MSU named in nation’s top-10 in four online master’s program areas

January 25, 2022

Michigan State University is among the best universities in the nation for students to earn an online master’s degree in education.

In the 2022 rankings from U.S. News & World Report, MSU is listed in the top-10 in four specialty areas.

Sparty statue is shown with sunlight behind.

The rankings list MSU as:

  • #1 for Curriculum and Instruction—up one from #2 in 2021
  • #4 for Educational Administration and Supervision
  • #5 for Educational/Instructional Media Design—up for the third consecutive year (#10 in 2020, #7 in 2021)
  • #7 (tied) for Special Education—the first time MSU’s strength in this area has been named in the top-10

“Online programs provide an important avenue to support equitable opportunities for diverse learners,” said Interim Dean Ann E. Austin. “At Michigan State University, we are very pleased to be recognized for our efforts to provide high-quality online educational opportunities, informed by our research and commitment to pedagogical excellence.” 

The specialty rankings, launched in 2020, are listed based on response to a peer assessment survey given to deans of education schools with online graduate programs.

Education, and its associated specialty rankings, is one of several disciplines ranked by U.S. News for online master’s programs each year. In the overall rankings, calculated based on responses to the peer assessment survey and statistical data such as graduation rate, class size, acceptance rate and other factors, MSU ranks in the top-25 in the nation, tied for #24 in 2022. MSU was named #10 in the nation for Best Online Master’s in Education Programs for Veterans. The overall, veterans and specialty rankings for online master’s programs are separate from the publication’s overall graduate program rankings.

“The excellence in our online programs is an outgrowth of our college’s many areas of expertise and our university’s land grant mission,” said Kristine L. Bowman, associate dean for academic and student affairs. “These programs allow us to bring the most current developments in these areas to working professionals across the state and around the world.” 

The MSU College of Education offers 10 fully online and hybrid master’s programs:

The MSU College of Education also offers several on-campus master’s programs.

More top rankings for MSU

The MSU College of Education has been ranked #1 in the nation for elementary and secondary education for 27 straight years, according to the annual graduate rankings from U.S. News & World Report. In its 2022 edition (released in March 2021), MSU had five programs named #1 in the nation.

Internationally, MSU is highly ranked as well. In three separate rankings systems, MSU ranks in the top 20 in the world, including as #2 (2021), according the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects by ShanghaiRanking.