Michigan State University is ranked fourth in the nation for best online master’s programs in education. The ranking is the highest recorded for MSU in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings, and up one from 2019.
New in the 2020 rankings are specialties, intended to help prospective students examine schools, and their programs, more closely. In all, MSU ranks among the best.
The college was ranked:
- #1 in Educational Administration and Supervision
- #2 in Curriculum and Instruction
- #7 (tie) in Special Education
- #10 (tie) in Educational/Media Design
“These top rankings are evidence that students in our graduate programs, online and face-to-face, gain knowledge and skills that enable them to excel in their fields of practice, ” said Robert E. Floden, dean of the MSU College of Education. “We take pride in recruiting students who come prepared to learn, and leave prepared to lead.”
MSU overall ranked just below Clemson University, University of Florida and University of Virginia.
Defining the rankings
The college was recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality education through renowned faculty, innovative instruction and more. It was the No. 1-listed of Michigan schools and across the Big Ten.
Education is one of several disciplines ranked by U.S. News for online programs each year. This ranking—canvassing more than 1,500 degree programs nationwide across all categories—is separate from the overall graduate program rankings done by U.S. News annually.
The online rankings for education are created based on various factors, including student engagement, faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, peer reputation and admissions selectivity.
Points for each institution on a scale of 0-100 are calculated by aggregating data about students, faculty and practices across online master’s degree programs offered.
The MSU College of Education, which earned a 96, currently offers seven fully online master’s degree programs in education:
- Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis
- Master of Arts in Education (MAED)
- Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET)
- Master of Arts in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education (HALE)
- Master of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum (MATC)
- Master of Arts in Special Education Leadership: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
- Master of Arts in Special Education (Learning Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorders)
In 2019, the college was tied for fifth among the overall rankings. Prior to a clerical error in reporting in 2018, the college had climbed the rankings for several years, beginning in 2013 when the college was ranked #23, through 2017, when the college was ranked #8.
The specialty rankings, on the other hand, were based on responses from a peer assessment survey.
Additional information about the ranked programs and the methodology used to calculate the rankings can be found on the U.S. News & World Report site.
The MSU College of Education also offers a fully online Master of Science in Sport Coaching & Leadership.
MSU continues top rankings
In 2019, MSU continued its legacy of high rankings.
- U.S. News & World Report, in its annual ranking of top graduate schools and programs, named MSU the best in the nation for elementary and secondary teacher education for the 25th straight year.
- MSU was ranked #1 globally for education in the Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.