It’s also important for the school to prioritize innovative and practical ways of staying connected to your instructors and fellow students. Some schools allow you to test drive the learning management system to get a feel for what online learning looks like – after narrowing down your top programs, ask if this is an option.

Ability to Specialize

Many of the best online master’s degrees provide concentrations within the more extensive subject, making it easier to develop specialized knowledge. For instance, at Champlain College, the online M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education provides specializations in administration, teaching, and special education. At Georgia Tech, pursuing a master’s in computer science means you can choose from specializations in machine learning, interactive intelligence, computing systems, or computational perception and robotics.

New and Better Career Opportunities

If you’re on the fence about whether a master’s degree is really all that better than a bachelor’s degree, know that these advanced programs can lead to enhanced career opportunities – whether that mean advancing in your current role or pivoting to a new field. National University, for example, highlights some of the benefits of a master’s in organizational leadership over a bachelor’s degree.

Higher Salary Ceilings

Spending thousands of dollars on a master’s degree should result in higher earnings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, professionals with a master’s degree brought home weekly median earnings of $1,434. In contrast, their counterparts with bachelor’s degrees earned $1,198. The same report also showed that possessing an advanced degree can curb the chance of facing unemployment.

Flexible Degree Plans

One of the best benefits of online learning is the flexibility it provides. Whether you need multiple start dates each year, the choice between asynchronous and synchronous learning, or accelerated, full-time, and part-time schedules, the best online master’s degrees can help you fit the program into an already busy schedule. Some schools, such as Walden University, allow you to complete classes at your own pace by showing subject competency.

Business

MBAs may be the first type of advanced business degree you think of, but you can also find other professional degrees focused on essential topics such as finance, marketing, accounting, leadership, healthcare management, and other relevant subjects.

Discover the best online master’s in degrees in business.

Counseling

Earning a master’s in counseling or related subject qualifies you to take on roles such as marriage and family therapist, a sports psychologist, health psychologist, school counselor, and organizational counselor.

Get an inside look at the best online master’s degrees in counseling.

Engineering

Engineering covers a vast and ever-evolving discipline. Whether you want to work with electronics and computers, project management, mechanics, or even leadership, you can find plenty of online master’s in engineering.

Explore today’s best online engineering master’s degree programs.

Education and Teaching

Education and teaching master’s degrees, in concert with licensure, provide the opportunity to take on myriad roles in administration, teaching, instruction coordination, counseling, and digital learning.

Lean more about top-rated online master’s in education programs.

MBA

Today’s MBA programs offer tons of specializations to help you work in high-paying leadership roles across many industries. Each school offers different options, but common ones include management, finance, entrepreneurship, human resources, operations, and supply chain management.

Discover this year’s best online MBA programs.

Psychology

To work as a psychologist, you’ll need a doctorate, but a master’s in psychology opens up roles as social service managers, survey and market researchers, research assistants and project managers, and human resource managers.

Learn more about top-ranked online master’s in psychology programs.